Dear Parents…the Good Dad and Mumsie,

You guys are awesome! You still love me, even if you call me weird and crazy. Haha! I love how you both have your own weird nicknames that you gave yourselves and somehow they stuck. I like how you adopt me and Julie’s weird sayings, like “thingy” or “brugits.”

Thank you Dad for laughing when I shoot you with a banana, even though I do it every time. “Is this mine?” Hahaha! I like you even though you make me be your partner in all things fix-y, like figuring out how to get the washing machine out of the house…and THEN fixing it (Btw, thanks for not killing me with it!) or constructing a box so that the parol made it home safely. It’s cool that you think I know all these things about computers when I generally just Google the info. Thank you Dad for buying extra Off spray (and making sure it was the right kind) so I wouldn’t get dengue this summer!

Thanks Mom for being my book-buying partner in crime and never thinking that I have too many books! Also, being my movie partner, even when you don’t want to watch the movie. I’ll just look over the fact that you won’t let me come to the Philippines also if you win the lotto. :Þ I like how you also assume that I have flower arranging skills when it comes to bouquets and now don’t even bother to ask me to fix them. You just assume that’s my job now. And yes, I agree with you that I pack a mean suitcase! Thank you for always holding my hand so I won’t get lost, even if there is no chance of that happening!

I appreciate the most, especially recently, that you will have my back and Julie’s back against anybody, no matter what. We lucked out that we got you, even if you do embarass us by trying to dance in public.

Thank you guys for taking us on the millions of road trips, big and small, just because we wanted to go. Thank you for being silly with us but still ask our opinions on the important stuff.

I could be here for days with how great you are, so I’ll just stop here for now….though there might be a part dos in the future.

Love you, love you, love you!
The little one

What do your friends think of you?
“Maybe I Won’t Look Back” – Stacie Orrico
[I don’t know if I want my friends to think this about me…not looking back doesn’t seem like the best thing. Unless you think of it in terms of not dwelling versus reminiscing. Then it’s okay. The lyrics didn’t really fit the question, so I picked some that could be used to describe me, I guess.]

I woke up from dreaming / … / Then I completely forgot / … / You can be who you choose to be / … / And I know that it’s not easy

I’m looking for the peace to find some sleep tonight

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
“Hold Hands & Fight” – The Rosebuds
[How awesome is it that this song came up. I think it fits the question and I love the lyrics!]

We must tie our shoes on tight / For the march ahead through sleepy beds / … / And we brace ourselves and hold our hands and fight

How would you describe yourself?
“Kisses Don’t Lie” – Rihanna
[Again, the title doesn’t really fit. Kisses aren’t the first thing I think of when I think of describing myself. But it has some good lyrics for an answer.]

I feel everything that I been missing / I try to slow down but my heart won’t listen / And it’s tearin’ me all up inside / … / I try to run but there’s no place to hide / … / You see, I’m nobody’s fool

What do you like in a guy/girl?
“Whatever Life” – Haylie Duff
[Seriously, the titles are doing nothing for me, but the lyrics seem pretty fitting. Good qualities for a guy to have.]

Live for the sake of living / Love ‘til your heart is breaking / Give your all and don’t hold back / Tell the truth and don’t forget to / Laugh ‘til your body’s aching / Cry ‘til your hands are shaking

How do you feel today?
“Jabberwock” – Ben Mink
[Ha! This is an instrumental song, but the mood is very fitting and kinda chaotic and random, which is definitely my life at the moment.]

“Breakeven (Falling To Pieces)” – The Script
[Since the song was instrumental, I also decided to include the next song so I could include some lyrics. Love the songs and the lyrics are prefect.]

I’m still alive but I’m barely breathing / … / While I’m wide awake / … / But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding / Now I’m tryna make sense of what little remains

What is your life’s purpose?
“Fashionably Uninvited” – Mellowdrone
[Okay, the title and lyrics don’t fit. At all. But I sorta picked some lyrics that kinda work if you turn your head and squint a little. Basically all around me there are people who know what they want in their lives and have direction, whereas I just seem to meandering to some blurry point over there in the distance. When I was a kid, there was never a push to choose what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. I was a big dreamer with many different ideas, but now I’m all grown up and I’m supposed to have that “life’s purpose” thing figured out. Somehow I missed the point where I crossed the line between the two.]

