Early Miyazaki in Sherlock Hound

I just discovered that Sherlock Hound is an entire series. I rented it from the library a long time ago, but it turns out that was just a few episodes squished together into something like a movie. 

It's something Miyazaki worked on before Studio Ghibli. He didn't do all of the episodes, but you can definitely see his influence in parts of it. There's a swimming submarine, just like Fujimoto's underwater boat. Another ship looks like Goliath in Castle in the Sky. And there's plenty of air travel. 

There's also a cartoony feel about it, reminiscent of Castle of Cagliostro. 

And the girls are tough. When one lady is kidnapped, she ends up with her captors wrapped around her finger. Not unlike how the pirates all dote on Sheeta and Fio. 

And wow, I think The Great Mouse Detective stole quite a bit from this series. 

Kokedama

A couple months ago, I first noticed kokedamas. At least, I first heard of them by name. I finally looked them up, and stumbled across guidelines for how to make one. That kind of stuck in my head, and I had the vague idea of trying to make one later in the winter, when I could find moss. 

I didn't want to go buy moss, because a lot of the time it's ripped illegally out of forests where it doesn't always recover. But we always get some in our garden when it gets wet outside. A few days ago, I was pulling weeds out of my tiny native grass lawn (I want to make it bigger when I can afford more native grass seed!). I noticed that moss was growing at the edge of the grass. I immediately got excited about making the kokedama. Moss doesn't hurt your lawn. It just kinda creeps in if the lawn isn't very thick. But I used my fingers to comb out a pile of moss, which I put in a saucer full of water. I did research that night, and the next day I dug up a baby lemon button fern that had split off from the parent. 

Then it was time to make a dirt ball. After some sculpting, I made a beautiful sphere of potting soil. Then it came time to press a hole into it, and the entire thing fell apart. So I started all over. And because my moss didn't come in a solid sheet (no idea where they harvest/grow/manufacture that kind of thing), it was a beast to wrap around the dirt. But I finally strung the moss into a nice green orb around my fern. 

It turned out pretty nice! I don't mind if there are a few grass blades sticking out of it. Now we'll see how the fern fares in its fancy new home. It's getting a new frond, at least! 

So that's how you make a fancy planting arrangement without having to buy anything. XD Especially moss. If you read the book Gathering Moss, you'll understand (Though I guess I did buy the potting soil). 

The Unseen Perfect

A little while ago, I posted about how I had to come up with a bunch of books for a character to read. 

Then John Green posted a video about "books within a book." He really likes them, because a book that exists within another story can be infinitely good. You'll never actually read it to find faults with it, so you can think of it as being a flawless masterpiece. 

Whereas I don't think you can call any real book "perfect." 

It's tempting to do that with the books I invented. Leave them as titles and ideas, so they can be pictured as "perfect masterpieces" by the characters, and the readers. 

Except I really want to write those stories XD So their time as an unknown perfect may be limited. 

IMAX is wasted on me

I think Imax is wasted on me. Unless it's one of those curved screens. 

I just saw the Odyssey with my cousin. It's the first movie filmed specifically for Imax, so I thought it would be good to see it that way. But I was focused on the story and characters, so I had no idea that it wasn't an ordinary theater screen. Even though it cost a lot more. 

My other cousin said that you can see it on even better screens, but there aren't many of them. I wonder if I could even tell the difference. 

If I see a movie in 3D, I also kind of forget part way through the movie. 

It's interesting that the movie decided to kinda delete the gods. In the book, they were a very real and physical presence. In the movie, they're only shown as forces of nature or hallucinations. I guess it's going for the view that you can't have faith in a god if they're so easy to see and talk to. They have to be sort of unknown and mysterious, to test your faith? That's just speculation. There were plenty of humans in the movie that had magic. 

Eco Care

For a few years now, I've been seeking out environmentally friendly products, such as soap and shampoo. The EWG rates these sorts of products, and most of what I list here are certified by them. If they're not certified, I'll try to mention so (probably because I haven't found a working alternative yet). I'm also adding my own standards, which include products that actually do the job well, and don't cost a fortune. This is for my own reference as much as for anyone else who's interested. 

I've asked advice of dentists and doctors to clarify some things. And I've added other little tips that people might find useful. It's still a work in progress. I found perfect makeup, for example, and then the company stopped making it. 

Also, everyone's a little different. What works for me may not work for you. But I hope this is a helpful start! 

My favorite soap is Seven Minerals: Pure Castile Soap. It's good for washing your hands, showering, washing dishes, hand-washing clothes, and I even shaving cream. It's concentrated, so you add water to  double or triple the amount you buy. 

Attitude makes a good hand cream. The different scents smell really nice too. 

But there are a couple very easy things you can do to keep your hands from drying out so much. When you're washing your hands, pat them dry instead of rubbing them dry. And dry them thoroughly. 

Exfoliants can really help get your hands smoother. But all the ones I've found have been shockingly expensive. I did some research, and found that they're very easy to make. Just put a dab of coconut oil or olive oil in your palm, and sprinkle on the same amount of salt. Scrub it all over the front and back of your hands, and across the fingers. Then wash your hands - though it's fine to leave some oil on - and put lotion on. My hands go from disgusting to pretty smooth! 

Wellnesse used to make shampoo and conditioner for curly hair. And it was great. Then they stopped making it. They still have normal shampoo and conditioner, but it's not quite as good. I haven't found a good replacement yet. 

If you do have curly or wavy hair, there's a simple way to make it look sleek instead of puffy. Before your brush or comb your hair, mist it all over with a spray bottle. It helps the locks cling together instead  of flying apart. 

I actually made my own shower scrubber out of hemp fabric. But I'll try to find a brand that makes a useful, biodegradable kind. Some styles just don't work very well. 

Kooshoo makes plastic-free hair ties. They work well, and last a long time. 

It took me forever to find makeup concealer that works, is rated well, and doesn't cost a fortune. I got one container of it. Then the company, Juice Beauty, stopped making it. The store where I found it no longer exists, so I have no idea where I'm going to go to find a replacement makeup now. And the original company refused to help me in any way. 

Natracare makes biodegradable pads. I use regular and night maxi pads.

Razors can be tricky, because most of them are plastic, and have disposable heads. I bought a razor where you replace only the blades, and I used it for a while. But every time I changed the blades, it would carve up my legs no matter how careful I was. When it got dulled some by use, it would finally stop razoring my shin skin off. If you don't shave your legs, it's probably worth getting one of these. Maybe some companies have a better design than what I ended up with. I've seen one from Leaf Razor that I really want to try, but it's expensive. It has multiple blades instead of one, so it might be kinder to my legs. If I ever cave and buy one, I'll let you know if it works. 

