In What We Do

Not only has it been a while since I've posted anything on my blog, but it's been just as long that I've had anything to really say.  I've felt that if I don't have anything real to say then I probably should refrain from saying things that don't really mean much.

But here I am, back.  I want what I have to say to mean something.  It doesn't necessarily have to mean anything to you the reader, but for me personally.  Of course I'm not saying I don't want it to mean anything to you, in fact I hope it does.  But I know that not everyone will feel the same way about the same things, because we are all different and unique people.


Last night was the first time I had stayed through the whole message at church in I don't remember how long.  The message was about those who heard Jesus' message and found it too hard to follow.  They heard something they didn't like and left.  Or, they pretended to believe but they didn't really believe.

I found myself listening to the message last night and wondering if I had been one of those who went through the motions, but didn't actually have my heart in it.  I may have been that person, but I don't want to be that person.

I want God to make me a better disciple.  To make me into what He wants me to be.  Do you feel that way too?  Unmotivated and lost?  Well you're not alone, and that doesn't mean God isn't there.  He is, and waiting for us to come back to him.

TNT,
Words by Ali

The Book Club

Hello there blogger-verse.  I know it's been awhile since I've been on, but I'm back.  I have decided that I am going to start an online book club.  I love to read, and I know that a lot of the people I know love to read, as well as a lot of people out there in the web space like to read as well.

So, why not start a place where people can come together from all over the place and read and talk about books?  I mean if i'm interested in reading, and discussing, novels then there must be others out there who want to do the same.  Right?

There's this website called my-bookclub.com that I have created my pages on.  I have actually started three separate clubs.  Each with a different focus.  That's what I do, I want to read everything all at once.

1.)  The first book club is the general one.  This one is for everyone who loves reading anything.  We will be reading any novel that people want to read.  No matter the age group, or the genre.  If someone wants to read it I'm up for putting it on the agenda.

http://www.my-bookclub.com/bookclub/a-book-for-everyone/

2.)   The second book club is  for those people who like to read teen novels.  It doesn't matter if you are actually a teen or if you are an adult.  If you like to read novels that are marketed as YA than this club is definitely for you.  It will have all the current teen novels that are being read, as well as the books from  previous decades.  Just because a book was written say 10 or 20 years ago doesn't mean it doesn't still have something to say to teens, or adults that read teen books.

http://www.my-bookclub.com/bookclub/for-the-love-of-a-teen-novel/

3.)  The third and final club is all about Russian literature.  If you're interested in reading any kind of Russian literature than this club is the right one.  I want to have classics, such as those by authors like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, as wells as modern Russian authors that are writing their novels today.  I also want to look at novels written during the Soviet Era, for and against, as well as Russian literary criticism.  Anything Russian could be read and discussed.

http://www.my-bookclub.com/bookclub/the-life-of-a-russian/

So, all of you reading this if you are interested in reading than check this out.  I want this book club to be for everyone.  Not just my friends, but for those out there I don't know who love to read.  These book clubs are still for you.  Come check them out.

TNT,
Words by Ali

Just Because It's Free Doesn't Mean You Should Get It

If you go onto Amazon.com and search for free e-books. You will find hundreds of them. But let me be the first to tell you (if you don't already know) be weary of free.

Don't get me wrong you can find so many free treasures that it is absolutely amazing. Especially the classics, you can usually always find a free e-version. Of course with the free versions you get what you pay for. And if you're thinking about that you're probably going to say, "but it was free." I would respond, "That's exactly my point."

Sometimes the text and the way it looks on the tablet page is not the best and at times hard to read. And you have to ask yourself if it's worth it to buy this free version or to spend a couple of bucks.

There are times I've gotten free books on my Kindle and they were probably the worst books I've had the displeasure of reading. They weren't well written, the plot and characterization is dismal, and it wasn't even entertaining.

So, if you think I can find free books, and it's going to be the best thing ever just remember that when you have things for free there may be a perfectly good reason they are free. Like the fact that no one would buy it if they had to actually pay.

Keep that in mind ;)

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Simply Unmotivated

No matter what I do I can't seem to find the motivation to do, well basically anything I have already set out to do. That may be a slight exaggeration. I'm still motivated to finish my Russian class this semester, and graduate. And I'm still motivated to find a job, even if jobs don't seem to want to hire me.