Every time I watch them all go by / I take in a breath and let out a sigh / … / Is it getting in the way of this lovely song / … / When I was young / All of these things didn’t matter / But now times have changed / And I wasn’t paying attention

What is your motto?
“We Cry” – The Script
[Not so much a motto of mine, but kinda appropriate. I do think that there is a lot of sadness in the world, big and small, and sometimes having a good cry and letting it out can make you feel better. For the second part, there is always a time for moving forward. Nothing can stay the same forever.]

There’s so much sad, wanna flood the ocean / We’re all in tears from the world exploding / Together we cry

There comes a time when every bird has to fly / At some point every rose has to die

What do you think about very often?
“One Day At A Time” – Hayley Sales
[Self explanatory.]

I’m not perfect I might never be / I told you lies I crafted so thoughtlessly / But I’m tired of living the way I’ve lived / With the weight of my mind tying stones to my heels / Want to wash them away / … / Mistakes that I’ve made / Toss them out into the bay / I’m aiming to change / But I’ve got to take it / One day at a time

I reach for the words but they turn into sand / I’m so spun up into the past that I / Can’t see who I am or where I am at any time / … / Stepping on a tightrope made of glass / Might be fun till the illusion cracks / Underneath you waits / All your lies and all your mistakes / All the wrongs that you’ve done / Sitting up un your self-serving through / I’m aiming to change

What is 2 + 2?
“Freak Like Me” – Sugababes
[I really don’t know how a song can answer this question properly. So, I chose lyrics that basically said, “Whatever, who cares?! Move on.” I mean, really, aren’t we past the point of 2 + 2?]

Let me lay it on the line / … / I don’t care what they say / … / You gotta keep up now

What do you think of your best friend?
“Split Personality” – Skye Sweetnam
[Non-matching title and song, but as Tim Gunn says, “Make it work!” Select lyrics. She’s my best friend, my other half. I have her back and she has mine.]

I’d like you to meet / The other side of me / … / I got you, I got you / And now she’s got me

What do you think of the person you like?
“Never Let You Down” – The Verve Pipe
[I smiled when this came on because it fit perfectly and made me happy to keep getting songs that seem to work out. And I hadn’t heard this in a long time!]

I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground / I’m getting to like this feeling I’ve found / I’m getting to love the thought of having you around / And I will never let you down

What is your life story?
“Por Siempre Tu” – Christina Aguilera
[Not really my life story, but the lyrics fit when I think of my family’s part in my life.]

Cuando estoy, por caer / Yo sé que tu amor me volverá a socorrer / Venceré el temor / … / Y lo que soy es por ti sin dudar / … / En mi alma para siempre / Hay un sitio para ti

When I am about to fall / I know that your love will return to help me / I will conquer the fear / … / And what I am is for you, without doubt / … / In my soul, for always / There’s a place for you

What do you want to be when you grow up?
“One Time” – Justin Bieber
[Ha! Finally a song that ridiculously doesn’t fit the question. The song is about the Biebs being in love with a girl and having her by his side. How does that have anything to do with what I want to be when I grow up? o_O I interpreted it as you only have one life to live and that I want to follow my heart and be faithful to me. That works, right? ]

My one heart / My one life for sure

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
“I Will Carry You” – Clay Aiken
[Again, fits perfectly, and funnily, it can be interchangeable with the song for “What do you think of the person you like?” What are the odds that they both worked out, especially since they are so closely related? Awesome.]

When your world breaks down / And the voices tell you turn around / When your dreams give out / I will carry you, carry you / When the stars go blind / And the darkness starts to flood your eyes / When you’re falling behind / I will carry you

What will you dance to at your wedding?
“White America” – Eminem
[Yes! This song is soooo NOT going to be at my wedding! This is even more ridiculous than the Justin Bieber song! I really had to pick through the song to find some usable lyrics to answer the question. If you look at the lyrics I chose, it seems sweet. It doesn’t make you think of the “White America” song AT ALL! Who’d have thunk it?]

We love you / … / I never woulda dreamed in a million years I’d see / … / So many lives I touched / … / The only one who looked past / Gave me a chance / … / You know I love you

What will they play at your funeral?
“I Need To Know” – Kris Allen
[The title and the overall song really doesn’t fit for a funeral (and really, I’d rather not be thinking about my own funeral, okay?) but some of the lyrics worked out.]