I've also run across a razor with a bamboo blade, from The Bull Dog company. I haven't tested it yet, but next time I need a new razor, I may get one. 

I sometimes use a cuticle cutter to take off hang nails or cracked skin around my fingernails. But if you use one, don't take off the entire cuticle. It exists to keep anything from working between your fingernail and the skin. 

You can get nail-clippers specifically for your toes. They're a different shape, which I've been told helps prevent in-grown toenails. 

Patch-bamboo bandages are biodegradable. They stick well to skin, but not as well to themselves. So if you have to wrap a bandage around a finger, angle it in a way where it touches your skin more than the other end of the bandaid (for some reason, the last time I bought them they left a lot of glue behind on my skin).  

I'm still looking for a good deodorant. I'm not happy with the one I have now. 

I'm also looking for a chapstick I really like. As well as a sunscreen chapstick I like. 

For a while I had cracked heels. Naturalia heel balm worked wonders, but then they stopped making it. I have yet to find anything as effective. 

Finding a good sunscreen has taken me years. I've come across so many different problems with them. For example, 365 sunscreen made my eyes burn if I ever put it on my face (as if there was some weird fume it put out?) Solara time traveler dried out my skin, and always ended up separating in the bottle. And Solara Fortune Teller would run off if I sweated even a little. Right now I'm experimenting with Attitude's Sunly sunscreen stick. It's kind of thick so it takes a while to work in, and I haven't tried it on my face yet. I'll see how it goes. 

Wash your pillows every month. Not just the cases, but the whole pillow. Stuff can start to grow in them, and make you break out. 

You want to sleep with your mouth shut, so your gums don't dry out. I was told that tilting your head slightly down with a pillow can help your mouth stay shut. But I've also noticed that tilting my head too much puts a little extra pressure on my throat, and I think even makes me snore some. 

I used to grind my teeth at night (and possibly still do, though I like to hope not). I need to wear retainers while I sleep, so I don't grind my teeth to nubs. You can get cheap, simple mouth guards at sporting stores. I tried one of these, though I had to cut it to the right size. It kinda worked but it would chafe inside my mouth, and was really bulky. I finally caved, and coughed up the money to buy a new set of fitted retainers. There's a plan where you pay more up front, but they'll replace them every year. You need to replace them when the plastic starts changing color, because that may mean that something is growing in them. 

In regards to grinding teeth, I was told that magnesium pills can help relax your muscles and reduce the amount of grinding. You take a pill half an hour before bed. I didn't really notice much difference when I tried them though. 

I've been using David's toothpaste. I might try something else, because all of their toothpaste I've seen says "whitening." That usually means that there's something abrasive, which isn't great over the long-term. Though when I asked my dentist, he said it should be fine as long as it doesn't feel gritty. David's toothpaste doesn't feel gritty. But I should probably do more research. 

For floss, I use Bamboo Switch- the plain kind. They also have a charcoal floss, but I think that might be hard on your teeth. Bamboo floss works well. It doesn't splinter like the corn-based floss I tried (that stuff was awful- once a piece broke off in my teeth so badly that it took several minutes to finally get it out). I have put bamboo floss in my compost, and it doesn't biodegrade very well. After some months, it's still intact. 

Radius silk floss works well, and is biodegradable. But keep in mind that silk is made by killing lots of caterpillars. Which doesn't seem worth it for a piece of string you use once and throw away. 

It's better to floss before you brush your teeth. It helps open up gaps between your teeth, so the toothpaste can get in there and clean better. 

Wellnesse makes a copper tongue scraper. They work well, and don't make me gag like some others I've tried. Tongue scrapers are good for your dental hygiene. 

You don't necessarily need mouthwash, as long as you brush and floss. But you might need it if you have sensitive teeth. I've been told to use it. I get Simply Silver mouthwash. My dentist said that it looks  pretty good. It doesn't have the highest grade on the EWG, but it's the best brand that contains hydroxyapatite. That ingredient is good for your teeth, and is a good alternative to flouride. Flouride has long been a hyped ingredient for teeth, because it helps them absorb good stuff. But there are some potential hazards to it. I've heard some back-and-forth on the topic, so I need to dig deeper. But for now, I'm staying away from flouride. 

If you catch a cold, one of the few things that can help you recover faster is zinc lozenges. 

For sore muscles, magnesium helps. Epsom salts in your bath contain magnesium. 

Keep pill bottles out of your bathroom. The humidity in the air can get into containers and make the medicine go bad faster. Store pill bottles somewhere dry. 

I've only found one natural cure for headaches that actually works for me. I grow feverfew in my garden, and dry the leaves and flowers. If I get a headache, I brew a bit of very strong tea with them. Both the fresh or dried flowers and leaves work. It tastes terrible, but so far it's always worked (my Dad said that the headache goes away because the body is scared to drink more of that tea). 

I've seen essential oils used to treat many different ailments. I've only found a couple that have worked for me, so your results may vary. And if you're buying bottles of concentrated essential oil, you must dilute them! They can do harm if you use them undiluted. Look up the proper methods for doing so, but I add a couple drops essential oil to a tablespoon of base oil (I use olive oil because that's what I have, but I've never seen it used elsewhere). 

Diluted lemongrass oil - rub a couple drops under and between your toes every week or two to prevent athlete's foot and such. And if you get it, the oil will help clear it up if you rub it in once or twice a day. 

Diluted peppermint oil - while you can't eat many essential oils, you can eat this one. A couple drops in a glass of water helps settle my stomach. 

Eucalyptus essential oil - I don't dilute this one, because I use it in a diffuser. It helps me breathe easier when I'm sick and congested. I found a little metal oil diffuser, where you light a candle under it to vaporize the oil. The glass ones kept cracking, so I recommend finding a metal one. But I've heard that these oils in the air can be bad for pets, so take proper precautions. 

Hemp seems to be the most sustainable fabric. Wama underwear makes their products from hemp. I haven't had much luck with them fitting me, but that's probably not a common problem. 

It's important to wear good shoes. The way you stand impacts a lot about the rest of your posture. I like to go for minimal shoes. Humans didn't evolve to need thick-soled shoes. Merrell makes a great thin-soled shoe that is my favorite. 

That being said, when I had to work all day while walking on concrete, it started to have an impact on my ankles. I had to use thick-soled Hoka shoes. It did indeed make the ankle problem go away. And when I injured my heels, that was another good use for the thick-soled Hokas. 

