Looking Back

Writing is like physical exercise. It’s something I really should do every day, or at least more than once or twice every few months. It’s rewarding, and I love doing it; it’s just a matter of finding time for it. No - not finding time; making time. It’s something where you can always make an excuse for not doing it; but something that really should be a part of one’s daily routine. The same can be said concerning reading the Bible and spending time with God. The only difference is that spending time with God and reading His Word is infinitely more rewarding than both writing and physical exercise.

As with any kind of discipline, the further you progress, the more you need to push yourself to grow. I’m finally starting to get back into habit of reading the Bible daily, and I’m reaching that point where I need to read a little more than usual to really get something out of what I am reading. Before this habit starts to fade (like it has so often before) I would really like to join a Bible study or small group so that I can keep working those spiritual muscles. I was a part of discipleship groups all three years at Cedarville University, and those groups were incredibly rewarding. I wish I could have something like that again.

Though I greatly loved discipleship group at Cedarville University, my involvement in those groups coupled with the insane amount of English homework I had kept me from participating in other activities I had always wanted to do there: swing dancing, cinema, and theatre. Swing dancing was typically held in the main hallway of the Dixon Ministry Center, a building that has large windows near the entrance. There were several evenings I walked past those large windows, paused a moment to look at the fun they were having inside, then sadly keep walking toward the library where I would usually stay until they kicked me out.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally got the opportunity to try swing dancing for the first time, and it was a lot of fun! I’ve been going periodically every Tuesday night for swing dancing lessons and open dance in Fresno with some friends I met at Encore Theatre. I’m nowhere near as good as many of the others that go, but at least I can say that I’ve improved. A couple different times I’ve gone they’ve had a live band play for us, and another night was ’50s themed. I dressed as a greaser that night and won a costume contest (the pictures are on Facebook if you feel like stalking me on there to find them). I haven’t been able to go the last couple weeks, and I kind of miss it. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go back in a while because I’ll be busy elsewhere from now until early November.

In my last blog post I mentioned that I was thinking of auditioning for Shrek the Musical at the Lindsay Community Theatre. One of my friends had played the soundtrack for me on the way to swing dancing, and it sounded like a lot of fun. I suppose what I learned at swing dancing helped me to become a more confident dancer, because at auditions I felt I did really well on the dance portion. The director obviously thought so too - I’ve been cast as Lord Farquaad, one of the leads.

If you are at all familiar with the movie, you may think it an odd choice casting a 6’1” tall man as the notoriously short leader of Duloc. But if you are familiar with the stage musical, then you know that Lord Farquaad is typically played by a taller actor. This is because the actor plays almost the entire role on his knees, wearing a special costume that has fake legs attached, so as to appear short. Earlier this evening I tried on the costume for the first time; it’s definitely going to take some getting used to. I have to wear these big knee pads that were either made for an umpire or a hockey player. While wearing these I have to walk and even dance around on stage for several scenes - on my knees. And apparently I have a different costume for every scene I’m in, so I’ll definitely be needing help with costumes backstage. The role is going to be a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to get started working on my scenes. However, I think my knees may not be too happy with me after the first week or so of rehearsal. The rest of the cast is amazing, many of whom I have worked with in other shows like Big Fish, Beauty and the Beast, and Pippin. In addition, my sister Debra will be playing a Little Pig, one of the Three Blind Mice, and a tap-dancing rat, while my mom will be playing piano for rehearsals. Our show days are October 27, 28, and 29, and November 3, 4, and 5. Ask me closer to opening weekend about showtimes and pricing. I hope to see many of you there, if only just to see me suffer in my costume.

It’s been a lot of fun doing so many plays and musicals the last couple years. It makes up for the ones I missed out on while I was at Cedarville. And though I’m proud of the Bachelor’s degree in English I earned there, I’ve recently been wondering if I chose the right major. After graduating high school I changed my major many times, and though English definitely was a step in the right direction for me, I’m still not sure it was exactly the major for me. Many of my English classes at Cedarville I only barely passed, while other students excelled in the same classes. I always felt kind of fake while giving presentations and writing scholarly papers using that pretentious language we were taught to use. I liked discussing novels, and I like this kind of writing, but everything else didn’t seem quite me.