Life’s been blinding me / From what I thought I’d see / … / Roads in front of me / … / Feels so far away / I wanna see your face

What is your hobby/interest?
“I Kissed A Girl” – Katy Perry
[So, this song really does not fit. It made me giggle because it is just as out of place as the Eminem song. I haven’t kissed a girl and while I think there is nothing wrong with it (No H8!), it’s just not my thing. And I couldn’t find any lyrics in the song to answer the question, so this is Fail #1. I just picked a line that I liked in the song. Because girls really are magical. And if you don’t agree with this, we may try to claw your eyes out. Just kidding!]

Us girls, we are so magical

What is your biggest fear?
“Falling Down” – Selena Gomez & The Scene
[I don’t think this is a biggest fear but falling down (and not literally but figuratively) is a reasonable fear. Losing your friends, your world spinning out of control, being surrounded by lies and unable to see the truth in things sounds pretty scary to me.]

Where are your friends now, baby? / All of the ones supposed to be there for / You, (you) / When you’re falling down / The world starts spinning out / You, (you) / When you’re falling down / … / The truth is blurry but the lies are getting clearer

What is your biggest secret?
“Let Down” – Dead By Sunrise
[Pretty self-explanatory lyrics. The details? Went tough time the past couple of years and though I am free of the situation, I still cry about it. I don’t think even people close to me realize just how much it affects me and how those wasted years haunt and frustrate me.]

And the tears fall like rain / Down my face again / … / So I don’t want to be let down / I don’t want to live my lies again / Don’t want to be led down the same old road / All those years down the drain

What do you think of your friends?
“Star” – Northstar
[Self-explanatory, again.]

It’ll start your heart afire / To keep you shining brighter in the dark / In this time of our lives / … / So try to take a piece of mind / And sound of body and combine / A visual for all the kind of stars we are / … / Shine on, shine…

What will you post this as?
“Push It” – Glee Cast
[And we’re done! Because…]

This dance ain’t for everybody

*I was going to upload the songs as well, but I’m too lazy to at the moment. Maybe later…

Letter 2: Someone you secretly think is cute.

I can’t really think of someone. I mean, I could pick a celebrity or some general cute person but to me that wouldn’t be taking this letter thing too seriously, so I decided to write to a future someone.


Dear Future Cute Someone,

I don’t know you yet, but when I do, I will secretly think you are cute.

I hope that you are not just cute on the outside but on the inside as well. There are plenty of cute looking people in this world, but cute inside and out is not as common.

Hopefully you aren’t one of those people who THINK they are the cutest thing ever and act in a cutesy-cute way that really annoys everyone else. Everyone sees through that fakeness. And hopefully you aren’t too cutesy because then I will constantly be thinking about how adorable you are and not take you seriously. (Although, if you are like Chris Colfer, I won’t complain because that kid is so adorable and lovable!)

Chris Colfer. Seriously, how cute is this face?!

I hope that you say and do things that make me laugh because they’re silly and cute.

Basically, I want you to be a person worthy of me thinking of in the first place. Because if I find out later that you are a jerk or a loser, it’ll probably make me sad and feeling stupid about liking you in the first place.

Don’t worry, I have faith you’ll be great.

Awaiting to think of you secretly (and I means this in the non-creepiest way possible),
Me

PS – I thoroughly apologize for the inane amount of times I said “cute.” Forgive me? :Þ

Only you would get why this blurry pic is so funny!

Dear Best Friend,

You’re awesome! In fact, you’re so awesome that I’m going to write you ANOTHER letter in a couple of days because you are also a sibling. Or really, THE sibling since you’re the only one. Unless we count that “brother” in California that we fake adopted as our own.

You’re the best best friend. You are such a great person that I even wrote an essay about you in high school. (Even got an A on it!)

I just want to thank you for always having my back. Especially when I didn’t appreciate you as I should have before. (You know what I’m talking about…really sorry about throwing things at you!) Thank you for beating up the neighbors who made me cry and being angry at the lady who broke me. Thank you for telling me they were wrong when I listened to them. Thank you for holding me when I cried. I would be in shambles without you.

Thank you for driving everywhere because I’d rather be the passenger than the driver. And thanks for driving slowly and the long way home so that we can listen to the music booming longer in the car. Also for all the food runs and random grocery shopping when we were hungry.