For running, I recommend Vibrams. They're another thin-soled shoe that gives your foot and ankle its full range of strength and motion. I've actually used Skeletoes, which is a cheaper brand, but seems to be quite similar. I do want to try Vibrams though. I've heard great things about them. It may take a bit to build up the muscles around your feet to get used to these. Running in these shoes makes your ankles so strong. I once twisted my ankle really badly - landing on it with my full weight. But it barely bothered me at all. Before I used Skeletoes, that would have left me limping all week. 

Keen makes hiking sandals. You can get them wet too. I think I'll try to find an alternative, because I've had trouble with their fit. My little toes just kind of fall out the sides. I just bought the men's sandals, which seem to work better. I'll try them out and see. 

Salomon makes good hiking boots. They don't cover your ankles, so they get the full range of motion. 

Meditate every night before bed. It can be hard to build the habit, because it doesn't feel right at first. But if you practice, it has amazing benefits such as helping people get less upset over things, and coping better. 

Exercise every day. And do yoga to keep things working smooth. 

I recommend seeing a chiropractor. So many people - myself included - have bad posture, so this helps mitigate some of those problems. A well-aligned spine helps reduce headaches. And he's helped me recover faster from injuries. I have a funky tendon in my shoulder, which sometimes pops out of place. I didn't even have to mention it, and he could tell right away that there was a problem there. He's even helped me with my jaw. I think because I had braces, my jaw pops when I open it too wide, but it's much better after his help. The way I open my jaw also has an impact. 

When you use a public restroom, it's always a good idea to wipe the seat off first. There can be some nasty stuff on them, which can leave weird welts on your thighs. Gross. Usually toilet paper does the trick, but it doesn't get everything. I'll use a bit of my hand sanitizer on the seat, and wipe it down with the toilet paper. If I don't have that with me, a bit of soap from the bathroom works. 

And if you get anything on the seat, wipe it off! Some people have trouble cleaning the seat themself, and they don't want to sit in your pee. 

Close the toilet seat when you flush. Otherwise a could of toilet water can leave residue through the room. Where you probably keep your toothbrush. 

Who Gives a Crap is a company that makes toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels with no plastic packaging. 

You can make some of your own simple cleaning products with non-toxic ingredients. For example, 2 cups of water with half a cup of vinegar makes a good glass cleaner. 

Attitude also makes good cleaning products. I use their "all purpose cleaner" for counters and cabinets. The "floor cleaner" works well also. 

For cleaning the bathtub, sink or other tougher areas we usually use Bar Keeper's Friend. It's made with natural ingredients, and they have recycled packaging. I don't know how it compares to other products though, so I'll have to do more research. And I always use a mask with it, because it makes my lungs feel icky if I didn't cover my mouth. I don't know what causes that, but I sure don't want to encourage it. 

We have closets with sliding wooden doors. After a while, they start to jamb some. Clean out the runners, and rub along and between them with a bar of soap. I don't usually buy bars of soap (I use liquid soap). So if I go to a hotel, I bring part of one of their soap bars home. I don't need a whole bar just to wash my hands, and I never use that stuff in the shower because it dries out my skin. But if you break the bar of soap in half, sometimes room service just throws the remainder away. Be creative to avoid wasting so many bars of soap.  However, one hotel had soap bars that left big bleached streaks down my pants when I tried to wash them. I can only imagine what ingredients were in that thing. 

I've been trying to find simple house products made with biodegradable materials. I found a few on Etsy: 

Sponges: StephanieJos: Unsponge

Bamboo pencils (dipped in ink): (Just found their shop is closed. There are probably other shops that sell bamboo pencils though)

Walnut ink to go with the pencils: (Just found their shop is closed. There are probably other shops that sell walnut ink though)

This one isn't on Etsy, but Wisdom Supply Co makes a "Zero waste binder." I ordered a few, and stuck calendar pages on the outside to decorate them. 

Moving to the garden. Snails and slugs don't like crawling over hair. If you cut your hair (or get some from a local salon) you can spread it around plants that snails find tasty. 

We used to have huge problems with ants. For one particularly bad stretch of time, they would get in the kitchen, or anywhere else in the house, every single day. Whether or not they found any food, they would go for crumbs, or residue on the counters. Terro liquid ant bait saved us. It's just sugar and borax. Leave it out where the ants are. They bring it back to the nest, and it wipes them all out. I don't like doing that, but sometimes ants just take over. You might need to put out a few of these before it takes full effect. There's also an outdoor variety, if the ants are doing outdoor damage. That being said, don't needlessly kill ants. They are an important species for many things. 

For aphids, all you need is a few drops of dish soap in water. Put it in a spray bottle and coat the aphids. Biodegradable soap doesn't seem to work. I've only had luck with typical dish soap. 

If you garden, or go in the woods, or touch a tree, you may get sticky sap on your hands. It never seems to wash off. I accidentally discovered something that helps wash the sap away. I would never have tried this deliberately, and I recommend you do it when you're taking a shower. Because if you blow snot in your hands and rub it around, it takes the sap right off. Then wash your hands with soap. Different sap may behave differently. And I've never asked anyeone else to test my technique. So let me know if it works for you. 

Moving on to pets. 

If your cat gets fleas, there's a few things you should do. Wash all their bedding to kill fleas and flea eggs. To get rid of fleas in your garden, I've gotten nematodes from a nearby hardware store. You spread them around your lawn, and it's worked well for me. I'm still working on the actual flea application for cats. The last time I bought a common brand name, it didn't help at all (I don't remember what it was. - it was a long time ago). I think my vet recommended Cheristin, which did work. But I've since heard some potentially alarming stuff about it. I tried a natural flea medicine (maybe neem oil? That was also a long time ago) I think it worked, but it burned my poor cat's skin. 

You don't want to feed your cat only dry food. It can lead to health problems later in life (it did for my last cat). My cousin's vet told her never to give her cat wet food. But my vet said that it's good to give your cat some wet food. Not sure where that discrepancy comes from. I think wet food is worse for their teeth. So I give my cat three small meals through the day - one of dry food, one of wet food, and one of chicken (or some other plain meat). 

A lot of cat food is made with wheat and stuff that cats aren't evolved to eat. My last cat got bad gas from eating that kind of stuff. Blue Buffalo worked for her. But I haven't found anything about that company being eco friendly. I did find one that is eco friendly, but they don't ship to my area. 

I get Greenies as cat treats. I think I started getting them because they're supposed to help clean your pet's teeth. But my vet says that they don't really help. I've recently found a company called Pezzy that makes pet treats out of invasive species, like carp. I got some to try with my cat, but cats are picky. You may have better luck. 