What I can't seem to get myself motivated about is healthy eating and exercise. And this is something I really need to kick myself into, because it's dragging on me.

Any tips on how to get myself motivated? Leave a comment and let me know.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Damned Jobs

Why is it so hard to find a job when you're are actually looking for one. It seems that now that I really need a job I can't seem to find one, but before (years ago) when I wasn't really trying the jobs just fell into my lap. Its ridiculous really. And of course completely unfair.

I've never tried so hard in a job search before, and I'm not having any really luck. So, far I've had one official interview, and one semi-interview when I filled out an application at a resturaunt. Now I'm waiting to see if I hear back from either of those place. Either one will be perfect in completely different ways.

Although, the restaurant is a breakfast place, and they close by 2-230, and that would I think be the best for me because it would mean I wouldn't have to miss church. But we'll have to wait and see what happens. Good news I hope.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Something Self-Published

Well, people of the Universe it looks like I finally did it. As the title of this post implies I have finally self-published on Amazon.com. It's only a short story at the moment, but hell you've got to start somewhere. Right?

You can go to this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Files-Harry-Roe-Beginnings-Stories-ebook/dp/B00IM4GNYI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393795587&sr=1-1&keywords=ali+bourikas


to get yourself a copy of my very first piece of self-published work. It's only $0.99 so it won't even break the bank. I hope you enjoy.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Damned Habits

You know when you get out of the habit of doing something its even more difficult getting back into it. Well of course you know. I'm sure the very same thing has happened to you. I'm trying to reform my habit of using the workout facilities at my apartment complex, and its been hard going.

I've been telling myself since the beginning of January that I was going to start up again. But really I've only been doing it faithfully now for the past week and a half. That's a start though. Right.

The only way to get back into something is to do it. But you can't make a habit of something until you do it the first time. That first time is critical, because without it you'll never be able to get to the second and third and fourth and so on.

So, take it one day at a time and before you know it you'll be back in the habit. At least I sure hope that works out well for me.

TNT,
Words by Ali


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Year's "Resolution"

The first question you might be asking yourself is, why the quotation marks around resolution? To answer that, who actually makes a resolution and actually keeps it? How many of you (and I include myself in that you) make a resolution and that drop it a month, or so, into the new year? We've all done it, don't even try to deny it.

I need to stop doing this, or do less of that. I need to start doing that, and do more of this. Fill in the blanks with the this' and that's. I know what mine are for this year, but what they are exactly isn't really that important. The question is what's going to make this year any different that every other year for the past freaking deckade.

Oh, New Year's Resolutions why are you so hard to contend with? That I think is the one question that no one can ever answer. Seeing as how every single person out there has broken a resolution at some point in their lives.

Hang tough, you never know this year really may be different.

TNT,
Words by Ali





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

End All Obsession

When does the love of something become an obsession? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I'll let you be the judge. My mom will tell anyone who will listen that I'm constantly getting obsessed all the time. And every time it's with someone, or something, new. Apparently I don't know how to keep focus on an obsession long enough for it to last too long. Or at least that's what I've heard, from the people who know me the best.

So, if that's the case: That I become so hopelessly obsessed with someone, or something, that I loose all sense of reality, but than become obsessed with something new just as quickly then how long could one obsession of mine possibly last. A year or two at the most?

That's probably fairly standard for a normal obsession in the world of ME. But what about that one thing that has been always in the background of my consciousness for honestly as long as I can remember? Or 13 years, which is half of my damn life? What is that one thing that has spanned my life time of smaller, and sometimes forgotten, obsessions? Followed me through middle school, high school, and into my now "adult" life? It's Bowling for Soup of course.




Bowling for Soup, BFS, is my favorite band of all time. As I said above I have been listening to them for half of my life. Bowling for Soup is not just an obsession, they are the obsession to end all obsessions. Here are a few things that point to this:

- My first and only tattoo, BFS. Here is a photo of the tattoo, and the response BFS's lead singer, Jaret Reddick, sent me on Twitter.