Thanks for being cool enough to follow some of my influence even when you don’t want to…WWF (World Wrestling Federation, not the wildlife), Dave Mirra, Metal Mulisha, Rockstar Ramp @ Bumbershoot, Rally car @ X Games, Glee!, Leverage…and admitting that I was right about it being cool.

Thanks for the TV marathons, and all of the other random crap that we watch. Thank you for the many pets we will own in the future, seeing as we already have names for most of them.

Thanks for not making fun of me when I start singing without noticing. Thank you for thinking I’m funny, especially when I say random things like, “I feel like a ‘Can you change my eyebrow?’ moment.” (What does that even mean?!)

Thanks for being the one to ask the parents something because we decide that at that moment, they liked you, not me. Thanks for being my partner-in-crime for all things crafty and not getting mad that I have yet to knit you anything but still keep buying yarn.

Thanks for the baking adventures that take WAAAAYYYYY too long! Thanks for understanding the importance of Christmas trees and meteor showers and how much stupid people suck!

Thanks for remembering that I’m an old lady with old lady knees! Thanks for understanding that I have a HORRIBLE sense of direction and can never remember where we parked the car!

Thanks for quizzing me on random things that I should know. “Roar, roar!” and “Ashisogi jizo!”

This is getting long, so I’ll end this here.

Thanks for the hugs,
Your sister across the hall


BTW, I really didn’t mean to just say a bunch of thank yous, I meant to say more stuff. Didn’t work out so well, so maybe the next letter?

Day 1: Your best friend.
Day 2: Someone you secretly think is cute.
Day 3: Your parents.
Day 4: A sibling. (Or relative if you’re an only child.)
Day 5: Your dreams.
Day 6: A stranger.
Day 7: Your ex.
Day 8: Your favorite internet friend.
Day 9: Someone you wish you could meet.
Day 10: Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to.
Day 11: Someone who died.
Day 12: The person who has caused you the most pain in your life.
Day 13: Someone you wish would forgive you.
Day 14: Someone you have drifted away from.
Day 15: The person you miss the most.
Day 16: Someone that doesn’t live in your state/country.
Day 17: Someone from your childhood.
Day 18: The person that you wish you could be.
Day 19: Someone that pesters your mind (good or bad.)
Day 20: The person that broke your heart the hardest.
Day 21: Someone you judged by first impression.
Day 22: Someone you want to give a second chance to.
Day 23: Someone who makes you laugh really hard.
Day 24: The person that gave you your favorite memory.
Day 25: A person you know is going through hard times.
Day 26: The last person you made a pinky promise to.
Day 27: The friendliest person you only knew for a day.
Day 28: Someone that changed your life.
Day 29: The person that you want to tell everything to.
Day 30: Your reflection in the mirror.

Now, I don’t have the time or patience to write everyday, so my goal is to just finish the list. I may post them on here or not, I’m not sure. And I don’t think I’ll go in order. I just thought it was an interesting idea that I really hope I can follow through with. Fingers crossed.

• Currently: Headache-y and distracted.
• Listening To: SafetySuit – Stay.

The night before, the sister’s laptop experiences the BSoD. Last time this happened to her years ago, she called tech support and ended up having to wipe clean her laptop and start again. She was devastated with her vast file loss.

I had the BSoD a few years ago, and with the help of Google and a couple of days, I managed to get accesss to the Recovery Console. (You know how frustrating it is to find that your OEM XP disk is too out-of-date and running around the house trying to scrounge up enough FLOPPY disks (6!) to download a more current version? Seriously, I can’t even remember when was the last time I used floppy disks!) I was able to fix the problem with no obvious file loss. The sister was very jealous.

So when it happened to her, I was called to fix it. And the stupid thing overheated and shut down. So I still have to try and see if the thing will even start up again or if it’s totally fried.

And just now, my computer seemed to have lost more than 75% of my music files. The files weren’t in the folder, but in iTunes it still showed the file as there and still played.

Music files missing but space still occupied.

It wasn’t hidden in the folder options–I know enough to check that option. It was just sort of invisible. Ish. Ness. Ocity.

Searching for the file name didn’t work and I had no clue what was going on.