Printer Woes

 I guess with computers, it never rains but pours. I just had to buy Microsoft Word again, because my computer decided it doesn't like it anymore. And now the same thing just happened to my printer.

Luckily I looked on the Best Buy website, because when I went to the store, they tried to sell me a massive beast for $600, or an insufficient one for over $100. 

"I thought you had one for $90," I said. Yes, there was one left in the back. 

And then I spent a chunk of the evening setting it up. Now I'll have to order extra ink, because of course the other kind I have doesn't work. And I might need to buy an extra cord too.  It all makes my head spin. @_@ 

An Actor's Nicest Character

I thought I'd do a nostalgia post, now that I've rewatched Wild Thornberries season 2 (which turns into something else). 

Eliza is now nicer to Darwin, which is great. 

And I remembered Debbie as being a useless whiner. But she holds up pretty darn well during their travels. She's not enthusiastic about their lifestyle, but she finds a lot of ways to cope with it. She makes friends in new places, and even takes care of her adopted little brother. 

Betty White had a role! 

I had one of my silly thoughts. Nigel Thornberry is probably the nicest character that I've seen Tim Curry play. Of all his roles, Nigel Thornberry is the person I would prefer to meet. He may be eccentric, but I could learn a lot about animals from him. 

Which of course made me think about some other actors, and which of their characters I would most like to meet. I didn't follow this train of thought very far, but some actors it would be really easy. If they voiced one of my favorite characters, it would be a no brainer. I haven't seen Wade's voice actor in much else, but I'd definitely want to meet Wade. 

It was a little harder to decide for my favorite actor. Which of Hugh Jackman's characters would I most want to meet? Wolverine isn't particularly social. Maybe Bunny? That's kind of cheating though. I love rabbits. I guess I'd be biased toward animal characters... 

Survey Sidetracks

I learned an unusual amount about how to make a survey work effectively. Mostly during science classes, but also while asking people to do surveys for a while at the zoo. Questions have to be phrased clearly, have helpful answers, and so many other variables. 

I just took a survey that came on the Brandon Sanderson newsletter (author of Mistborn). One question was not very effective, because no response actually fit me. A different question brought about an entirely different problem. It asked what I would name my shard blade. So I started thinking what Fern's sword would be called. The survey was put on hold as I brainstormed possible ideas. I got some ideas, but I still need to work some more on the final name. I could only put a prototype name on the survey. 

Growl

I just watched some of the behind the scenes for Beauty and the Beast (the live action Disney version). I've mentioned before how Dan Stevens is really good at doing different voices, to the point where I can't recognize him between most of the roles I've seen him in. 

I had always assumed that his beast voice had something artificial added to give it an extra growl. But there was a clip of the actors reading their lines, and he just did that with his voice. So cool! Now I'm even more impressed with him than I was before. 

Instagram was a waste of time

So, I just learned that there's nothing you can do to stop Instagram from using your art for AI. So I've taken down most of the things I just posted. And I probably won't be posting much more here. What a waste of time. 

Rats are too smart

I think I have the Rats of NIMH in my garden. 

I got a live trap to try to catch the rats that hang out in the compost bin. I wear gloves when I reset it, to hopefully keep my scent off. And I know rats are smart. But this stuff just started to get unbelievable. I started keeping track of what these rats have done. Then I stopped keeping track because it never ended. 

Something fell against the catch, so the door couldn't shut. The rats somehow knew that it was blocked, because they finally went into the trap to steal the food. 

I fixed the trap and put new bait in. And they somehow got in without triggering the catch. 

Then somehow they managed to trigger the trap without getting caught in it. 

Then I found a bird in the trap. I let the poor thing out, and reset it. 

Then, once again, the rats got the bait without triggering it.

Then it caught another bird.

And another. 

So, I stopped setting the rat trap. I don't want to traumatize out native songbird population by locking them away for part of the day before I find them and let them out.  

The Latest Sketchbook

I finally finished another sketchbook! And it only took about four years. So it's time to share my favorites. There are more than ever, which is hopefully a sign that my art is improving. I will resist pointing out the mistakes I made XD 

This is a scene I redrew from The Last Unicorn. I tried to get something of a tapestry feel to the image behind her. 

My beast, from my version of Beauty and the Beast. 

Someone once told me they wanted a tattoo of tigers and California poppies. That sounded really pretty, so I drew it. Except I don't think I have her contact information to show her... 

Wade, from Elemental! I was amazed at how hard he was to draw. They said that he was a beast to animate, but I didn't realize that drawing a single image of him would also be a beast. I would have thought that the lack of any solid shape would have made him simpler to draw. But it just meant that certain details had to be just right, or he didn't look like Wade anymore. 

A fox wearing foxgloves! 

My favorite work of art is Winged Victory, in the Louvre. Which I finally got to see a couple years ago! At one point, I looked up images of what the statue might have looked like if she weren't broken. And none of them looked very good. So I did my own! It may not fit an expert's pattern, but it fits my vision. 

Ame And Yuki, from Wolf Children. I tried to do the sky in pastel, and made a mess of it. But that gives it texture XD

My Pokemon trainer, Cara with her Ponyta, Polaris. She's wearing a Sygna Suit, which are featured in a spin-off game. Some of them look really cool because the trainer matches their Pokemon. I wanted to try designing one for Cara and Polaris. 

When I was playing Undertale for the first time, I was horrified when Asgore broke the Mercy. I wanted to try to capture that moment. 

Queen Tara and Ronin, from Epic. I love both of these characters. Queen Tara is still the coolest namesake I could hope for. 

Figuring the Future

I just started a short story that takes place several years in the future of another story. And I realized how many things I have to figure out about. Like whether these characters have boyfriends or girlfriends! They're actually old enough to be married by now. 

That's hard to grasp when I've only ever written about them as teenagers. 

I don't think any of them are married yet. After thinking about it, they'd take some time to get started on that. 

This all coming from someone who sucks as writing romance. So I'll probably just have one person decide to ask someone out by the end. 

Ugh, just had to spend a couple hours on chats with Microsoft staff because they decided not to let me use Microsoft Word anymore. Seriously though, how many customers do they chat with at any time? Because it took them so long to answer even the simplest questions. 

That will stop you from writing stories pretty fast. Only $180 to pay for it, until they decide that I can't use it anymore again. 

Books are Either Windows or Mirrors

John Green ideas about books:

Books are either windows or mirrors. If the book is a mirror, it lets you see yourself. As a window, a book lets you see others. 

