Vlog!!!

Hey guys!

Kazila and myself have switched over to vlogs! This won't stop us from updating this blog, updates will be far between, sorriez!

Catch the vlogs at our YouTube channels:
Www.YouTube.com/hopelessty89
Www.YouTube.com/kazila

Keep on rocking!

Mobile Posts

So you noticed the mobile posts I'm sure hopfully using these apps we will be able to post more often and with interesting things to talk about!

Iphonage 2

So she totally showed me the app... Lolz

Iphonage

So I found this nifty app so we can update on the go!

Special Entry - Our Dad's Cancer Story.

This is our Dad's "Why I Relay" story that I wrote for him. He will be telling this story at this years Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life in our area this year.

I had two moles on the side of my face. Two moles, not bigger than a baby's fingernail, but as of January 2005 they were cancer. So my journey began, in the following March I had the surgery to remove these two moles. It worked, there were times my recovery was a bit more dramatic than what was normal, but I arrived in June at the Relay for Life safe and sound, without Chemo, without painful treatments. As I entered the gym suddenly I was surrounded by dozens of other survivors “real survivors.” I took my pin and my t-shirt as the others were doing, but stopped short of pulling it on. I held it in my hand, and walked around the room. I got away with just holding my shirt for about a half hour before 5 ladies walked over to me and asked: “Why aren't you wearing your shirt.” I told them, and I avoided answering with a smile and kept putting it off. Suddenly those five ladies were stricter than my 2nd grade teacher. “Put it on.” they said “Or we'll put it on you.” 

I put it on.

So I unrolled that yellow shirt and pulled it over my head. Finally, it began to feel real. I was a cancer survivor. The over whelming feeling of acceptance, I had finally allowed myself to be a cancer survivor. Without chemo, or a long and painful battle, I was still a cancer survivor. Those five ladies allowed me, via this now old, stained, and tattered yellow shirt to feel what I needed to be. Proud of what I am.

A cancer survivor. 

Every type of cancer is worth being a proud survivor of. If you have someone in your life who is embarrassed or otherwise ashamed of their story help them become proud of it. They deserve it, and so do you. 

Musings about Religion, Philosophy and Happiness

According to the Four Noble Truths buddhists, in order to reach nirvana must let go of every single earthly attachment:

From #2 The origin of suffering is attachment.

"The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception."

This means that every single person in your life, your mother, father, brother, significant other. You must remove all attachment from them. Also concepts, like hope, love and faith you must forget all of those.

When I first wanted to become Buddhist, this stopped me. I knew that I could never completely detach myself from the world in such a way that would lead me to nirvana. However, it has been a year since I have started tip-toeing my way down this path and I have grown as I did. Cautiously digging around in the resources I have access to. I am brave and sure of myself now, and I can bring myself to attach this idea to my name.

I don't believe that The Buddha would ever want people to suffer.

I know that the first noble truth is "To live is to suffer." But I wholeheartedly disagree with that noble truth. To live, to truly live is to have happiness. If you can find happiness in someone, your significant other, your family. You have found your nirvana.

The Buddha is quoted as saying "There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way." and I believe, I know for me, that this the the fundamental goal of Buddha. He wants us to be happy, and not just happy now, happy forever in every life that we are going to live. It goes against every other thing that The Buddha would argue that you must give up everything on this earth to be happy.

Some things yes, give up on your dependance of lavish things, don't let money control your life. Nathan and I could live on the street and be the happiest beggars in the world be cause we find our happiness in each other, not in what we can do for each other financially.

I love being a Buddhist, I love how it makes me think and how it has changed how I view the world, other cultures, other religions. It is tempting to hate those who would use such a beautiful thing like religion to suit their selfish, earthly, needs. Every religion, at the very core of its ideals, has love and happiness.

Why would you do something that made you unhappy, that makes someone else unhappy? Thats the idea that I grew up on, my wise parents. Do what makes you happy, and just because I've decided to put a label on my way of thinking, does not mean that now I am somehow better in the eyes of others. I shouldn't be and my heart goes out to people who think that labeling your thoughts does improve your person.