I read (through the power of my “education” the if you right-click your HDD and select Properties, choose the Tools tab, click on the Check Now… button under Error-checking and select all the little check boxes, it may solve the problem.

So, I tried this and got an error stating that in order to run this check it needed to restart my computer. So I restarted my computer. (I was going to do this before but was afraid that it would permanently lose my music. Don’t know if that was really logical but that’s waht I thought.)

On boot up, the comp started running CHKDSK, because obviously there was a problem, and deleted some stuff, including only one song. (I think. But it was only that Eminem song where he disses Mariah, Bagpipes From Baghdad.)

When the computer restarted and loaded after the CHKDSK, my music files (minus the one) were all back.

Yay! Huzzah! Yippee!

And now I breathe a sigh of relief because my music is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.

Now, I don’t know what caused the malware from yesterday because it seemed like the only sites visited were news sites. And the sister hasn’t been using her laptop much because it overheats, so she doesn’t know the cause of her BSoD. Plus, my problem with the missing files? No clue. The song that was deleted wasn’t the problem. I haven’t even listened to it for almost a year, according to iTunes.

So what the heck is going on? Cursed? I think so. It really needs to stop, because I have a lot of school stuff due this weekend and I can’t stress out about school and computers. Really, I think I might explode.

Oy, I really need to go to bed now.

Sure enough, there’s a pop-up in the task bar saying the computer is infected and to click the icon to fix it.

I know this picture has nothing to do with a computer virus, but it looks creepy and cool…so, um, yeah.

So, I click on the icon (that looks like it’s a legitimate Windows warning) and it starts scanning. But wait a minute, what’s this AV Security Suite?

I didn’t install that! I have avast! Antivirus on this computer (after having the crappy AVG and even crappier McAfee). So I cancel the scanning, and it says the computer is unprotected and if you click yes for protection, it takes you to a site to buy software.

Hmmm.

So I try to access the internet. Then avast! (And no, I didn’t pick it just because the name was all piratey.)

Avast!

It won’t give me access to anything, saying that the files are infected to the sites are unsafe.

I go to my personal computer to look this AV Security Suite business stuff up and what do you know, it’s a rogue antivirus/anti-spyware that sends you fake alerts that you’re infected to try and get you to buy its software. It blocks opening programs to delete it by saying the file is infected. Same with certain websites, saying they are unsafe.

After searching many different sites*, this was my method that I used to remove it. It was easy and fast and it seems to have worked so far.

*I read a bunch of sites that recommend and send you to buy Spyware Doctor, but I had read comments that Spyware Doctor no longer catches it. I also read a lengthy removal guide including the use of Malwarebytes but the process seemed long and I think AV Security blocks it also. Some people use a system restore point with success but I read that AV Security Suite keeps coming back with this route and eventually erases all your system restore points. Look around at different techniques and read comments to see what other’s results are.

Remember, I am in NO WAY an expert. I get my info from Googling. I can’t guarantee this will work or won’t mess up your computer.

First, you need to restart your computer. When it restarts but BEFORE Windows launches, repeatedly hit F8. A screen will appear with different start up options. Using the arrow keys, choose “Safe Mode with Networking” and hit enter.

Once it loads, open Internet Explorer. (Remember to ignore all warnings of infection because they are fake.) Go to the Tools menu, and then Internet Options.

Click on the Connections tab, then the <LAN settings button.

Uncheck the box labeled Use a proxy server for your LAN under the Proxy Server section and press OK. And then OK in the Internet Options window.

Now, go to this site. (It you enter the address and it still says that the site is unsafe, make sure the LAN settings box is unchecked. If it is, close the browser and then open a new one. It should work then. Also, for me, the browser wouldn’t connect to the internet and I found that I had to enable my wireless internet connection again.)

Download the free removal tool that is meant to ONLY remove the AV Security Suite and save it to your desktop (scroll down for the red Download button, right-click and Save Target As… to your Desktop.

It is a zip file, so once downloaded, you need to extract it. After extracted, open the folder where it was extracted and double-click the icon to launch it.

When it opens, click the Delete button and let it work. And you’re done! It reminds you to restart your comp, so restart it and it should be free of AV Security Suite.

I would recommend running a full antivirus scan and scan with your preferred anti-spyware software to ensure that your computer is clean and not infected with stuff other than AV Security Suite.

Good Luck!