When Brilliance and Stupidness Intersect

Rarely have I encountered something so stupid and so impressive as this video I just stumbled upon yesterday, while exploring my Frozen DVD. 

A music video about The Making of Frozen. Kinda. 

There's Olaf, Kristoff, and Ana's voice actor's are all involved, and the choreography is great. (Too bad the internet vesrions are such cruddy quality.) 

I mean, you know I've been watching the "making of" section of my DVDs. This just wasn't what I expected. 

Poetry and Tea Leaves

This is the only brand of ice tea I like, because it's the only one that tastes like plain green tea. They have several good types of tea, like this jasmine. 

Plus they have poems on some of their bottles? How artistic!

Instagram

 I finally created an Instagram account, because so many artists have left Deviantart. This website is so weird. Am I doing something wrong? Why do all of the images have to fit in such specific shapes? What if your art isn't that shape? 

And how come you can't zoom on the images? They're all so small. 

No wonder I still mostly use Deviantart. I'm reminded again of how poorly some of these other websites are for sharing and organizing art. 

I've only posted a couple things so far. Eventually I'll pick out a collection of my favorites. Though it looks like I'm going to have to crop a lot of them. 

Instagram will mostly be where I follow other artists. To see the tiny images of their art, which should be seen in its full size and glory... And for some reason, it doesn't let me watch some artists. 

Continuity

Editing a short story set in the summer. Suddenly the characters are gathering acorns. Which aren't ripe until fall! 

So now I have to figure out a plant they can actually harvest in summer. Maybe sage. 

How to Create a Galaxy Far far away

Since the blog completely deleted this post, I've tried to recreate bits and pieces of it. I'm not about to watch through all the bonus features again. 

Considering what a huge deal Star Wars is today, it's hard to imagine that everyone thought the original movie would be a total flop. It was pretty low budget too. For example, in the hangar they had to move ships around for each shot, so it looked like they had more ships. They also had to use every mask they could find for scenes like the bar. Which is why they ended up with a devil-looking character. 

Lucas said that the first Star Wars film was meant to feel like you walked in during the middle of a series. He never knew if he would get the opportunity to make the following two films. And he never dreamed that he could do prequels. 

It was funny to hear about all the strange things they used to create sound effects. To make the sound of Vader choking someone, they crushed walnut shells inside of a grapefruit peel. And to make squishy sounds for Jabba, they mashed their hands around in a dish of cheese casserole. 

George Lucas borrowed an idea from the samurai movie, Hidden Fortress. That movie is largely told from the perspective of two farmers, who are mostly bystanders. In Star Wars, the story starts off being told by a couple droids (who do a lot of bystanding, but they help a lot too). 

They used a lot of very simple solutions to film the effects. For example, when Vader uses the force to steal Han's gun, they simply threw the gun across the table. 

And of course, in The Empire Strikes Back, we meet Yoda. Who is a fabulous puppet. They had to build a false floor so the puppeteers could move around beneath Yoda, and create his movements. 

At one point in Dagobah, Luke pulls a snake out of his ship's vent. The actor was not happy about having to do that. 

Today, everyone knows who Luke's dad is. But when they were making the movie, that was top secret. There was a stand-in line, where Vader says that Obi-Wan killed Luke's father. They only told Luke about it right before shooting. They didn't even tell the actor who did Vader -the voice of Vader is not the same guy that's wearing the suit. In fact, the guy wearing the suit was upset that he didn't know, because he said he would have acted it differently. 

Actually, Vader isn't the only one whose voice was done later. Much of Star Wars had to be dubbed, because the original sound was distorted by helmets and clanking droids and such. 

I didn't even notice this until Lucas mentioned it, but the Storm Troopers often bang their heads against things. Because, as Luke notes, you can't see much through those helmets. Even Jango Fett bonks his head in Attack of the Clones. 

Another recurring theme is that in the first six movies, someone always says, "I have a bad feeling about this." They even made fun of it in Rogue One. I'd never noticed that either, except I recalled Leia saying it at one point. 

The Revenge of the Sith starts with an elaborate space battle. Someone mentioned that it was so hard to create that scene because it had everything but the kitchen sink. So in one of the explosions, Lucas added a bit of debris that's actually a kitchen sink. It's too small for me to really see on my screen though. 

Lucas's son had a cameo in this movie. He's the young Jedi that Senator Organa encounters, who is then shot down by the clones. That's a hell of a cameo...

Also, Anakin knows he's doing the wrong thing. That's why you see him crying. 

They had some unexpected help filming the battle on Mustafar. Because Mt. Etna erupted, giving them plenty of footage of lava. 

An agent just told me, "I'd be happy to hear from you in the future." 

So that's another good sign. Hopefully that means I'm close. 

Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story

I think the one of the most interesting things about Hamilton is the song "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story." 

I learned about Alexander Hamilton in school, but I sure didn't remember him. It was just some name I vaguely associated with the early United States. And I know I'm not alone in that area. 

But then someone wrote a book about his life. And then someone else read that book and thought it would make an amazing musical. 

And now, a couple hundred years after he died, suddenly everyone knows about Alexander Hamilton. Not only that, but they're thrilled to learn about him. Because the right people told his story. 

YANovCon 2026

It's time for my belated post about this year's YANovCon. 

There was a writing exercise at the beginning, lead by the author Arriel Vinson. I'd gotten there early, and so I figured I'd sit in on it. I didn't want to share anything during the workshop, because all of the other participants were kids and I didn't know if adults were meant to participate. But luckily, one other lady came - I think the mom of one of the kids. And the author asked me to share anyway (she asked every person to). 

She had some fun prompts, and I turned them into a couple poems. The basic idea was to "write about a place you always go." I chose my garden for one exercise, and my Japan trip for the other. 

During one of the panels, an author said that she puts together a playlist to listen to for each book she writes. That sounds cool. I kinda want to make them for my stories, but I don't know if I'd ever listen to them. Plus, there are so many moods throughout a story. You'd almost need a separate playlist for each feeling. (A fanfiction would be really easy to make a playlist for. You could just use the soundtrack from the movie or game!) 

One author said that a lot of readers just skip the prologues and epilogues. Why would someone do that? There can be such important information in those! One way for a writer to get around that is just to call the prologue "Chapter 1." 

I was even more shocked when they said that some people only read the dialogue in a book. How would you know half of what the book is about? 

And here are a couple good points made by the authors:

To be good at something, you have to suck first. Then you can learn how to fix it. 

All of the authors agreed that the efforts to break into publishing are soul-crushing (and getting worse). In response to this, Eva Des Lauriers said, "The drum of writers is in you. If it's in you, it's never gonna stop drumming." 

