About a week ago, I came down with a fever. At first, my eyes were just watery and my nose was runny, but then it turned into a sinus infection. By the end of the day, my face was pink and my temperature was going sky-high. I woke up three times that night — once at midnight, once at three-thirty, once at five-thirty.

After a few days, my fever subsided and my nose returned back to normal. I was hoping that, maybe, the allergies were gone (most of the trees were turning from pink to green, so there was less pollen in the air). But lately, I've been having to blow my nose an awful lot.

One of my friends also is affected by allergies. She normally wears contacts, but she's been switching to glasses lately because her eyes felt really uncomfortable.

But I've realized that even though the allergies affect almost everyone, they seem to affect me the most.

It's probably because I have a very low immune system. Since I'm vegetarian, I don't get enough protein in my system. My immune system is affected by that. (At least, that's what my mom says.)

What I want to know is this:

How does spring affect you?

Whenever I sit down and load up FanUpdate, I sit there with a blank mind. There's nothing sensible I can think to write about, so there hasn't been any blogs lately. Which really, really makes me sad. (Part of this reason is also that I haven't been on the computer as much recently; I've had a homework overload and many activities/things to do.)

Whenever I talk to my friends and they ask me what I'm doing, my answer always is along the lines of "doing homework and being bored". I never seem to have any interesting story to talk about.

That's when I started to wonder (or worry) about whether or not I was boring. All the facts seem to point in the direction of yes, but I'm trying to be optimistic.

If it's just a phase (or something) that I'm going through, sure. But what if I, really and truly, am boring?

So my question to you is:

Am I boring?

Because our ages are so close together, my mom started us with everything at the same time. Piano class, Chinese school, martial arts, ballet. Therefore, we are in all the same classes/levels for those subjects.

Obviously, there are other students in those classes. And obviously, they know both of us and the fact that we're sisters. (We're about the same height, so people who don't know us occasionally think we're twins. We're not.) Since we're related, when people think of one of us, they almost immediately think of the other. So we're always called "Lily and Leah". (Sometimes, "Leah and Lily"). Which may seem fine, but it gets really annoying after a while.

And since we're the same height, for all height-related things, we're almost always paired up together. You may think it's fun to work with your sister all the time, and sometimes it is, but too much is just that: too much.

The annoying thing is, some people (who don't know us well) confuse us with the other. Which I don't understand, since we look completely different. But what ever.

I was thinking about this because my sister and I (yes, together) assist our ballet teacher with a lower-level class (mainly kindergarten through second graders — they're absolutely darling). There are two little twin girls (who also happen to be Chinese) that are the exact same height (and they both also happen to be the shortest in their class) and they look alike. Everyone refers to them as "Sinan and Siping" — always together, and always in that order. (I feel special, though, because I can tell them apart. Yay me!) Since they're the shortest in their class, they're paired up with each other for any partnering in the dances.

Always always always.

However, when I was making this current layout, I realized that every time I tried to upload an image, the image would be messed up (low quality but the same file size, error message, etc). Every time I would want to upload an image, I would have to use net2ftp, which I dislike.

I think it may be because Firefox recently updated to version 2.0.0.13, and the current version of FireFTP isn't compatible. I guess I could just wait for FireFTP to upgrade, but it may take a while.

Does anyone else face the same problem?

I'm looking into getting another FTP manager. I may use SmartFTP, but I would like to hear your suggestions first. What FTP programs do you use, and which do you recommend?

The stripes in the background were Clem's idea. She thought that "it would look good with the shinyness", and I agree with her.

I'm just afraid that it may be a little too bright. The green, that is. If any of you find the navigation too overwhelming, or the header too in-the-way, please tell me.

I tested this layout with Browser Shots, like I always do, and it looks fine in every browser, with only a minor bug in IE6. If you find a glitch in your browser, please report that, too.

Also, I've completely reorganized my site. If you find any broken links or other errors, tell me.

Otherwise, this layout should be fully accessible. I considered all your comments on my previous layout and tried to improve with this layout. I really like it, but I want to hear what you think.

Comment away!

I would really be interested to know who comes up with these names, and how they came up with it. Houses should really come with an information manual that includes how their street address came to be, don't you think?

If I were chosen to name a street, I would name it either:

• Goldmine Lane because everyone deserves a little wealth in their life.
• Rainbow Circle because it sounds cool.
• Strawberry Court because strawberries are just that special!
• Grasshopper Drive ...Just because. :)

What would you name your street?