There were other times at Cedarville when my friends would work on a video for some kind of media class, and I would want to join in. I was able to help out with a couple videos, but never in the capacity that I wanted. My senior year at Cedarville I joined Filmgate, the campus’ film org, though even with that I wasn’t always able to participate as much as I wanted, largely because of my English homework, but also because I was a discipleship group leader that year.

Looking back at my time at Cedarville, I wouldn’t take back a single moment. I greatly improved my communication skills with my English major, and I greatly wish I could be a part of a discipleship group again. But at the same time, I can’t help but look back on all the times I wanted to be a part of a play, but my homework wouldn’t allow it, or all the times I walked past those windows on my way to the library and saw people swing dancing, or all those times I wanted to help with videos, but my schedule would not allow it. Maybe I could have majored in theatre or cinema arts instead, but I’m still glad I chose English. At least presumably there are more job opportunities with a degree in English than with theatre or cinema arts. I’m still trying to find out.

A couple months ago I had an interview with Bank of the Sierra. I was pretty excited about it. I thought, or at least hoped, I had prepared enough, but after answering many questions with “uhhh” and “ummm” I found out that I was not nearly prepared enough. I obviously didn’t get the job. Since then there were a few other times when i thought I was close to getting hired, but they ended up “going in a different direction.” I’m still currently working at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery and Museum and for A Wish Your Heart Makes. With the money I make from both of those combined, I make just enough to cover my student loans every month, but not enough if I wanted to live on my own, which I would very much like to do someday. Job hunting has taken a bit of a back seat recently, largely because I’ve been pretty busy with both of my other jobs, but also because I know that I’m going to be busy with Shrek the Musical for the next couple months.

While working at the museum recently I met a man who leads a writer’s group that meets every other Saturday at the museum. The group also meets Thursday nights in Visalia, and I was invited to go to the most recent one last Thursday. The writers in that group (about seven of them) each bring something they’ve been working on, read it for the group, then offer constructive criticism for each other. I didn’t bring anything with me, so I just helped with the workshopping. But going to that meeting helped remind me once again to get back on this blog and write. So if any of you in that group are reading this right now; thank you! I’d like to go back again at some point, but it may have to be after Shrek the Musical is over.

Recently I've been ending all my blog posts with prayer requests, and I think I’ll stick with that tradition. Here are some things you can pray for:

• that God would provide me with a good full-time job (that I like) that will provide enough money to pay for student loans as well as enough money to save for the future
• that I would find some kind of bible study or small group to be a part of again, because I kind of miss it, and I want to know God better
• that Shrek the Musical would go well and for my knees to not die
• that I would go where God wants me to go, do what He wants me to do, and trust Him for the future, because I have no idea what His plan for my life is (but I know it’s a good one)

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying. Hopefully I’ll be on here again before too long.

A Change of Plan

Last you heard from me I was waiting to make any decisions about next school year until I heard back from Biola University on whether or not I made it into the Cinema and Media Arts program.

I did not make it in. It’s not that I didn’t meet their qualifications or anything (as far as I know), it’s that the program was already full. Despite that, it would have been nice to know if I would have gotten into the program anyway if it wasn’t full. All I can do now is apply for the program for next school year; at least this time I know it won’t be late. I will likely also apply for other schools in the Southern California area. That’s where all of the movie production jobs are, so that’s where I want to be located.

As far as Biola goes though, I was able to postpone my acceptance until next year. This means that I am already pre-accepted for the 2018-19 school year at Biola. The only other thing I would have to do is apply once again for the Cinema and Media Arts program there.

While talking with the transfer admissions counselor at Biola, we figured that because I already have a Bachelor’s degree, I would not have to take any general education classes, which makes me very happy (no more math and science classes!). However, if I wanted to get a second Bachelor’s degree, I would still have to take some Bible classes. Biola University has a required Bible minor for all its students, similar to Cedarville University. Oddly enough, only about half of my Bible classes from Cedarville would transfer over to Biola.

The admissions counselor figured that if I went to Biola taking only classes in the Cinema and Media Arts program, and around five required Bible classes, I could complete a Bachelor’s degree in Cinema Arts in about two years, although I don’t know that I necessarily need or want another Bachelor’s degree. I mostly just want to take classes to gain knowledge and experience. Theoretically I could just take some Cinema classes at Biola for a semester or two, get involved in some student films, then find an internship that leads to a job in the field I want. However, while going there for only a year would save me money, it would also make me less likely to be able to get into the Cinema program there at all. Biola is more interested in potential students who are looking to stay there longer and finish a program, which I don’t necessarily need to do.