Instead of converting, we should be just talking to people show them love and happiness and be thankful if you can help them. If they chose to label themselves that is their choice and if they don't it isn't our place to scold them or tell them that they are wrong. You risk damaging all you just told them. They'll dislike you and go against everything that you had hoped to teach them

I've gotten off track, but I'm pleased I did. I never put in words before why converting people bothered me so much.

Thanks for reading.

Wonder Twin Knit Powers ACTIVATE

I am in a cosy knitting FRENZY! And I shall share my patterns with you!

DS
Body -cast on 40 stiches and knit for 10.5 inches.
sides - cast on 10 and knit for 3 inches (roughly 20 rows).
Button loops - make a crochet chain to length and sew onto underside of flap with loops hanging out. Choose buttons to your preference and attach to appropriate location.
I also did some light blue embroiders to match my loops and buttons. 

iPod cosy
Cast on 33 stiches and knit for 4.75inches (roughly - I was using 6 colours at 5 rows with each colour). Cast off and fold and half and sew up the seam. Use a darning needle and yarn to create a drawstring. I used a star bead to use to close it.

I also attached another star at the bottom. 

Cosy for my 13in laptop. Here is the pattern I made. I used different colours for each thing to add some uniqueness and fun to the pattern you can of course use the same colour.

Using size 8 needles and worsted weight yarn

Knit two rectangles of each of these-
1x9 (One yellow and one Silver) Cast on 10 stitches (sides)
13x9 (I am making them different colours. Red and Blue) Cast on 75 stitches (front and back)

Knit one rectangle of each of these-
13x1 (teal) cast on 75 stitches (bottom)
13x6 (Purple) Cast on 75 stitches (top flap - leave button holes on far sides.)
4.5x9 (white) cast on 25 stitches (flap center detail, leave button hole.)

I don't know how many rows it works out to yet, I just knit and measure as I go.

When complete assemble the pieces.
Center pieces - purple to red, blue to teal, teal to blue.
Sides - yellow left and silver right.
Attach the white along the purple/red seam and attach firmly to the purple using a darning needle and white yarn.

Use one large button for the center (white) and attach to appropriate location. Use two smaller buttons on the right and left (purple)

My buttons were light blue (small) and green (big).

I don't have any pictures yet cause the laptop one isn't started, it took a while to get the pattern correct.

Videos - incoming - maybe

Still haven't figured out how to post videos. Might have to just link to Youtube whenever I do one. I wish Ty had a cam we could vlog back and forth!


EDIT: VIDEO UP

Cause I'm kinda a Writer

Writing…

You know most times people see that word they groan.

‘Why did my English teacher assign this paper?’

‘Why do I have to write a story about my summer?’

My question? Why not?

You remember writing about your summer way back in grade one right? How did you feel? Was it a great story of all that you experienced? Was is a short story because you stayed home and gamed all day?

Honestly that was me, staying home, and gaming. Until my grade 11 year, I was not a fan of writing, maybe a sudden spurt of inspiration, but no real drive to get words to paper and dive into a make believe world where I was in control. I’d lost it, but thanks to my teacher, I was drawn back into it.

Now look at me, I can seem to stop, and it’s one of the things no one really knows about me. Though I want to keep it that way, I won’t be able to keep this secret for long. Meh, I don’t care much for that anymore.

So for all of you want to be writers out there, but you’re too scared to do anything with it, just give it a try, you never quite know what you’ll produce. Sure it won’t be a bestselling novel, but it will be yours and that’s worth writing for in the first place!

Want to get started?

What’s keeping you?

www.fanfiction.net or www.deviantart.com or www.fictionpress.net

Three sites with full communities of support! You’ll be getting praise from people you don’t even know, and that’s the next best thing to writing a novel if you ask me.