As if it seems that there's no fun to it anymore... That it's become more of a chore than a hobby.

I'm guessing it's because I've run out of inspiration. I can't think of anything to blog about, I can't think of what changes to make to it.

But I don't want to quit.

I'll just try my best, updating when I can.

Hopefully, that's enough.

This is the first layout I've made that is imageless, so it's not exactly the best. However, I did try my best.

I tried making the colors spring-y without being too bright or overwhelming... If you think otherwise, be sure to tell me.

This layout is accessible in every browser (according to browsershots) except for Internet Explorer 5 and below. However, according to Google Analytics, none of my visitors use it. If you happen to find that this layout has any type of error in your browser, please report it with the error, your browser name, and browser version (if you don't know what version you have, that's okay).

Since Clem pointed out before that Georgia looks cramped on web pages, I'm using Verdana instead. (I used Georgia for the header, but that's it).

That's basically it. Please comment with feedback and constructive criticism!

(And for anyone who hasn't noticed, I've added a few things to the Visitor section.)

The domain section has been revamped, and I've stopped doing affiliates. However, I do have my blogroll on my links page.

I've added two new pages to the me section. I've been thinking: should I delete my Likes and Dislikes page? It seems rather pointless...

And, I'm not sure this counts, but I've completed another review for Mobile Reviews. Read it here.

Now, what do you think I should do next? Should I rewrite some pages, or do you think I should add more visitor content? Or something else?

And just to tell you, a new layout should be coming up within the next few weeks. I'm getting a little tired of this one...

I always look for the following:

• Ad-free
• PHP support
• MySQL support
• FTP access
• Enough storage space and bandwidth (varies)

If someone recommends a site to you, then it's most likely good. (You can normally base your judgment on the quality of the recommender's site.) I remember a while ago when I was looking for a good host, but was unable to find one. In case you've come across the same problems I have, I've compiled a list to help you get started.

• Search free web host +"ad free"
• Browse through sites and see which hosts they use

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=29 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:33:20 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=28 I heard somewhere that in order to keep our brains busy, we dream every time we go to sleep.

At school, especially on the bus, my friends are constantly talking about amusing dreams they had, such as turning into jellybeans or a world where everyone and everything was 2-D.

Unfortunately, I am unable to participate in such discussions. Why? Because I never remember my dreams. When I was younger, I used to remember them every once and a while. However, I haven't been able to remember a single dream for quite a while now.

I do dream, right? Do I not fall into a completely deep sleep or something? Do I just have a bad memory?

I'm not sure why this feels so important, it just... does. Not being able to remember my dreams seems to be a disadvantage to me.

Am I the only person who can never remember their dreams? Do any of you have any idea WHY I can't remember what I dream about?

They're navy blue and teal and are very, very painful.

It didn't hurt at all when the orthodontist put them in, however. But after about an hour, it HURT! Not the break-your-leg hurt (actually, I wouldn't know how that feels like, but I can assume), but the there's-something-tugging-on-my-teeth kind of hurt.

For dinner, since I couldn't chew anything without feeling immense pain, I had mashed potatoes and the world's softest pizza (it was cut into teeny-tiny bits).

The worst thing was lunch. I always buy lunch at school, but they don't have anything that doesn't require lots of chewing. All I had was orange juice, so I was extremely hungry.

The hurting is supposed to stop within 3-4 days, so that's a relief. However, I'll need braces for 20-24 months.

Do you have any braces-related stories?

• Gum. I love to talk, so when I can't talk, I like to eat. When I can't eat OR talk, I have to do something with my mouth. So gum is the perfect alternative! Recently, I've been eating (chewing?) one piece of gum per day. My favorite brand is Trident — especially their orange flavor.
• The radio. I've always loved music, but I didn't listen to the radio much. Nowadays, once I get home from school, I turn the radio on. At the end of the day, right before I go to sleep, I turn the radio off. For some reason, the radio helps me concentrate.
• Oatmeal. Some people may think hot oats is disgusting, but it's really yummy. It's great to eat for breakfast on wintery days, when the temperature is negative twenty degrees and all you want to do is go back to sleep. It warms you up from the inside out, and tastes good. And it takes close to no time to make. Yay!
• Gmail. I recently created an account a few weeks ago, and I love it. It's fast loading, everything is easy to access, AND there are tons of cool smileys. =] It's just... awesome. Period. (however, I still do frequently check my Yahoo! email)
• Mechanical pencils. Last year, I used mechanical pencils on and off. Now, they're the only pencils I use. Regular pencils hurt my hand after a while, and I hate it when it gets dull. Unfortunately, I often lose my mechanical pencils, and they're more expensive than regular pencils. It's worth it, however.

