Sorry the website isn't updated yet. I've been getting things ready to go back to college next month, and with Christmas, and an absurd fall down a flight of stairs (I didn't break anything, it just hurts to sit. Or laugh, or sneeze.), I haven't had a chance to get it up yet. Hopefully, I'll find the time tonight, before I have to start my holiday shopping, and all the work festivities. You think a place that employed you part time would know how broke you are, and not come up with a bunch of cute little ideas that waste money.

My website was just hugely updated. All thirty-six written chapters of "Long Time Gone" are posted. I need to tweak the lyric parts a little, don't like the spacing, but I'll get to it later. Thanks to cordykitten for the advice! "Anna Begins" should be up tonight. I think I have fifteen chapters done...

28 of LTG is up...

I had to rant, because I hate my ipod. Maybe I'm too stupid to understand it, but stupidity is going to win, and I'm not replacing my old 4GB when I get the money. I was going to, but the more I try to tame iTunes, the worse it gets. I wanted to organize my mass music folder after buying my new external, and iTunes will not have it. It has spent the last two years doubling and tripling my files for no apparent reason. I knew the second I bought an Apple product for a PC I was going to have problems, but I think I'm done. I want something that will work through my Windows media player, and won't convert all my files. Ooooh, and even something that might find all my files. I really don't want to go through all of my music, telling iTunes to find every single folder, since it can't seem to do it on its own. I have over 100GB of music, so I don't have the time to coddle a piece of hardware.

Rant done. Going to post chapter 28 of LTG.

I'll probably be posting more non-fic related things on here, as Myspace has turned into a ghost town, and facebook has no blogging.

I seem to be back into my comfy writing habit. Wrote a little on my break at work tonight, which I haven't done in... well, forever, and I finished chapter 36 of LTG, and I'm well into 37. I put off posting tonight since I'm in the groove. I might try to get one up tomorrow before work, though.

For anyone following the story, I'm well aware that two characters that are not Spike and Buffy have managed to steal at least the past few chapters. This was actually my intention, as there was a comfortable lull in Spuffy-land. That's coming to an end very shortly. While the other couple will still be a feature, Buffy and Spike will soon be back in the spotlight. I enjoy the other couple so much, though, that they might star in a sequel. If so, it won't be anything too serious. Or long, I hope. And for those of you who haven't gotten those advance chapters yet, that's why I'm being strangely vague, lol. Hope to get it all up soon, though.

Just posted 25-27 of Long Time Gone on the website. Going to spend the rest of the night writing, so enjoy.

And it's actually really funny. I have an XBox 360, and I have an external hard drive. That means I download a lot of movies. All of my writing is also on my external. About a year ago, my grandmother found out that I could download movies for her, and often steals both my XBox and my hard drive for days at a time. She's my grandmother, she raised me, and I can't tell her no, no matter how badly I'd like to write, or play Oblivion until my brain oozes out of my ears.

I thought I had solved this problem, because over my little vacation, I was forced to buy another external hard drive. My very old 250 GB was acting up, and I couldn't risk losing all of my fanfic, screencaps, etc. So I kept the movies on the old one, and transferred all of my Buffyverse goodness over to my shiny 1 TB. (And there went everyone's Christmas gifts...) I figured my old drive had some time left, and I would at least be able to write/post while she enjoyed her movies.

No such luck. Not two hours after I transferred almost everything, my old hard drive stopped working. And all of my music is still on it, not to mention seasons of shows I like very much, but I meant to buy those anyway, so I'm not upset. The music, however, is a bit frustrating. I'm sure the thing will work again; the power still works, it's just the USB cord that's twitchy. It doesn't want to stay connected. And if the cord was the problem, it could be replaced, but I'm pretty sure it's the part it plugs into that's messed up. It moves around a lot. And as much as the poor little thing has been transported around, I can't be angry. That'll do, pig.

So, the point is, my grandma stole my fanfic! I had to let her use my new hard drive, and she watched romantic comedies and things that make me barf for two entire days, while I got nothing done. If I had a new PC, and a DVD burner that actually worked instead of burning blank discs, this would no longer be a problem. That will have to wait until I return to school and get loan money to buy a new computer, however.

All in all, though, my little vacation was alright. I got a lot of organizing done around the house, socialized a bit, and ate lots of sugary treats. I also watched a lot of movies myself, something I hardly ever do. But I did most of that legally, with Red Box. 'Star Trek' was amazing. For the moment, my hard drive is mine again, so I hope to get a chapter or two posted tonight when I get off work.

I got chapter 25 of Long Time Gone up, and then there was Thanksgiving, where my cousin had bronchitis. I know that isn't contagious, but obviously the cold she had before that was, and I woke up today with it. I'm not sure she gave it to me, but I rarely get colds, so I'm surprised. I took some medicine my grandmother gave me, not sure what it was, and I was amazed out how well it cleared me up right before I slept for four straight hours. This was right after I woke up from sleeping, too. So, even though my sniffles and cough are returning, I won't be taking any more of that stuff, lol. I don't want to sleep my little vacation away. I think I'm feeling well enough to get some more posting done, but I was hoping to have more up already.

So, I have to work tonight. But then, I'm off for five days. This wasn't scheduled, and sadly, it's not paid for, but I've put back a little money, and I'm taking it off. I hope in this time to post as much as possible. Of course, there's Thanksgiving, and at some point over the weekend I have a 'date' (not really a date, just catching up with an old high school boyfriend who doesn't live here anymore), but I should have a lot of free time. As antisocial as I've been lately, I'm hoping I don't get a dozen phone calls to hang out, because I really want to be at home, posting and doing other homey-type things.