Give yourself a five minute free-write, about the first thing that pops into your head. Pick some ideas out of that list and build a story around it. Maybe it’s a memory, maybe it’s an action, maybe is a fan based interpretation of your favorite game!

Writing lets ‘disappear’ from your life as you describe your characters.

I’m waiting for your first chapter!

Family Memories

So this isn't really family memories so much as just a memory that I have. Retrospective introspection (oooh fancy language.) I was watching Project Life Size and of course was inspired to do a entry, as I always am. I kinda want to see if I can do video entries. I don't know why I wouldn't be able to, host them to you tube or something. SIDE TRACKED SORRY.

Anyway, on PLS they were talking about their childhood heros and one of the girls said that they wished that they had magical powers when they were a kid. I think we all did to an extent, and still do to an extent as well. I was a MEGA anime/cartoon kid. My first obsession was Card Captor Sakura. I remember wishing to be in that universe, and it was because of that show that I had one of the few dreams that I remember from childhood. I still kinda do wish I was in that universe with the Clow cards. I remember wanting to use the create to make an amazing house for my mother and father to live in.

It still...alarms me that I was such a selfless child. We all were. When I think about being a parent some day I always get a feeling of nervousness. How can I be remotely as good of a parent as my parents were. Will I remember all the things I want to tell them when I actually have my children all those years away? Morals, right and wrong, will they like what I like? Will I embarrass them? Am I going to be as tolerant as I dream I'll be?

When I think about my childhood I am always struck with how awesome of a job my parents did. I have so much love and gratitude for them. Even now, when I start getting nostalgic for those simpler days with some bitterness attached from current situations. I remember who my parents made me and I can't get mad at them for very long.

I think I made my parents into superheros. More than human, perfect, they have the answer for everything and never made mistakes. I don't know if it's my age perspective that has shattered that role I made for them or if my parents just changed. Maybe my mother is lost somewhere between my 16 year old self and my 20 year old self now. I want to go back and find her, hold her hand and bring her back with me.

Is it my place to "correct" my mother into who I think she should be? Or is this who she is supposed to be all along and I just have to get over myself and see my mother as who she has grown into.

-K

As Ty and I are both writers - you may think that we've written all kinds of things together. Well it's actually quite the opposite. While we do have some input and take each other's advice, we've never actually written anything together.

I don't know whether to chalk that up to different styles or just the arrogance of teenagers. Maybe it's just that both of us felt too personal about our writing as was scared to reveal some deeper part of ourselves to the other.

The idea has always floated in my head, how would Tyronos and my own writing style mesh together in one plot? Well - we're going to find out it seems. As of yesterday the first stages of a story written by myself and Tyronos.

It's going to be a gangster story using the Metallica album "Death Magnetic" as a background for each chapter. So 10 chapters in total. Nothing long but we decided since we both have other projects and such shorter would be better.

If everything works out we'll do something longer next. For now here is the first page of chapter one.

~*~

“Like a siren in my head that always threatens to repeat”

Chapter One

Kazila

“Is there anything that you couldn’t live in a place without?”


“What?”


“Like, could you live in a place without trees? Or grass?”


“Yes.”


“I couldn’t live in a place without the sky.”

With a heavy heart he looked to the sky after coming out of his memory. The sky was impossibly dirty, smog, lights, used breaths. She could not live here, not happily. Never happily. For the first time in a long time, his heart actually ached. He laughed - so he was human after all. Nostalgia he was used to, especially in these days of war and sacrifice. Only once did he ever try to become immune to the feelings, and he was content to return to his current state. Humans were meant to feel, to hate, to fear and to sorrow. In his head the sounds of his past sang together and his emotions danced to the tune of his life choices. Like sirens, never ending sirens like those of the city he lived in now.

“Realize you don’t belong?” Came the taunting voice of the man beside him.

“As much as we would both enjoy it.” He replied. “I belong here.”

“Belong? We might all be so lucky, to know where we belong.” Asked the man, he laid down on the concrete ledge that divided the two and the street two stories below.

