Life- As It May Seem

Angela here!

We obviously stink at updating TwinTastic. I think it stems from the fact that we each have our own 2 blogs to regularly update. I have Texas Banter and Texas Banter Book Reviews while Manders has Confetti Dreams and Mudpies with Manders. What can I say- we've been a little busy.

Hell, life has been busy! I, for the life of me cannot figure out why, have embarked on a challenge- to read 100 books before December 31st. The way it is looking, I won't read 100. I'll be lucky if I read 75. I know that my head will explode into mere nothingness because I have read so much. Manders is doing well. She's reading as well but I don't think she's taking the 100 book challenge like I am. She hasn't said that she has so I'm taking it that she hasn't.

She finally dyed ALL of her hair purple. While it is now taking on a pink hue, it still looks rockin! It took us forever to get it finished because of the whole process but thanks to me, her whole head was (and probably still is) purple!

Looks cool, doesn't it? I personally dyed my hair black because the brown was starting to shine through and I prefer to have jet black hair than brown- brown isn't a good color for me.

I can't believe Manders is still asleep! I didn't go to bed until like 1:45 in the morning due to heart palpitations (from a pre-exisiting condition) but still woke up at 9:30. I guess when she goes to college, her classes will have to be afternoon classes since she seems to love to sleep in. I would love to sleep in- but can't seem to sleep past 9:30. It annoys me.

No fair- I want to sleep too. Everyone else is still asleep! Maybe I'll just grab some caffeine and give up the chance to taking a nap.

I hate summer.

Update

Angela here! Manders is asleep (I guess because she didn't sleep so well last night.). She's taking a longer nap than I did today and I was under the influence of cold medicine! I guess she's just tired.

Things are going well for us. We are reading the Twilight series and we love it! Manders needs to read the 4th book and I need to finish reading the 3rd. Even I would have fallen in love with Edward. He's sounds so damn sexy!

Zeus, Princess, Patches and Smokie are doing the... same? Smokie has gotten needy. She escaped this afternoon while we were out and when we got home, she was by the porch. She saw me walking up the sidewalk so she decided to start walking up the porch steps and meow at me. Usually she just runs away because she likes the chase. Today, she actually let me pick her up and when she fought against my grasp, once the door was open, she walked right in. Good kitty. But now she wants attention constantly, ever since she lost both her kittens. I won't go into details but she has gotten super needy since then and will often wake me up even at 3 in the morning for attention. I feel sorry for her. I really do.

Now, I will be holding a giveaway starting May 4th on my blog, Texas Banter. It will run from May 4th to May 10th at 11:59CST. I am not disclosing what it is, but you should head on over there so get a peak at the blog and find any way to remind yourself. If you have Windows Vista, a note on the side bar will come in handy.

So remember: May 4th, the giveaway will go live. May 10th at 11:59CST, the giveaway will end.

See ya there!

Edited to add: Might help if I post the link, dontcha think?

http://texasheartland.wordpress.com

And don't forget to head over to Confetti Dreams for lots of Manders' banterings as well!

http://confettidreams.wordpress.com

Yanni Voices CD Review

This CD is relaxation at your fingertips. As soon as the first song, Omaggio (Tribute), plays, every muscle in your body relaxes and you know something good is going to happen. The second song "The Keeper" has an r&b, pop, and soul feel to it. It is also a great song to play when you're getting tender with your significant other. Leslie Mills' voice is ethereal, angelic-like.

"Our Days," the third song, has a fantastic beat/rhythm. You feel as if you are in some far away country. It really has that ethnic Moroccan/Indian beat to it. It is a great song!

Every song on this wonderful album is unique and the songs pull you into their lyrics. Leslie Miss, Chloe, Nathan Pacheco, and Ender Thomas' voices are immaculate. This album will make you want it to never stop. Everything is perfect!

Song number 5, "Before The Night Ends" sounds almost like a lullaby. It's beautiful and soothing- which a lullaby-type song should be. I would recommend listening to it before bed. It will make you a tiny bit sleep. That's how good it is.