- I have every single one of their albums. Including those of Jaret's side projects People on Vacation and Jarinus.

- I have at least a dozen different BFS shirts, and/or hoodies.

- I have the shirt that Jaret was wearing in their music video "Almost."
- My brother, Ricci, his girlfriend, Brittany, and I made a fan-made video for the Jarinus song "Farting at Staples", here's the link. Check it out.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sA9XEFsmJgs


- The music video for BFS's new song "Real", that I was just in. Here is a picture of me and the other girls in the video:




These are just a few of the things that come to mind when I think of the reasons why I'm more than just obsessed with BFS. Then there is the more obvious reason. What is that you may be asking yourself? Because it may only be plainly obvious to me.

For the past 13 years I have the biggest crush on Jaret Reddick, lead singer of BFS. Being an "adult" at 26 doesn't not change my crush status. Who says you have to be a teenager to legitimately have a crush. And this goes way beyond a celebrity crush. I think once it hit a decade it moved beyond that, and became something new.




Of course as everyone knows, since you are sitting here reading this, I am a writer. I mostly write fictional stories, but I have been trying to keep up on these blog posts which are obviously not fictional (unless otherwise stated, then they are). Jaret was, and still is, the inspiration behind one of my most well known characters. When I say well known this is among my family and those friends that have read my work. The previous post I posted a short scene involving this character, if you would like to scroll down and check it out :)

These are just the basic things that show my absolute, complete, love and devotion to the band who has been making music for 19 years, and has had me for a fan for 13.





Marcus lives!!! (If you know me well enough, you should understand this comment :) )

TNT,
Words by Ali

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Denton, Texas

A Story Scene

Here friends is a scene with characters I know and love very well.  I have been writing them for years, and hope that one day I will be able to give them a novel of their own.  Enjoy, and leave comments with what you think.

TNT,
Words by Ali

The Picnic

The music was louder than it needed to be.  Jakob turned the volume up whenever ‘Ante’s songs began playing.  I spun around on one of the picnic tables, the sun glaring in my eyes.  Marcus was on the phone with his partner. Cas would be there in about five minutes, but they were still talking about their current case.

            Marcus held his cell phone between his right shoulder and his ear.  In his right hand was a hot dog and in the left was a bottle of beer.  He took a bite of his hotdog and a mixture of ketchup and mustard dripped onto the concert Tee he was wearing.  It was black with cartoon versions of the band members on the front.  The black material was starting to fade from all the years in the wash.  The image on the front, and tour dates on back, were cracking and pulling apart from use. 

            There was a small burn hole on the left side, high up showing the pale skin of his back.  The burn got there four years earlier when a drunken idiot in a bar threw an ashtray at the wall; scattering several still smoldering cigarettes around the room.  Marcus decided the best response was to throw the drunken idiot in jail for the night.

            The short sleeves of his shirt showed off the three-quarter sleeves of tattoos on both of his arms.  Only long-sleeved button ups on the job.  I still remember the first tattoo Marcus got.  I was four, and we had moved out to California only about two or three months before.  His first one was on his arm and it included my first name, Symphony.  I went by Ellie, my middle name.  I remember sitting there watching.  He had his arm resting on the chair’s armrest with his palm facing upward.  The buzzing of the needles started and I flinched, Marcus was stoic.  As the needles touched his arm his brows scrunched together, his lips flattened into a straight line, and his jaw was so tight I’m now sure his teeth were grinding together painfully.  The thing with Marcus was that he was in pain but he didn’t want people to know it.  I could still tell though.  His shorts came to mid-calf showing the tattoos that started at the knees and worked their way downward.  They were black Dickies that were nearly as old as the concert shirt he was wearing.

            They were fraying at the bottom, so that when he would pull out a loose thread it would unravel ever so slightly each time.  He could get new pants; actually he has much newer ones in his closet.  He continues to wear these ones because he was wearing them at the first gig he played with his old band, 'Ante'. 

            He shoved the last bit of his hotdog into his mouth, turned off his cell phone, shoved it into his pocket, and downed the last of his beer.  He tossed the empty beer bottle into the trash as he came my way.  He jumped up onto the table next to me, and danced me around to the music.