As always, the authors' books were for sale. I wrote down a bunch of titles that I want to read. But the one I bought to get signed was "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea." It's based off of a Korean folktale, and I think half the reason I bought it was because the cover is so beautiful. 

(Though I was a bit disappointed in the character development and pacing). 

I talked to some of the authors after, which is always fun. 

 Yesss, I just finished my Beauty and the Beast story! 

And now I gotta go to bed. I have to get up early XD

Sharing Quirks-AKA Irritating Behavior

Maya was feeling pretty bland in the first draft of the story. I realized she needed some kind of quirk (as well as some more depth, but that can come in later drafts). 

I ran through a few potential quirks in my head, but it didn't take me long to land on one. Sometimes she just can't stop talking. I do that occasionally. It's mostly just when I'm excited about a movie, or a story I'm writing. And pretty much every single time, the person I'm talking to doesn't actually care. 

Gratitude

I hear about these often. I think I should try making one. It seems like a nice way to think. 

It's called a gratitude journal. Every day, you write down something you're thankful for. Hanging out with a friend, a few minutes to do something creative, or maybe just a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. If things get stressful, you can use the journal to think of the good things. Even if those good things feel very small at the moment. 

Another twist I just learned is a journal for "Good things are always happening to me." For example, you found a parking spot easily, or you got a nice message from a family member. 

When life feels, that's when it's the most important to see the hopeful things. 

For Kiki and Tombo, it's Funny

It occurred to me as I was writing that Maya and Corvin start out a lot like Kiki and Tombo. Maya just can't stand Corvin, and he didn't do anything wrong. Except Maya is an adult, and she should know better. 

Playing the Villain

I finally made myself finish the story part of Hyrule Warriors. 

It only took several years. 

I'm still kinda pissed that they made me play Ganondorf. You have to play the villain, and undo all the hard work you've been fighting for over the course of the game? To attack your own allies? Ouch. 

Coastal Harvest

I recently stumbled upon a book event at a library. Usually I wouldn't be interested in one of those unless I'd already read the book. But this sounded cool. The book was Coastal Harvest, by Taku Kondo. He's a professional sushi chef, who goes along the coast going fishing and gathering shellfish, mushrooms, and seaweed. I don't know much about that kind of thing, but it sounded interesting and I wanted to learn about it. 

When I arrived, I was delighted to receive the book for free. I got a seat, and watched as the room filled up until people were standing along the walls. 

Taku told us how he got started - his family moved here from Japan so the kids could have a less stressful childhood. And he said that he's still goofing off to this day, fishing and collecting clams. 

He teaches classes too. That sounds cool. 

He signed books at the end. He'd gone to college where my parents used to teach (before they retired). I asked if he'd taken their classes, but he hadn't. 

I've since checked out his book. So far I've only tried one recipe, for pickled onions. But I marked a bunch of others I want to try. 

I've been watching some videos from his Youtube channel too: Outdoor Chef Life. Man, I really want to get a fishing license so I can gather some seaweed and sea urchins. 

Even though I know better, I sometimes ask people how they might solve a plot problem. I just asked Mom how she thought two people could stop a flood from a breaking dam. She said:

"You could get giant prehistoric beavers to build a dam." 

See, this is why I should know better than to ask. 

Book Spoilers

I recently read a book about writing. They discussed how various books accomplished different things. So at the top of each chapter, they had a list of books that had spoilers coming up. I've never seen that in a book. I thought it was cool. 

Paris

And we have another belated entry about my Europe travels! Continued from London.  

November 14 2023

I arrived at the train station over a half an hour before my train left. I checked the departures board. My train was listed, but it didn’t say a platform. So I waited a little longer. Still no platform. Finally I went to ask at the ticket window. They told me where to go, sounding a little worried as they did so. I didn’t understand why until I arrived at the train line. They informed me that for this international train, you have to arrive at least half an hour early to go through a passport check. The gate was already closed. Nowhere in my reservation did it say anything about that. Nor did the departures gate even list the platform when I checked it over half an hour early! The guy made a big deal of saying he’d try to fit me on some other train later today. Maybe hours later. And the train change came with a 50 euro fee. What a scam! To not even tell their customers that they have to get here an hour early, and only let them ride later for a 50 euro fee. Disgusting. I was so pissed, and anxious because I didn’t know what the hell was happening. The guy said that I was lucky because he found a spot on the 10:30 train. Again, he made a big fuss about it. Lucky my ass. There’s nothing lucky about this scam. And there were tons of empty seats on the 10:30 train anyway. 

After dealing with the international travel stuff, we were on our way. The screen on the train said we were traveling at 225 km/hr (about 140 mph). It was fast, though not quite as fast as the Japanese bullet train which can go over 200 mph. With the Japanese Shinkansen, you went through tunnels so fast that the pressure slammed into your ears. Here when you went through tunnels, you felt the pressure slower, and not as strong. 

As we left England, the announcements were in English first, and French after. Then our train dove beneath the ground. At first I thought it was another tunnel. But this was the passage under the English Channel. I want to know how they built this thing. The dark tunnel stretched on and on, until finally we emerged under the sky once more. They gave an announcement saying we were now in France. And from here, they gave the announcements in French first, English after. I was called “madame” now too, instead of “lovey.” 

I remained paranoid, wondering if any other passport or customs check would create more weird snags. But we arrived in Paris and I disembarked. I found a subway station. Well, in the US they’re subway stations. In London, they’re the underground. Here, they’re the metro. Once again, I have to figure out a new public transit system. Unlike in England, you can’t just scan in and out with your credit card. I managed to figure out the machine, and followed the signs. It’s not labeled as clearly as it was in London, and I wasn’t sure which side to go to. I tentatively asked someone if this was going to my stop. They just shrugged. 

On this particular line, there are lights for each stop. I spotted the name of my stop, and it wasn’t lit up yet. I figured that must mean it would light up when we got there. I hauled my luggage on. We got two stops down, and I realized I was travelling the wrong direction. The lights go OFF when you arrive at the station. I quickly got off and went up and over to the other side. I climbed on again, hoping I was right this time. The doors between cars were open, so you could see down the length of the train as it curved around corners. It was kinda surreal. At least this time, I landed at the right station. 

I waffled around a bit as I tried to figure which direction to go. Once I know which way I’m facing, I don’t have trouble with a map. It’s just knowing which way to start that confuses me. That’s why I love it when they have maps that are angled in the right direction – like in London. Eventually I figured it out and walked a few blocks to my hotel. I checked in and rested for a few minutes before heading out again. I'd lost an hour due to the train fiasco, but there was still plenty of light. 