Song "1001," which is number 6 by the way, has a tango flair to it. If you close your eyes, your mind will come up with a story. You're walking down the hot streets of Buenos Aires and you lock your eyes with a hot guy. He walks towards you slowly and as he reaches you, the song starts playing. You both start the tango as the look of desire can be seen through his eyes. I really need to stop day dreaming!

But honestly, while I'm listening to the rest of this amazing CD, go get this album. It is the most relaxing music you will EVER hear. That is a promise!

Visit http://www.yanni.com/ to find out more about this album. Then go to your local music store and buy it!

Ballas Hough Band- Closer (CD Review)

A few weeks ago, I had gotten a CD to review from the One2One network. That CD was from the Ballas Hough Band.

First off, I have to say, I LOVE this album! While I listen to almost everything, I also have a soft side for metal music. In this case, I have grown to love pop music! The band reminds me of Backstreet Boys, BBMak, and Westlife from the Boy Band era.

The first song off of the album is "Do You Love Me." I absolutely love this song!! When I first heard it, I swear I played it over and over until I finally got to the rest of the songs.

Number 8's song is called "Do It For You." Now, some songs just grab you and make you want to dance. This song did! My sister and I, in fact, danced to it several times- even if it we did look like dorks.

While I am 24 years old, I still like to revisit my teen years and listen to pop... So, naturally, I wondered if this album would be up to par with the other ones that are out there. Honestly? This CD is not even in this world. If you have daughters (or sons) that love pop music, but also need a different sound to it, then get them this CD. They will love it as did I!

Twin Banter and more

I hate technology.... and pollen.

We're sorry we haven't posted in a while. We once again had computer problems (as if that's anything new) so we had to wait almost a month before we were able to get it fixed. We had to go to the public library every other day just so we could do the basics: check our e-mails and post on our personal blogs. That absolutely sucked because you only get 1 hour a day to do anything and everything you need. Personally, I need more than an hour do to what I want. I am a fast typer but slow at doing everything else. Hell, I'm even putting off studying Algebra (remember: Studying for the THEA here) because I suck at it. But no worries, computer is all fixed now.

I also hate pollen for one specific reason- allergies. I have the WORST Spring allergies around the house and it makes me feel extremely terrible. Today might just be another day where I don't get anything done. I'm okay with that.

We're going to have to hold off on the giveaway. The economy hasn't helped and we can't seem to find a sponsor (even though we were going to hold our own). Hell, I can't even get a sponsor at Texas Banter... I'm jealous of those who get to hold them all the time. I promise that as soon as we can, we will hold a giveaway. I'm just not sure when.

Manders is doing well. Still studying for the THEA (she's going for Psychology and I'm going for Animal Science). I don't think much has changed for her... That is- except for her nickname. It's "Twister". "Twin" "Sister"- get it? Not much has changed for me either.

Sad, isn't it?

Easy Does It!

I know, I know. You are all chomping at the bit for us to get this giveaway... well, underway. I feel the exact same way. Sometimes it's hard for people who hold their own giveaways (without the help from sponsors) to get everything together so that they CAN hold their giveaway. That's how it is for us. But as soon as I know when we're going to hold it, you'll be the first to know. Okay? Now, don't forget to subscribe to TwinTastic just in case we post updates or post little hints on what the prize might be.

Anyways...

Lately it seems as if all I do is study. No, I'm not in school yet. I am studying for the THEA (Texas Higher Education Assessment), which is a test to evaluate the readiness of students for college-level coursework in Texas. It's divided into 3 sections: Reading, Math, and Writing. Of course the Reading is Reading Comprehension, which I have absolutely no problem with. I just suck at Math and need a little help with the Writing. I am starting with the Writing so I can devote the rest of my time to Math and brush up on the Reading. I don't know how Manders is doing in the sections, but I can promise that she's a hella lot better at Math than I am! So we've decided that soon we will hold a "Study Session", in which she helps me with Math and I'll help her with anything she's having trouble with. I think Manders is a little more prepared to take the test if she had to take the test now than I am.