There is also the issue of finances. Because I have already completed one Bachelor’s degree, I don’t get nearly as much financial help from FAFSA, meaning my student debt would be significantly higher than it already is. However, since it seems I will be living in the area for another school year (or at least another semester), I can use this time to work on paying off a large percentage of my student loans. But to do that I still need a good job.

After many many days of job hunting both in person and online I finally at least have another part-time job. Starting next week-ish I will be working at the Exeter Courthouse Art Gallery and Museum. I don’t know too much about the job yet, but I believe part of it will include handling transactions for those who wish to rent the facilities for parties, as well as showing people around. The only downside to this job is that it is part-time; I only work on the weekends. It would be ideal if I could also get another job that worked weekdays. It sounds like the Art Gallery job is pretty flexible, so I could possibly even work that job along with a full-time job somewhere else.

I’m still working part-time for my dad at church, and also for A Wish Your Heart Makes, but I would really prefer something that was more full-time. I have filled out countless job applications online and delivered many resumes in person. Though I am nowhere close to running out of options yet, I am getting tired of not hearing back from the people who keep saying “yeah we might call you.” I guess I need to keep bothering them in person about a job.

I would rather not work at a fast-food restaurant or anywhere like that, but if I can’t find anything else, I may have to apply to one. I would like a job where I can put my English degree to work, but I don’t mind a job that also involves customer interaction. I would like a job that is somewhat close to home. I don’t want to have to drive an hour to and from work; even half an hour might be a lot; but if that’s all that is available, I’ll take it. So far I have applied (or attempted to apply) to various banks in the area, Savemart, Guitar Center, and the Visalia Times-Delta, to name a few. Prayers would still be appreciated for finding a good full-time job that is nearby and that also pays nice enough to start making a dent in my student loans.

Once I get a full-time job it will be nice to have a regular schedule again. I can then focus on the full-time job rather than the part-time ones (though I suppose I could still occasionally do a party as Spider-Man, or help out my dad at church once in a while). At least for now I have an additional part-time job that will help keep my student loans at bay.

In other news, Pippin is over, which means I can have relatively normal sleeping and eating habits again. We had a good run of shows, though I missed the first two because I was in Ohio for my brother’s graduation. One of the only downsides was that not every show was full, possibly because not many people had heard of Pippin before. There were two or three nights when the audience was nearly full, and those ones were a lot of fun. The cast really feeds off the energy of a receptive audience, and that energy is then turned around to create an even better performance. But despite not every audience being as full as we would like, I still had a blast. I was especially excited to be able to play guitar on two different songs on stage. I also got to wear real chain mail and use a sword in a couple scenes, as well as throw a dummy into a fire pit, which unfortunately was not made using real fire :(

Though it would have been cool to go to Biola in the fall, one benefit to staying in the area another school year is that I can participate in more local theatre. Encore Theatre, where I have done many shows recently, will not be doing a play this fall, because they will be renovating part of the building. So instead of doing a show there, I was thinking of auditioning for Shrek the Musical in Lindsay (which is actually closer than Encore). I listened to the full soundtrack for the first time a couple days ago, and it sounds like it would be a lot of fun to be in. This is, of course, assuming it would fit into the schedule of my full-time job, which I will have by then.

I probably will not be a part of any play or musical this summer, partly so that I can get settled into a new job, but also so that I can spend more time with my family. After this summer, my youngest sister will be going to Cedarville University (where I went) to study history. And next month my brother will be moving to an apartment in Visalia (which isn’t that far away, so I’ll still see him often).

Meanwhile, I will still be here living with my parents, though hopefully not more than a year. It’s nice to not have to pay rent or anything, but I am anxiously awaiting for the next chapter of my life to begin already. Maybe while I wait I can take an online class on cinematography, or teach myself the basics of screenwriting and storytelling.

As a fun project, I’ve recently been studying the structure of the Indiana Jones films so that I can theorize and plot out a script for the upcoming Indiana Jones 5. A screenwriter for the film has already been chosen - David Koepp, who wrote Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - so I’m not trying to steal his job or anything. My project is more to see how close I come to the actual film, which will be released  in July 2020. Although who knows? 2020 is still far away; maybe I’ll be able to get in contact with the producers before then and we can discuss the plot together. Maybe they’ll credit me as co-writer (or at least as a script doctor). I may end up posting some of my work on here at some point, probably in essay form; I’m having a lot of fun working on it.