Mom came to Paris without me years ago (I was pissed XD ). Now it’s finally my turn. Just a few days before I left, Mom suddenly decided to give me several suggestions of places to visit. I wasn’t sure how much time I’d have since I already had plans, but I wrote down her ideas. One of them was a street that had some cool shops – Rue Mouffetard. That’s where she got the cheese. She showed us pictures from her trip, including this cheese that looked like a cantaloupe. It was round, orange inside, and had a rind looked like the rind of the melon. I wanted to try it. 

I thought I had the map in my head. But the thing about Paris is that the streets go off in all these slants and spidery shapes. Rue Mouffetard was in one of these spidery areas. I turned a little too hard to the left. I walked along, not noticing anything interesting about the street. But eventually it was clear that I was in the wrong place. I pulled out my map and found that I’d been going up the wrong road, which had been steadily slanting up and away from my intended route. It would have been smart to check the map sooner, but I’m kinda paranoid doing even that. Maps are big and awkward and make it obvious that I’m not a local. Better not to look like any kind of target. Even if I do end up walking circles… (though apparently foreigners are easy to spot anyway). It occurs to me I’ve had problems getting somewhere almost every day. 

Rue Mouffetard is one of the oldest streets in the city, and has been here since Roman times. But most of the shops were closed. I suppose they have “siesta” here like they did in Italy - where everything closes in the middle of the day. I walked around, checking menus and hoping to find good French food. But it was mostly Italian, burgers, or sushi. What French food I did find was cheese plates and stuff. I did get a boba, though it tasted like it was made with vanilla milk or something. Unusual flavor, though not bad. I probably sounded like an idiot when I followed the boba sign and asked the shopkeeper, "do you speak any English?” all pathetic-like. 

I saw a sign for the Pantheon. I checked my map and found that it was only a couple blocks away. I’d walked a lot farther than I realized. I still had some time, so I went to check it out. It was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, which I also went to (the Rome one was cooler, but this was neat too). The inside of the Paris Parthenon was a lot more modern than I expected. A giant pendulum tracks the motion of the earth. Over the speakers, a sort of strange, eerie chanting began to play, echoing through the great open space. 

I followed a sign for the crypt. To my surprise, I found myself facing the tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau. Further on were Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo. Authors of Three Musketeers and Les Miserables, respectively. There were scientists too, such as Marie Curie. A bookshelf offered their works for you to read. I’m not sure if any were in English though. 

To my delight, the Eiffel Tower was visible from the front doors of the cathedral. The first rose-and-lavender light of dusk was starting to color the sky behind it. 

Back down Rue Mouffetard. It was a pretty street, but the few shops that were open didn't look that fascinating. As I neared the end, I spotted a stall with tables full of cheese. There was the cheese! I asked if it needed to be kept cold, but he said it was fine. I bought a wedge of mimolette cheese (and I now know that you can actually buy it near here too - I've seen it in some shops). The cheese was good, but not as much as I had hoped. 

 

November 15 2023

In my haste to prepare for this trip, I didn’t do a very good job packing clothes. I have three pairs of pants and three pairs of socks. All of my clothes were still damp from getting washed yesterday. So I put on damp pants. It was uncomfortable, but they would dry soon. I wasn’t about to put on damp socks. I had to open the Book of Kells pair I bought for Dad. He won’t mind. He’ll probably think it’s funny. 

I checked at the front desk to make sure of the metro line I needed to take. The guy was a little too cautious going over directions with me. I would have been fine on my own, it turns out. But it was nice of him to make sure I knew what I was doing. 

I had a ticket this morning for the Louvre! To my surprise, the train let out in the bottom of a mall. I was bewildered about my surroundings, and asked someone where to go. He pointed around the corner, and there was the great glass pyramid reaching down from the ceiling. I can thank The Da Vinci Code for teaching me about it. 

When it opened, we filed into the Louvre. The museum is so large that you’d need to come for several days to see everything. It looks like some areas are closed on certain days of the week, and some things get closed for restoration (Napoleon’s rooms were closed today, for example). 

As seems the case for many museums in Europe, the building itself is historical. It was built in the 1200’s as a royal residence, then turned into a museum during the 1793 French Revolution. 

I figured I should see the Mona Lisa first, before the room got too crowded. Though the real reason I came here was to see the Winged Victory statue. It's my favorite work of art (that I know of). A gorgeous larger-than-life statue of an angel. Her arms and head are missing, and she’s stepping forward with regal confidence. I first heard about it in college. I even have a metal Winged Victory, a couple feet tall, which I got from a family friend. It stands looking out over the living room. Mom saw this statue when she came to France. I was jealous. 

I figured that once I’d seen the Mona Lisa, I would seek out the Winged Victory. It was easy to find the Mona Lisa. Not only were there signs, but everyone else was going there too. As we headed down a long hall and up the stairs, I froze. There she was. 

She was bigger than I expected, standing on top of a huge pedestal with her fluffy wings stretched behind her. No one else was around. The other visitors had already vanished up the stairs toward the Mona Lisa. I studied the details of her wings and flowing dress. The fabric looks so real. One of the wings has supports in the back, to stabilize a break. But the head and arms remain lost. 

I looked online to find some images of what the complete statue might have looked like.  But none of them have that same power that the real statue does. All of them made me grimace, in fact. 

I hung out with her for a while, then went to visit the other madame. I always heard the Mona Lisa was tiny, so I guess I was expecting it to be really small. But it wasn’t that tiny. The room was already pretty packed, considering how early it still was. I sat at the back of the pack and steadily eased my way forward. You can’t get too close, so you can only guess at the details. But I took photos with my good zoom. The model for the Mona Lisa is a mystery. But there’s an account that she was a merchant’s wife, named Lisa Gherardini. Another story says that Da Vinci had jesters and musicians perform for her, to keep her relaxed during the painting (and thus with a nice look on her face). The painting was actually stolen in 1911. I wonder if anyone has made a movie of that. 

I decided that today’s museum project would be to walk around this floor. That ended up being way more massive than I expected. And it’s not just the walls to look at. The ceilings often have massive paintings across them. There are even carvings on walls and ceilings. 

There was so much art that I ended up stopping only if something looked interesting (which more often than not ended up being artwork of animals-big surprise). 

John Green made a Youtube video of all of the paintings in the Louvre that feature very scary looking babies. I have now witnessed some of them myself. “This artist has never seen a baby,” John would say. 