Smokie had her kittens but unfortunately, none of them made it. They were premature and underdeveloped. Smokie got really depressed that morning and the following day but is doing better. She's playing with Princess (Manders' kitty) and eating. Of course, she still wants to sleep all the time but she's starting to come around.

Beside the economy hitting us hard, we are doing a-okay. Now I am going to finish a few things, listen to a few songs, and then go hit the books.

Update 02/26

We are getting behind on posting! Yikes!

We just wanted to update our readers. We have been going through a lot- mentally, physically, and financially.

I'll start with the computers. Our new one went down for some reason one night and we couldn't figure out what was going on! We realized it was the power supply but we had to wait until payday to buy one. So we brought out Old Trusty (our old ass computer) and it worked- for a few nights. Then it started saying something about a signal cable. Damnit. So we bought a signal cable for the monitor, thinking that was the problem. It didn't work so we gave up. We ended up going to the library to use their public computers for almost 4 days straight and we finally bought the power supply. We're not exactly experts at it so it took us a while to install it but it worked!

Then I (Angela) ended up going to the Emergency Room on the 21st because of heart palpitations. They said I was dehydrated but I knew I wasn't because I've been dehydrated before- that never happened. We did some research and my mom saw symptoms of potassium AS WELL AS magnesium deficiency. I had almost every symptom and we realized that's what caused the heart palpitations. But they couldn't "treat' me because I don't have insurance. But my heart rate in triage was 122 and a high blood pressure. They took blood, put me on fluids, and it came down a little. Yet they still released me when I said I still had the heart palpitations, though they weren't as bad! Sheesh! Way to go, docs! But I had a nice nurse. Yea. I liked her.

Smokie, my cat, is expecting any day now. She should only have 1 or 2 kittens at the most since she is 6 years old and a cat's litter gets smaller as she gets older. I know this will be her last litter. Zeus, on the other hand, is back to his normal self. He does have a limp but he's back to running, biting, and chasing the cats. They're not amused.

Manders is doing well. Ain't nothing has changed- except her hair color. She has purple hair! Don't believe me? Look for yourself!-->

Crazy, ain't it?! I only dyed my hair black to jet black. I don't have the guts to change my hair something that isn't natural. But I think it looks good on her.

I've been thinking of holding some sort of giveaway that isn't themed-style. Something totally out of the ordinary and something you wouldn't expect. Okay, well you might considering what we listen to, but hey, who knows. I might have to talk to Manders about it.

Angela here...

For some reason, we tend to become further and further from our posts. We apologize. We just have a lot to deal with right now!

If you don't remember, we have a puppy named Zeus. Well, technically he's still a puppy since he isn't a year old yet but bigger than a God! But back on the 29th of January, he bolted from the door and ran across the street. I went across to the street to get him while our Mom stayed in the front lawn. I saw a car coming down the street and my heart sank. Zeus ran across the street just as the car starting coming down the street but she had enough time to slow down. But she wasn't paying attention and ended up hitting him. I screamed, ran across the street and fell to my knees. I just saw my puppy get run over (something I can still see vividly in my head) and thought we were going to lose him. But we didn't. He only has road rash and a broken "ankle" on his left paw. He's actually up and hobbling. Eating like a horse, barking at air, and wanting to chase the cats- my puppy is coming back!

The economy is definitely rearing its ugly head- though I'm sure that's true for a lot of people. We're taking it one day at a time, though we tend to worry about tomorrow and the rest of the year. I'm not going to bash Obama, but I have my reserves. But then again, I wanted McCain to win. What can I say- I'm young.

Oh yea, if you want us (as a pair) to review your product and have a giveaway, please e-mail us at twintastic99@yahoo.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

-Angela-

Long time no see!