To my avid readers, whoever you may be, continue to keep me in your prayers. Pray especially for me to find a full-time job that is nearby and also pays semi-decently. Pray also for me to be able to see God’s leading in my life so that I can follow it. Though I make my own plans, it seems God often has a different path in mind for me. I know God has given me my skills and dreams for specific reasons; pray that I would put God first in my life so that I can live the life He has planned for me. And as Psalm 37:4 says, pray that I would delight myself in the Lord so that He will give me the desires of my heart.

A Quarter-Century

Happy Birthday to me! I’ve now been on this planet for a quarter-century. I figure this is a good time to add another blog update. I don’t know how many people actually read this blog, but some that do have been asking me when I was planning on writing some more. Lucky for you, I have had a LOT on my mind the past few months.

As my readers well know, I haven’t had the best of luck with jobs since graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English. First I had many stressful days subbing at the junior high school, as well as many boring days subbing at the high school. I was then unceremoniously let go from a newspaper job that I enjoyed, followed by a seasonal job with UPS where I got bit by a large dog (which took forever to heal and now has left a slight scar on my leg). I’m now currently working two part-time jobs: one where I occasionally dress as superheroes (mostly Spider-Man) for special events and parties, and another one where I help my dad around the church (mostly vacuuming the sanctuary and trimming the bushes and trees). Neither of these are exactly what I had in mind when I chose to major in English. Though I suppose I didn’t actually have much in mind as far as a future job when I chose that major; I just knew I liked reading, writing, and discussion enough to spend my last year at Cedarville in the library. Recently I’ve finally gotten more of an idea of what I would like to be doing with my life; I guess now it’s just a matter of getting there.

By the way, I am currently looking for an additional job, either part-time or full-time, for at least this summer. Suggestions, recommendations, and/or job offers would be a nice birthday present ;) Again, any new job I get may be just a summer job anyway; it’s possible I may be busy elsewhere come this fall.

A few months ago I submitted an application for Biola University, as well as a separate application for Biola’s Cinema and Media Arts program. I was accepted to Biola, but I will not be making any final decisions until I find out if I was accepted into the CMA program or not. My application was submitted late (partly because I didn’t even know I would be applying until recently) and applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed until May 1 (tomorrow!). I’ll probably post another blog within the next month once I get word back.

Why Cinema and Media Arts? That goes back to when I was twelve years old and my dream for the future was to be “someone who works with movies or an actor”. I greatly enjoy acting, but I think my artistic talents would be used better behind the camera, possibly as a director, editor, cinematographer, or screenwriter (at least that way I can still apply my English degree). I’ve always had a passion for movies, and I would love the chance to work full-time with a movie studio in some kind of creative position.

At Biola, I wouldn’t necessarily need a second Bachelor’s degree (though it wouldn’t take much longer to get one); I’m more interested in just taking classes for experience so I can eventually get either an internship or a job with a movie studio. I honestly didn’t look much at the Cinema programs of other schools, but Biola’s seems pretty good. I could apply to other colleges to take film classes, but I’ll wait to hear back from Biola’s CMA program first. Of course, if I decide to wait a year and go somewhere other than Biola, then I will definitely be needing a more full-time job.

I realize I don't always plan ahead as much as I should, but going back to school looks like it might be the next thing for me (even though I am terrified at the idea of adding on even more to my student debt). But really, who knows what God has planned for me? I wish I knew. I'm just taking a step in the dark and trusting that God will guide me the rest of the way. Whether I end up in a job where I could one day win an Academy Award, or whether I end up somewhere else entirely is a complete mystery. I don’t want to throw away my shot, but I also don’t want to be stuck in a soul-sucking job for the rest of my life.

I just feel that now, at 25, I’m way behind where I should be. My family (myself included) seems to be horrible at getting things done, and I don’t want to live like that the rest of my life. At a quarter-century,x I feel like I should be starting the rest of my life right now, like so many people already are. There are loads of successful people under the age of 25, or not much older. I just need to remember that their successes are not my failures.