And I wishwishwish I knew some cat ladies on here. Cat ladies that lived near me. I desperately need a home for my siamese. I've tried finding her a home around here, but no one can take her, and she's stressing me out so badly. My family has spent hundreds of dollars trying to rid my part of our home of fleas, and she's been to the vet several times. She's treated every three weeks, she's been given steroids and antibiotics, and still, I'm finding scabs. Can't find any fleas at all. Haven't seen a single one in over a month, so I'm clueless. (My cat's allergic to fleas, they can kill her.) But it's obvious she's still being bitten, even with all the medication, but it's not as bad as it was. Before, her hair fell out, and it's still growing back. She hasn't lost anymore. Even with the baths, the vet visits, etc, I feel like a horrible cat mom. Sure, she's doing better, but I haven't found a solution to the problem. Maybe if my house wasn't an add-on, the fleas wouldn't be getting in. Someone told me they could possibly be UNDER my house, and if they are, I have no idea how to remedy that. Ugh. Sucks.

I might be making a few changes on the websites, like taking links down for stories that aren't posted yet, and maybe instead putting all those stories in a list, and taking votes on what I should start next. (Only after Anna Begins is finished, though! I'm a two story at a time girl, can't handle any more than that!) I think Anna Begins will be at least 3-4 more chapters. Once I get the 36 chapters of Long Time Gone posted, I really have no idea how much more there will be. There's a lot of story left to go, and it's roughly outlined. Maybe ten? No idea, really. I'm pretty sure it's already the longest story I've ever written, so I'm definitely finding no problem in finishing it. I know it's not as popular as 'Impossible' was, but it's hands-down my favorite that I've written so far. I guess because it means a lot to me.

I'm leaning towards a re-write of 'Years Go By,' my Dawn/Spike fic (how many of you made gross faces?), or a completely new idea I had a few months ago, that I've written a quick chapter on, called 'Wicked Little Things,' which is a role-reversal fic for nearly every character. Never thought I'd do that, but it might be fun. So, I don't know. I like feedback. If anyone's interested, my emails and comments are always open. If no one's interested, chances are I'll write it anyway, lol.

So... I'm going to see 'New Moon' tonight. At the midnight showing, the very first one. Just like last year with 'Twilight,' I'll be crushed in a throng of screaming emo's, hyperventilating from a panic attack until I get into the theater.

And for what? I know the Twilight saga sucks. The movies are better than the books, and that's only made possible by Jackson Rathbone and Rob Pattinson (yes, I'm one of the tragic that finds his complete dorkiness adorable. And I like stupid hair.) Everyone who writes knows that Twilight is nothing more than a fanfic that made it. Which I'd usually squee about, except it's a bad fanfic that made it.

I started reading when all the books were out, and I knew in the first five pages that there was going to be baby-making. I wonder, however, what editors do, how far their reach goes. Because as a beta, if I'd read Stephenie's crap, I would have told her flat-out she had a Mary Sue babyfic on her hands. We all know that too, I guess. I just need to rant, because I cannot figure out why I still read/watch this crap.

A few reasons: the setting is beautiful. I didn't know such a pretty place existed. I love green things, and rain. Another? The supporting characters steal the show. Alice and Jasper, while still a little cheesy, are great, and I love Emmett, too.

But I hate Bella, and Edward is out-of-character to himself. How is that even possible? And I absolutely hate Jacob Black. But I know in my heart when I see him change, like in the trailer, I'll scream louder than I did when I saw it on my tiny YouTube screen. And why? I wish I knew. Maybe there's subliminal messages in the books and movies, and they make you like them, like the chemicals in Cheetos.

Twilight is what makes me pause in writing my own original vampire fiction. Sure, I've written a lot. And I'm constantly going through it, thinking, 'is this fanfic?' Am I trying to recreate Buffy?' And honestly, no. I can't find anything that points in that direction. And I don't like making perfect characters with one flaw that I'm secretly grinning over, thinking it will throw readers off the fact that it's a perfect mini-me. (Hello? Bella's clumsy. OMGendoftheworldNooooes!!!) I like flawed characters. I like fucking with them, and making them wonder what the hell is going on. And if I wasn't so afraid of someone stealing my stuff, since I have no money to copyright it, I'd post it on my site and let everyone tear it apart. I really want that.

And yes, everyone bases characters on themselves, to an extent. Usually, a tiny extent. Why? Because it's what we know. One of my main characters in my original fic is a cynical bitch that can't help but help others, and usually hates herself for it, because it always complicates her life. And yes, that is me. But it's only a small part of me. I write what I know. And it's knowing how to toe that line that makes a good writer, among other things. Does my character have traits of myself? Yes. Is it my MarySue? Not at all. Of course, she'll be written as attractive. Who wants to read about an ugly vampire? But there definitely won't be any flowing, wispy tresses, or gazelle-like grace written. And no leather catsuits. Even my fictional characters can't live up to Kate Beckinsdale. My girl is all about some baggy jeans, lol.

Okay, I've ranted enough, I think. It's time to get ready for work, go to the dry cleaners, get PAID (yay), and go learn about unemployment forbearances until.... 'New Moon.' Someone feel free to beat me to death. I deserve it. But if there's another other evilDakota! fans out there, I'll let you know if it lives up to expectations.