It's only been... *counts on finger* 10 or 11 days since our last post. Us twins aren't up to too much. However, one of us have decided to pursue her college degree. That would be me, Amanda. I have decided that I will be spending 6 years here at the local community college to get my Bachelors Degree in Psychology then off to University of Texas in Austin for my Masters. Why have I decided to major in Psychology? Well frankly (this is my 3rd time using the word today....), it is because when I was in high school, it was what I wanted to do once I graduated. However, things happened and I couldn't attend college. Now I have the opportunity and I am grabbing that opportunity. So in roughly 10 years, I will be a psychologist. The only problem that I have is that I hope that I don't become my own patient. I'm only joking!

What is the other twin up to? Well, she's sick at the moment. She has a cold. This cold weather always kicks her butt. So while she is sick, she's been listening to the iPod I received this Monday. It's a great little music thingy. I had an iPod shuffle a while back, but it has been lost in the house somewhere. I knew I would lose it! I won't lose this one, however, It's going to bed with me every night in the case it came in. How could I lose that?

Well, that's enough of an update right now. Look out for our next post!!

Ok, we lied.

Remember when we said that our computer had kicked the bucket? Manders neglected to write and say that it was temporarily working. TEMPORARILY being the keyword. In 2 months (maybe 2 1/2 but I'm hopin that it'll only be 2 months) we should have a BRAND NEW computer tower and some super cool accessories. It's like Christmas all over again. We're asking if we can get webcams, this, that, green, purple, silver, chrome, and leather. Ok, maybe not the leather or the silver and chrome. But you get the jest of it.

I do want to share this with you. I shared this with my Texas Banter readers and though I would be nice. While me, Manders, and our mom were coming back from Best Buy (to comparison shop), we were talking that life is like swimming. You have rafts, boats, and lifesavers sometimes. There are times you don’t. I said “I don’t even have my floaties!”. Funny, huh?

As I write this right now, the computer is alive and breathing. Let's hope it stays that way until we can get our freakin' brand new computer tower... complete with hidden ports! Pretty wicked!

Special Languages?

You know, there are literally thousands of languages out there. You have German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, etc. Each of those are special in their own little way. However, have you ever thought that us twins may have a language of our own? Here's some insight on what I have experienced and perhaps teach you a new one!

Food/Drink Talk
The first one cannot be fully explained, but you will get the idea of it. Let's say one of the twins decides to take a drink or take a bite out of something. The other twin asks them a question. The one with the food/drink in her mouth responds. The twin that asked the question would automatically the answer without having to ask the question again. Normally, some people wouldn't understand a word that was said. Sometimes we don't have to use words to understand one another. It just is.

Gibberish
This one is quite easy to do AND understand. A few years ago, my sister and me decided to try out something new. It was of course a new "language." This one can be tricky- so take notes! First, I will start with a regular sentence then reverse it; do a 180° if you will.

Regular Sentence: That boy is hot.

Now, here's where we reverse it:

Reverse: .toh si yob tahT

Voila! You have a simple sentence reversed into gibberish. That's something you won't learn in school. It may not necessarily be used in the real world, but it certainly is used among us twins.

Looks
The last one is pretty simple. If you've been around or have known someone for years and years, you get that thing called ESP. Well, it's almost the same thing. With twins, all you need to do is look at one another and everything is understood. Sometimes we may never fully understand why twins have such a strong bond, but I don't mind. It gives us a chance to be just a little different than other people.

That's it for today's lesson! No homework and enjoy your weekend!!!

Goodbye Computer, We'll Miss You!

Amanda here with some unfortunate news. No, my twin hasn't decided to leave, but our home computer has gone bye-bye. It no longer works. It kicked the bucket. It went up to meet other computers who have passed.

We originally bought the computer in early of 2004. So, it has lasted roughly 5 years. We had our share of problems with it- and before you ask, it was a Gateway. We now know that that particular brand is probably not the best.

We will be unable to get a new one until March. So, 2 1/2 months of no blogging, no writing, and definitely not venting any frustration? I'm going to go insane!! We will miss you guys and TRY to update as much as we can as we are only limited by the computers at the public library. The other bad thing is that you are only allotted an hour on the computer.

So, I don't say goodbye as we are not leaving for good. Instead, we will say SEE YOU LATER TWINTASTIC READERS!!!