“I hate it when you’re philosophical Ray.” Sighing, the man lent against the ledge and looked below at the street. Full of people, full of nothing.

“Whatev Elijah - you love me.” Ray said laying on his back. “Sky is nice tonight.”

He looked down still and even after the horrifically familiar bang echoed around him he could still only look down. Ray, the corpse of Ray fell down towards those full of nothing streets. The sky that was already too full gained a few more used breaths as it gathered the screams. Hand on his glock he turned, morning his friend the only way he could. By making others morn. The attacked had his mouth open - no doubt to say a taunt. He had no chance as his face was removed from his body. Elijah’s face was blank as he lowered his gun and watched the corpse fall. He turned and looked over the concrete ledge again

Joint Entry - Happiness Fridays

TATTOOSSSSSS

Ok guys, We LOVE tattoos. We love getting tattoos, looking at tattoos, designing tattoos, everything.
This weekend we got our twin tattoos. The text is Russian for Twin and is a testament to out heritage and in honor of our grandmother who died this weekend. Ty's is first and on his right forearm. Kaz's is second and on the top of her right calf.

SORRY!

So, as you have noticed, there has been no posts! Well, I blame laziness and sickness and all kinds of negative energy for that. So for this Make-Up post I will introduce us! First of all, this is us:

we are a silly twosome. We enjoy much of the same hobbies and music and all that stuff. Although we are not identical or even conceived at the same times, we are born on the same day and have many other twin like traits.

LET WIKI EXPLAIN

Superfetation (also spelt superfoetation - see fetus) is the simultaneous occurrence of more than one stage of developing embryo in the same animal. In mammals it manifests as the formation of a fetus from a different menstrual cycle while another embryo is already present in the uterus. When there are two separate instances of fertilisation during the same cycle, it is known as superfecundation.

END WIKI

In Ty and myself's case I was actually conceived a full month before Ty. Ty was having some complications and as a result he was removed from the womb the same day as myself. The real crazy part is I was actually part of a identical twin duo for a few months. My twin was taken back into the lining and used to sustain us. Crazy eh?

Now, we have always got along, and always did generally the same things. Choir, Soccer, Video Games and Writing. Now we have varied on who was more successful at these hobbies. (Ty my superior at Video games. I started writing much earlier). For the longest time we didn't even look related, the idea that we were twins was quite farfetched.

This blog will show some of our similarities and some of our differences. I hope that you enjoy the experience with us.

Kaz's Entry - Things that make me happy

Things that make me happy? Gumballs. Do you remember going to the store and begging your mother or father for a quarter to get a gumball out of the machine? Yeah so do I. Trips to town were so rare growing up in a little village with 3 other siblings. I remember secretly wishing for a blue one with every turn. Or a green one. I don't think they had fancy flavors back then, but colours made all the difference to me. I'm sure they did for you too. The bright colours, the smell of baseball and summer, there are so many reasons why these candies have such a place in my heart.

Kaz's Entry - Things that make me Happy

Timbit's hockey.

Now, I confess this adorable thing has really only been in my heart since meeting one Nathan whom I've dated now for 3 and a half years. He loves hockey and because of that, I've come to love it too. Timbit's hockey is the first time little future NHL'ers will touch the ice with gear on (usually). Ages 5 or so they arrive at the rink with all of their gear on except for their skates. This makes for some adorable little waddling and stories of being dressed on the way to the rink in the backseat of a van or the side seat of a pick up truck.

These little guys play what we like to call "swarm hockey" positions don't really matter, all that matters is puck. Touching the puck is your only goal. Only goal. This makes for some heart attack inducing cuteness as you watch 10 little specs on the ice all chase after this piece of hard cold rubber. Once the lucky guy reaches the puck they take that mini stick of theirs and hit it as hard as they can, knocking themselves and anyone close over onto their bottoms. They all get up in time to watch the second wave reach the puck and fall over and they get the puck again.

