I was trying to upgrade iTunes yet again today by downloading it and Quicktime separately (as a friend of mine on a forum suggested). That didn't work, btw. But anyway, when I went to try to get the old version back that I'd had, I went initially to iTunes's Wikipedia article, and from there made my way to an article on iTunes version history and an article on the iPod touch. Turns out they released a new iPod touch later last year than when I bought mine, and it appears that that model as well as the new one (the one they just released) are the ones for which iTunes 9 and up are the "minimum" device-compatible software. The "minimum" device-compatible software for my iPod, a 2nd generation iPod touch, is iTunes 8. This might explain why I have had problems upgrading iTunes ever since version 9 came out. It did seem odd that it would seem to install fine on my computer but then not open. Yet, it wouldn't open even if my iPod wasn't plugged into my computer, so then again maybe the iPod's not the issue. Hard to say. I'd have the Apple people at the store look at it, but as I have a PC I don't know what exactly they could do about it.
Lately, I have been playing Pokémon Platinum so I can have options for the Pokémon tournament at Animé Los Angeles, the convention I'm going to next January, if all goes well. (I still have to make the hotel reservation, among other things -- things have been going slowly due to being busy with school and also due to money being tight with my TuitionPay payments). I got past the part with Giratina and the Distortion World finally. I got totally stuck in the Distortion World puzzle and had to watch Marriland's walkthrough video to figure out what to do. The first time I fought Giratina, I almost could've caught it, but since I had poisoned it with Toxic, it fainted from the poison when it was at super low HP and I wasn't able to catch it. I reset the game from my save point (before the fight), and not really wanting to fight Giratina again (or maybe because I was a scaredy-cat), I just used my Master Ball on it.
Oh and if you are stuck getting to Spear Pillar (the place you get to the Distortion World from), check out this walkthrough on GameFAQs. It not only got me where I needed to go, but even helped me find a bunch of hidden items using the Dowsing Machine app on the Pokétch!
After this, you go talk to Rowan and he tells you that the three lake Pokémon have returned and also encourages you to get the eighth badge in Sunyshore City. I decided to go after the lake Pokémon first, and since I was in Sandgem Town, I decided to go for Mesprit first since it was closest. It, of course, flies away when you first encounter it (though a picture of it is shown, which I guess makes it be "seen" in your Pokédex). Then Rowan shows up and talks to you about Mesprit and about how dang good of a trainer you are and all this stuff and then leaves. Then I flew to Veilstone and made my way to Lake Valor and Azelf. Azelf was quite fast and kept taking down my Pokémon with Uproar. I managed to somehow stay in the battle and eventually I got lucky with a Dusk Ball and caught it, after I'd used up all my Timer Balls and I think most of my Ultra Balls. Then I flew to Snowpoint and made my way to Lake Acuity and Uxie. I lost on the first try because, once again, Uxie got poisoned (either from me using Toxic or my Roserade's Poison Point ability, I can't remember) and fainted before I could catch it. I reset, went back to Snowpoint to buy more Pokéballs (since I'd used several against Uxie) and tried again, eventually getting lucky again with a Dusk Ball.
Then I started doing a ton of backtracking on foot to try to chase around Mesprit. The tough thing is that they made it so you can't just fly to its location, and it changes routes whenever you change routes, which makes it tough to track even with the Marking Map app on the Pokétch. I did actually encounter it twice so far, and the first time I stupidly tried using a Quick Ball, which didn't work. Then the second time I actually did a tiny bit of damage to it before it fled.
Finally I gave up tracking Mesprit for the time being and headed to Sunyshore City. I'm there now. I haven't fought the gym yet. My team is:
Pen-Pen (Empoleon) level 52
Sleipnir (Rapidash) level 51
Fleur (Roserade) level 50
Alisa (Staraptor) level 51
Ampere (Luxray) level 51
Rocky (Geodude) level 7
I have a level 7 Geodude with me, btw, as a sort of "HM slave" (a Pokémon you only use to learn HMs).
My main concern is that I have nothing that is going to be super-effective against Volkner as I did not raise a Ground-type this time like I did in Pearl. Plus two of my Pokémon, Ampere and Alisa, won't work against him all too well, as Ampere is itself electric-type and Alisa, as a part flying-type, is extremely weak to electric. Actually Pen-Pen is weak to electric too, as it is part water-type. Oh dear what to do?