I often relate to Disney/musical protagonists. I think of myself as a dreamer who wants adventure in the great wide somewhere, who imagines life out there living in the sun. I’ve got to be where my spirit can run free; gotta find my corner of the sky. When I hear these songs I feel a sense of longing deep in my soul that says “I know exactly how you feel!” Like the titular lead character in Pippin (a musical I am a part of which you should all see!), I want my life to have meaning. I may not know exactly how my life will turn out, but I’ll take it one step at a time.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I think and pray about jobs, school, and life in general.

New Year Mindset

In 2016 I only wrote 6 blog posts; one less than the previous year. I really would like to change that this year. Maybe I should start with an easier goal: one blog post every month. That gives me 12 for the whole year, doubling last year. It’s a nice idea for a New Year’s Resolution anyway.

I’ve always enjoyed the beginning of a new year. Everyone does their best to better themselves by making resolutions for the new year. A resolution to work out more, read or write more, or just be a better person. However, most of the time, this only seems to last for a couple weeks, maybe a month at the most. Afterwards, people fall into the same old routines that they vowed to change at the beginning of the year. Why is this?

I believe people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions so early in the year for the same reasons that someone on a diet might eat another piece of cake. “Well, I’ve already messed up my diet today by eating one piece of cake; I might as well eat another one…” It also reminds me of the weeks following a dentist appointment. The dentist tells me to floss every day, so I do for the next four or five days. After that I floss maybe once or twice a week, then I just stop altogether.

It seems that people give up on their resolutions because, having messed up once or twice already, they just figure “Oh well, I’ll try next year…”

This year, I’d like to try something different, and I would invite anyone who reads my blog to join me. This year, treat every day like New Year’s Day. Every day when you wake up, think back to that feeling you had when 2016 was finally over and you had a bright new year about to begin. Try to recall that natural feeling of renewal that comes at the beginning of the new year. 

Even though I haven’t yet read this book, I love this quote from Anne of Green Gables: “isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” The one part of this quote that I always found interesting is the word “yet.” This implies that even though tomorrow is a new day, there will be mistakes; and Anne Shirley is absolutely right. Everybody makes mistakes; what differs is the way people handle their mistakes.

This year, I’d like to have a New Year Mindset every day. I want to remember this feeling of a fresh start, and I want it to last more than just the beginning of January. So maybe instead of focusing on an average New Year’s resolution, my resolution will be to move on and learn from my mistakes, treating every day like the beginning of a new year.

Previously in 2016…

The last life update you heard from me was that I got fired from the newspaper, I started NaNoWriMo, and I was still feeling kind of stuck, but with a passion for something greater burning inside me.

In brief, I got another job! Alas, it was just a seasonal job, meaning I only worked during the Christmas season, which is now over. I was hired by UPS to be a “driver helper,” meaning I was the one who hopped out of the truck and took the package to the front door while the driver was in the back getting the package ready for the next house. In a way, I got to be an elf while the driver got to be Santa. During the week before Christmas the driver wore a Santa hat, and for a couple days I wore elf socks.

It was an interesting job to say the least. It kept me on my toes, which was nice. I didn’t have this much exercise sitting in front of a desk at the newspaper. I wasn’t required to jog from the truck to the front door, but sometimes I would anyway just to keep warm. It got a little chilly sometimes riding in that UPS truck with the door open.

The job also was not without some danger. I got bit by a dog a few weeks ago, about a week before that I almost got my right hand chopped off; plus there were a couple times that the seatbelt (which I was wearing) wouldn’t quite catch all the way when the driver was making a sudden left turn, and I felt like I was going to fall out of the truck. Did I mention I got bit by a dog? UPS wasn’t so happy about that, and I wasn’t too thrilled either.