Now, once they get close enough to the goalie to be within scoring distance that little boy inside all that padding is probably so excited to be in the game and have that puck so close it's a miracle he can stand. I mean, all that padding and that use stick and weird gloves. It makes for some squeeing on my part. This is the guy that had to be placed on the ice by a coach because he cant bend his knees enough to do it himself. However, that puck gets closer and closer and once it's close enough it pounces on it. In this all or nothing move it really comes down to luck as to whether or not he even gets the puck. If he does, the benches erupt with cheering and if he doesn't the benches erupt with cheering.

The smiles that you see on the faces of these small children are the same smiles you'll see on the faces of hockey players who are the lucky ones who still play this game they love and will always love.

Ty's Entry - WoW Wens. Onyxia Strats

WOW
Hey everyone, Ty-Kie here, helping you guys out with the 10 man Onyxia raid. This is a strat I use(d) when I was an officer in my old guild, this is by no means perfect.
Onyxia Raid 10 man
Group make up:
-3 healers (2 for tanks 1 on raid, this can be done with 2 awesome healers if you need more DPS)
-2 tanks (35k+ HP raid buffed, this is not a problem for most tanks)
-5 DPS (2 melee, 3 range, this can be switched around as needed or what’s available)

Getting started:
So you’ve got your group together and everyone’s buffed up and ready to go. Now what? Well for those older raiders this wont be a problem. Clear the few trash mobs, this can be solo tanked. These mobs will put a stacking magic debuff and can be cleansed. The last trash mob can be skipped because he’s in a corner... for bad things that he did I’m sure.

Phase 1:
Phase one is the exact same as the level 60 raid encounter. Have your main tank take Onyxia to the opposite side of the room, there shouldn’t be any DPS on Ony until she’s in position, and the tank has aggro, failure to understand that is one of the reasons this wipes before it really even starts. Once everything is in order have the DPS start on Ony, stacking at the sides, not the front, or the back. If you want your DPS to either pull tons of adds or die by cleave... by all means giv’er. Once you get Ony down far enough she’ll run back to the entrance and fly up into the air, starting Phase 2.

Phase 2:
Now here’s where things get different. Instead of Ony just flying around, doing Deep Breath, adds are spawned, these must tanked with Melee bringing it down. These adds will do a flame strike that only the tank will survive, if you start getting more than one add at a time, pull a ranged to help kill it. Also, many whelps will spawn, handle it via tank with AoE taunting, such as Death and Decay or Concencration, how ever you spell it. Now, ranged DPS are gonna stay on Ony. They’ve got the easy part... freaking ranged DPS... Watch out for the deep breaths, if everyone avoids them, you’ll get an achievement called ‘She Deep Breaths More’, because as it implies, she deeps breaths... more... Again, once you’ve done enough damage to her, she’ll come back down and Phase 3 will start, she’s almost dead now... but here is where you’ll find your failures and awesomes.

Phase 3:
Onyxia has landed! OH NIT’s just like phase 1 with a little twist. Before you re-engage Ony, kill off any remaining adds, whelps and ‘big guys’, because theses guys will help you whip your raid instead of switching to help you kill Ony, this has been tested... I’ve done it for you... don’t repeat my mistake. So, Ony now has a Fear, it lasts about 3 seconds so the tremor totem wont be a whole lot of help here. Have the main tank take Ony back to the same position as in Phase 1, again don’t let anyone but the tank be in front of Ony, and the DPS should stack on the sides. This is now a DPS fight, just keep bringing her back to the same spot after every fear and use Heroism or Blood lust to quicken her demise.

Once she’s dead all you gotta do is /loot and split accordingly.

Kaz Entry - Hobbies - Cooking

For my entry today here is what I cooked for Chrsitmas! It was yummy.