Last week when I was waiting to get picked up from work and was still stuck trying to get to Spear Pillar, I actually lucked out and encountered an Absol on the summit of Mt. Coronet. I tried to catch it but I think it fainted before I could catch it. I was pretty bummed about that.
I have decided to make some changes in my wardrobe. I need to buy new jeans anyway, as one pair I have is too big and the other (the pair I prefer to wear) is getting major holes in it, so I decided tonight to go through my dresser and closet to see what I have and determine what I don't have. Meanwhile, I am doing the huge amount of laundry I had to do. Once the laundry's done and put away, I'll have a better idea of what I have and what I need. So far, I've determined that I need new bras, new jeans, and maybe a new dress or two (since I only own two dresses, and I'm not sure they both fit me...I know one of them doesn't). I also need white socks since I don't have a lot of those -- though I have several pairs of black socks, which is probably because I need them for work. I have several good pairs of underwear, so that's good. They mostly just need to be laundered. I do need a slip though (the one I had didn't fit), maybe some pantyhose too. I need shorts because I only have one pair that fits, and some skirts for sure (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find good skirts in my size...I found a great one a while back, only to be informed by my mother that it was not a skirt but a dress, like a strapless one, you see. Awkward!).
I'm thinking right now how in her diary, Anne Frank writes this one entry listing all the clothes and such that she'd buy if she and her family escaped to Switzerland. Most of it's things like stockings and stuff, but also separate pairs of shoes for summer and for winter (odd).
I do like the clothes Emily Henderson, the winner of HGTV Design Star this season, wore on the show, like this housedress she wore for the finale and this outfit. I'm following her blog now, and I believe she says on there that she wears those things because that's her style. I don't know what my style is exactly, though I know it's not modern and definitely not couture; I usually just throw on jeans and a T-shirt if I'm not at work or going to and from work. Stacy and Clinton (from TLC's What Not to Wear) would not approve. (Gah, I hope I never get nominated for that show. Stacy and Clinton would chew me out, I'd hate the shopping because I don't like shopping for clothes -- just persuading myself to go through my dresser and try things on took some time -- and I'd be really awkward with Nick Arrojo and Carmindy, because Nick would want to bob my hair -- he ALWAYS cuts people's hair short -- and I'd have to embarrassingly explain to Carmindy that I haven't worn makeup consistently since I was like 14). I guess I'm kinda bohemian, whatever that means. I'm certainly traditional, and if I could I would wear skirts and dresses more often -- it's just that I don't own any skirts or any casual dresses. Plus having to wear pantyhose whenever I wear a skirt or a dress (so that my legs don't rub together) is really aggravating.
Emily's proposed design show idea was to take what people wear and transport that into the design of their space. It would be cool if she could do that for me. I watched her do her "Style Diagnostic" on the special post-Design Star special featuring her (called Secrets from a Stylist and meant to be a taste of her show; the show of that name has now been picked up for 26 episodes -- congrats Emily!) with her friend the co-creator of Glee and it looked pretty cool.
I think my living space would be some mix of traditional, bohemian, and eco-friendly. I would probably have wood furniture, maybe some vintage or international pieces, and soft, green fabrics. I'd have energy-efficient appliances (including maybe one of those cool loft-style refrigerators they have on Income Property all the time) and maybe some poufs someplace because poufs are bohemian and they are also just plain awesome. That and/or those Moroccan drum tables I keep seeing in HGTV spaces or in catalogs (like Pottery Barn) that look so cool. I would paint with low or no-VOC paint mainly because of my allergy/asthma issues (aside from the fact it's eco-friendly also); I have noticed in the past that I am somewhat bothered by paint fumes. I would like a cool bed, maybe even an Asian-style platform bed, low to the ground. And storage would be a must.
I've decided that I would want either Emily or maybe Candice Olsen (of HGTV's Divine Design and also the one judge I like on Design Star) to design my space if I could, and if I was doing an income property, I would want Scott McGillvray (of HGTV's Income Property) to help me.
Well it's late so I'm going to sign off as I have to be at work early tomorrow/today. Bye!