After attending a brief safety re-orientation, I learned that my first mistake was thinking I could trust the dog that I saw walking up the sidewalk. I hadn’t had any problems with dogs before that, not even dogs that were loose, like this one. The package needed a signature, so I walked up to the front door with the package and the DIAD board. The dog, which I found out later was a pit bull, followed me and began to growl and bark. Mistake number two: not calling out to the driver to honk the horn or distract the dog somehow. I rang the doorbell so I could get the man’s signature, but the dog was still there, standing between me and the truck. I wasn’t moving a muscle, for fear the dog might attack, which it did anyway. It snapped at me, putting a nice hole in the package I was holding, which I had used to block the bite. I rang the doorbell again. The man finally came out to sign for the package. Mistake number three: not informing the owner what the dog had tried to do, and asking him nicely to put the dog away. I would normally have done that, but out of fear, I don’t think I was entirely thinking straight. The man signed on the board, then I handed him my shield. What happened next was kind of a blur. I remember the man saying “He doesn’t bite” and “don’t show any signs of aggression.” There was no way I was going to show any kind of aggression to that dog which was clearly showing signs of aggression towards me. I tried to inch around the dog so I could go back to the truck when the dog jumped at me and bit my right inner thigh. I don’t remember what the dog, the owner, or the driver did after that. I had to go to the back of the truck, take off my pants to inspect the wound. The skin had been broken, but not quite enough that it bled. Mistake number four: not finding out if or when the dog had last been vaccinated. I’m pretty sure it had been, because a few weeks later, and I feel fine. There was a nasty bruise on my leg for a while, which is gone now. I still have a couple teeth marks on my leg which I’m hoping will go away soon; if not though, at least I’ll have a cool scar with a story. On a side note, when I went to the doctor to examine the bite, the doctor said I should have gone to him right away (which was my fifth mistake). He then said that this is my leg, and I shouldn’t rely on anyone for anything. The way he said that made it seem like he had some kind of tragic backstory that caused him to not trust or rely on anyone but himself. It could be an interesting idea for a character for a future story.

Speaking of stories, I unfortunately only hit a little over 4,000 words out of 50,000 for NaNoWriMo. It turns out I am a much slower writer than I thought I was. The hardest part for me was trying to write without editing along the way. Apparently, in order to reach 50,000 words, I am supposed to focus on quantity over quality, which is really hard for me. I never liked having to get an exact amount of words in assigned essays. I like just writing until I’m done with the subject, then moving on. I may try again this year, but I won’t be able to use the story I had started last year.

The story I started to write had only just begun, and now I may never know what will happen next. I may post some, or all of what I wrote someday on here, maybe. I wanted to write a story that was kind of an adventure, horror, mystery. Maybe like a mix between Indiana Jones and Scooby-Doo, with a bit of classic horror movies thrown in. I had started to write a story about a piano tuner sharing a flat with a biologist. The biologist was doing research on a book he was writing on cryptozoology, the study of creatures that have not yet been proven to be real, when he encounters what he believes to be a real werewolf. There was also a house that I randomly decided to burn down, a mysterious piano thrown in for mysterious reasons, and a missing friend who may or may not be behind some evil schemes. That’s about all I had written. I may come back to it another time, just not for NaNoWriMo.

In other life news, starting this year I will be joining A Wish Your Heart Makes, a company that puts on birthday parties and other various events where characters such as Ice Princess, Princess with long hair, and bat-themed superhero come and put on a show. I got a Spider-Man costume for Christmas, so I believe I will be doing some parties as arachnid-themed superhero. I’ve already attended a couple parties just to observe, and it seems pretty fun. The kids also have a blast hanging out with characters, so it’s cool to see their faces light up. Also, it’s a job! However, I’d still like a more permanent job at some point.

Lastly, I should mention a beloved soul that said goodbye in 2016. No, I’m not referring to any of the beloved celebrities we lost in 2016; I’m referring to our dog, Abby. At 12 years old, she had been slowing down tremendously over the past few months. A couple days before we took her to the vet for a humane euthanasia, Abby had moved for the last time when she settled behind the grill. The barked and howled through the night, experiencing pain from her arthritis, as well as some belly pain we didn’t even know about until we got to the vet. The vet explained that Abby was essentially crippled by her arthritis. This was the best thing for her, so that she wouldn’t experience any more pain. She is now with her old mentor Bella, and her best friend Tiger, both of him left Abby while she was still young. She is also now with my grandpa, who called her Floppy, due to her habit of having one ear up, and one ear down; a habit that mysteriously went away right after my grandfather died. Abby leaves behind her friends Polar and Hunny, who are still confused as to why Abby hasn’t come back yet. The picture below I also posted on Facebook, because I believe it captures her personality pretty well. When I took this picture a few months ago, I always kind of thought that I would one day use it for Abby’s obituary, and now so I have.

Rest in peace, Abby <3