Christmas Supper

-Mains-
Turkey: 
Apple Glaze 
-½ cup apple jelly
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼-½ teaspoon ground red pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Apple Sausage Stuffing
1potato,
1 apple
1 onion, 
2 apple sausage, 
summer savoury, 
1 box stuffing mix, 
bread crumbs

-Ham
1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar
2/3 cup (150 mL) orange juice
1/3 cup (75 mL) honey
2 tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) grated orange zest

-Sides-

Sweet Potato (mashed)
-butter
-all spice
-brown sugar

Potato (mashed)
-butter
-milk
-salt

Baby Carrots
-butter
-garlic

Potato Salad
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 slices Bacon, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
10 medium red potatoes, washed and not peeled

Broccoli, String Beans

-Rolls

-Desserts-
Apple Upside down cake-
-apples, cake mix
-Pumpkin Pie


-Condiments-
Cranberry Sause
Beets
Pickles

Kaz's Entry

Here is my current favourite bit of writing from my new story. It's up on fictionpress http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2747954/1/Venefica and on my otherblog kazilasinkwell.blogspot.com

All you need to know is that Antero and Olier are twins, for everything else, you'll just have to read. ;) 


Antero entered his and Olier's room at the Inn as quietly as he could, and he would have gone unnoticed if Olier had actually been asleep. As he kicked off his shoes and got in bed, Olier jumped on him.

“Stealing away in the middle of the night and not including me?” Olier laughed, playfully punching his brother in the sides. Antero laughed and pushed his brother off of him to the floor. “Did she even answer the door?”

“Yes Olli she did.” Antero sighed, rolling on his back as Olier sat on his bed. “We talked.”

“And.” Antero raised his eyebrows accentuating his eagerness.

“And then we fucked like rabbits for the other 9 minutes I was there.” Antero sighed.

“Of course, and angels sang as you reached orgasm.” Olier laughed laying down in his bed. The twins laughed. Olier looked over at his twin. “She didn't have any answers for you did she?”

“None.” Antero whispered. He looked over at his twin. “We did hug though.”

“Oh really?!” Olier exclaimed. “So I can start calling her sister then.”

Antero answered by throwing his pillow at his brother who caught it with a laugh then placed it under his head. Antero made a face. “Give it back now Olli.” Olier shook his head and faced the otehr direction. “Olli.” Antero warned, another shake. “Fine.” Antero launched himself at his twin, knocking him off the bed. The twins laughed and threw some punches. While the people in the room below them used their own pillows to cover their heads.

Kaz's Entry - Family Memories Road Trips

I was raised on road trips. I was quite used to waking up and not knowing what part of our little province I was in. I loved it, It made me patient, self reliant for entertainment but most of all, it made me love my home province.

I know it was my Dad's love of driving that I have to thank for these trips of ours. My mothers love of birds and seeing her children happy and experiencing life. I remember beaches in September, parks in the middle of August, the heat so intense that the bugs couldn't stop whining. Most of all, I remember falling asleep, as funny as that sounds. I remember waking up and having my big brother's sweater over me. He was always looking out for us.

In my future there will be road trips for my children. Taking them to waterfalls that no one else knows about, to beaches that are filled with shells because no one goes there. I will be skilled in the art of wrapping a child up in their blanket as they sleep and taking them out to the vehicle. Their grandfather will be stealing them to take them to his favourite places.

I love my province. Roads that go on forever, full of turns and hills. Huge cliffs and an ocean filled with cold salty water.

Kaz's Entry - Things that make me happy

As it is the First of January I will post my first entry. I think Every Monday I will post something that makes me happy. Today will be Flowers.

I adore flowers, there is a simple joy I get from their bright colours and simple smells and deeper meanings.

• For new births or Christenings
• As a corsage or boutonniere to be worn at social functions or for holidays
• As tokens of love or esteem
• For wedding flowers for the bridal party, and decorations for the hall
• As brightening decorations within the home
• As a gift of remembrance for bon voyage parties, welcome home parties, and "thinking of you" gifts
• For funeral flowers and expressions of sympathy for the grieving
• For worshiping goddesses. in Hindu culture it is very common to bring flowers as a gift to temples.