Do you have any of the same, (slighly) weird addictions as me? What are your addictions?

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=25 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:13:25 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=24 As many of you know, the next presidential elections are taking place on November 4th. That's a long time, I know.

Unfortunately, the news doesn't think so. Lately, you can hardly turn on the radio without hearing about the statistics of Hillary Clinton, Fred Thompson, and the rest of the candidates.

I know that the elections are really important, but it'd really be nice to be able to hear/read about something — anything — that doesn't concern it.

With every poll, it's always a different person who wins, making the polls pretty pointless. Also, I think it's pretty pointless to get all excited about a candidate when you don't even know if he/she's going to make it to the next round.

I don't really have anyone I'm supporting; I just want someone who will end the Iraq war.

As for site updates, I added to my visitor section. There are now smileys, and I plan on adding some desktop images soon.

Have fun!

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=24 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:40:40 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=23 Before, in computer science class, we learned about the different types of search engines and their uses, so I figured I'd share my knowledge.

Individual search engines create their own search-able databases of results on the web. When a keyword is typed in, it quickly scans the database for matching results. It's thought to be the best means of searching the web, and provides access to a large portion of pages on the web. Unfortunately, with all the results, you'll have hundreds that you don't need and could be hard to find what you were searching for. Individual search engines include Google, Alta Vista, and All the Web.

Meta search engines don't create their own databases. Instead, they search the databases of individual search engines on the web. They send your search to the multiple databases and combines a set of results for you. It's useful because one search is easier than searching multiple search engines, and there are many results. Cons to searching with meta search engines is that there are often repeated results and, after a certain number of results, the rest are cut off. These include Dogpile, Ixquick, and C4.

Subject directorys is a catalog of sites composed and organized by humans. It starts off with main categories, then branches off into more specific sub-categories, then topics, then onto sub-topics. Subject directories are always more organized than meta search engines and individual search engines, and the quality of the results are often better, so it is easier to find what you need. However, since humans tend to work slower than robots, there are fewer results. These include Yahoo!, Excite, and Ask.

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=23 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:47:45 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=22 Get a favicon! Get a professional (ish) favicon made by yours truly.

Order today.

(And, yes, this means more visitor content! Whoopie!)

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=22 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:14:04 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=21 I know you're all thinking "about time!", and I'm sorry it took so long. I've been losing inspiration for my site lately, but I'm trying my best.

What do you think? This layout is SLIGHTLY web 2.0 because of the gradient-ish stripe under the header and the drop shadows. I think this is my best layout yet, and I really like the green.

Mari says that the mint-green background doesn't match very well with the lime greens, and I would like to hear your opinions. Do you think it's best as is? Do you think that I should change it to a different shade of green? Or do you think I should change it to another color completely?

This layout is accessible in every browser I've tested so far, but I, obviously, haven't tested them all. Tell me if you see any errors and I'll fix them ASAP.

Before I can start procrastinating, I want to hear your ideas on what you want on the next layout. Colors, images, whatever. The only thing I won't do is celebrity images.

Remember: I can only get better with your feedback!

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=21 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:05:18 -0600 http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=20 After 365 days of dating my papers with "2007", I finally have to start getting used to "2008".

For many people, these things are what symbolizes the new year:

• The ball drop
• The start of school (winter break ending)
• New Year parties
• Resolutions

I used to make resolutions every year, but I rarely followed them (partially because I always lost my lists). This year, I've decided not to make resolutions. They were always either stupid, impossible, or unimportant.

What's worse is that at school, they almost always make you set goals for the coming year. Such as "I will read more books", "I will practice radicals daily", or "I will study a map every week to improve my knowledge of the world". I'm really, really bad at coming up with those kinds of goals.

Do you make resolutions? Are you good at coming up with goals? And, more importantly, are you good at following your goals?

]]> Ink Dreamer <blackpearl2846@yahoo.com> http://www.inkdreamer.com?id=20 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:27:36 -0600