To my surprise, I had looped back to the Winged Victory. The room was now packed. I’m glad I got to spend time there while it was empty. But I still lingered, taking even more photos. 

The crown jewel room was amazing. 

There were rows of old pottery and Etruscan artifacts. Around the other side of this floor there were belongings of Marie Antoinette, and other royals. 

And much like the British Museum, many of the works here were stolen. I’m looking at you, Napoleon. Other pieces of work were accepted if someone was paying off a debt. 

There was a nice Egypt collection. 

In the shop, they had a full size replica of one of the wings of the Nike (Winged Victory). There were also stuffed animals and childrens books of the little blue Egyptian hippo. It’s a popular little hippo! 

I left the museum and crossed the river to one of the islands. In the middle was a place Mom told me about: Sainte Chapelle (pronounced “san-shapelle”). I got in line to buy a ticket. My timing was impeccable, because they closed up the lines just after I got in

Inside was beautiful. The ceiling between the arches was blue and painted with rows of fleur de lis.

There was an upstairs too. When I emerged from the spiral staircase, I was amazed to find myself surrounded by floor-to-ceiling stained glass. When the ceiling is about 50 feet high, the effect is stunning. This ceiling was also bedecked with fleur de lis. 

Onward, to Notre Dame. It’s closed after the disastrous fire in 2019. But I wanted to see what I could. Cranes rose high above, and scaffolding lined some of the walls. 

        The walls surrounding the cathedral/construction site were covered with panels about the restoration, and photos of the destruction. One paragraph caught my eye. The statues from the base of the spire had been removed just a few days before the fire, to get some restoration. They were spared. Amazing. 

People watching this burn must have been in tears. I almost was just looking at the photos. 

In the Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo introduces Esmerelda to the bells. I always assumed that he had named the bells out of loneliness. But it turns out that each bell actually does have a name. 

The spire was damaged during the French Revolution. The book of The Hunchback of Notre Dame book encouraged its restoration. 

A few years ago, Notre Dame was having some work done. A mistake in the restoration lead to the fire. Now the spire has burnt again, and collapsed into the cathedral. It was a work of archaeology to remove the burnt and collapsed debris from the inside. They had to mark where the fallen stones had been, so they could be returned. Beams and rock that hadn’t been touched for 800 years were suddenly exposed, or fallen to the floor.

The scaffolding from that original restoration project remained a big problem for months. 200 tons of it stood on top of Notre Dame, melted into an unstable, tangled mess. They couldn’t address it for months, as they worked to stabilize the parts that were still standing. Otherwise the whole thing could fall in and damage Notre Dame even more. 

During the fire, 200 tons of lead from the roof melted, or was vaporized into the air. 

But incredibly, many of the stained glass windows remained intact. 

After five years, Notre Dame was finally restored! 

 

 

November 16 2023

It was a rainy day. That may have worked in my favor, since some people probably cancelled their plans. I wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower, but I hadn't been able to get a ticket ahead of time. It was supposed to open at 9:30. But 9:30 came and went. The line behind us piled up farther and farther, but no staff member came out to explain anything. People were getting pissed. Someone checked on their phone, and saw that the opening was delayed, though it didn’t say by how much. A few people left. But I waited, and finally at about 10:00, they let us in. They didn’t say why they had been so late. 

I was prepared to take the stairs to the top if I had to, though it sounds like that half-kills you. Especially considering the stairs seem to be outside, on a rainy windy day like this. So I was lucky to get a ticket all the way to the top. 

I went all the way up, and found myself standing in the clouds, surrounded by a cage. The wind was fierce, and whipped the rain around. I couldn’t see very far because of the weather, but it was fascinating to look out over the cloudy city. When I went back inside, my face was so cold that my nose and ears were numb. 

There was the scene with the figures of Eiffel and Edison inside. Apparently Eiffel used this little room as an office. What a view! He had the tower built for the 1889 World’s Fair, and as a commemoration of the French Revolution 100 years before. It’s 324 meters tall, and weights over 10,000 tons. Despite what it may seem, the Eiffel Tower was not universally beloved at first. There was a whole movement protesting its existence. People said that the tower would be the “shame of Paris,” and that it looked like a “black gigantic factory chimney.” 

Originally the tower was only meant to last 20 years. Eiffel did would he could to make sure it would stay. Its height above Paris made it a great place for meteorology. It spent time as a telegraph station and radio station. And today the top of the tower is covered in a number of dishes and other devices for radio and television. 

I rode the elevator down to the second floor and grabbed a pretzel and hot chocolate. There were only about ten chairs in the whole area. I couldn’t balance my stuff and eat, so I went to sit on the floor. Hot chocolate sloshed over my hand and umbrella. I set the drink on the ground, and pulled out a napkin. My pretzel bumped the cup and sent the whole contents across the floor. 

Great. 

I tried to tell the lady in the gift shop, but she didn’t seem to have any idea what I was talking about. She kept smiling and saying it was fine. Finally I gave up, saying “well, it’s a mess, so someone should clean it up.” Meanwhile, people were dodging the puddle of chocolate and warning others not to step in it. But others stepped in it anyway. 

I headed back down and stumbled across the House of Culture of Japan in Paris. There was a shop in the bottom floor. I had to go in there. In the shop, they had a table of Ghibli stuff. Score! 

My next stop was Saint Sulpice (pronounced San Sulpeese)– a cathedral that shows up in The Da Vinci Code (I've seen that movie many times with my parents). The original rose line runs through, marked by a line across the cathedral floor. The line meets an obelisk, which is situated so that the sun falls across it on the solstices. This Meridian Line was drawn in 1743 to help create a consistent system of time. 

From there, I walked a few blocks to the Cluny Museum. I went straight to the unicorn tapestries. 

Appropriate considering I’m still editing Starsung. I spent a long time in there. My favorite was "sight." 

      

          There are six tapestries– for the “six senses.” Though the sixth one is a bit ambiguous. And in one of them, the unicorn just looked quite bad… 

Much of the origin of the tapestries is unknown, but they were woven around the year 1500. Apparently there used to be more, but the owner of the property cut them up as carpets and such. Ouch. 

The tapestries appear in the Harry Potter movies. You see them the first time Harry steps into the Gryffindor common room, and you see parts of them in the other common room scenes. At least in the first movie. I haven't checked the others, but I’d guess they're only through the first two movies, since the style totally changes after that. 

Finally I moved on, exploring the rest of the museum. 

        There were statues from Notre Dame, since they get replaced over the centuries. And a display about crystal artwork. That was cool! 

        

Part of the crystal exhibit showed movie posters from films that featured crystals. Such as: