Friday, May 30, 2008

On your mark...get set...drive!

New firsts for me!

Yesterday I drove to work BY MYSELF (since I finally decided to make use of my license) and didn't die! So I got brave today and asked if I could run errands for my mom. I took a movie back to a neighbor, went to the library, and stopped at the bank. I'm still alive and it was even during rush hour! My sister, Panda, said that she didn't ever realize that it was me driving. It didn't bother her at all, and she said I made her less nervous than our parents sometimes.

Squee! I'm becoming more brave! Driving actually isn't that bad. I just like to make left turns at lights, and not many other places though. It's sometimes a little scary trying to race the traffic coming at you from both directions. So I choose not to and rely on little Mr. Green Arrow. :D

My boss told me that this summer he's going to teach me how to drive a stick. That's great, except for one little thing-his car is a Miny Cooper. :-O What if I wreck it?!?!?! Ah, well. If he wants to do it, he can pay for it ;).

Monday, May 26, 2008

Recent Events

So, a tally for me to keep track of the natural disasters that have been happening. There are so many lately that I'm having a hard time keeping track.

Tornadoes-
  • California, brought two inches of snow, giant mudslides, and hail the size of golf balls.
  • Iowa, 7 people dead so far, 50 or more injured.
  • Minnesota, 1 person dead so far, 20 or more injured.
  • Wyoming, a mile wide tornado.
  • Colorado, mile and a 1/2 wide tornado traveled for 35 miles (1 dead in Wyoming or Colorado tornados, I can't remember where.)

Fires-

  • California wild fires
  • Florida wild fires

Earthquakes-

  • Colombia, 45 second earthquake, no count as to how many dead, injured, or misplaced as yet.
  • China, earthquake literally flattened Shang Diu (spelling, I dunno). Thousands dead, injured, and missing.

Hurricanes-

  • Mayanmar (Burma), massive hurricane hit a couple of weeks ago. Country officials not allowing aid to enter country.

Now I have to ask, due to all of the tornadoes in the middle states-Does my family really want to go to Nauvoo this summer? I think not.

And to all of my friends who read this blog-I am starting a clothing/hygiene-kit drive this week or next. I have to find out the details of what the Humanitarian Aid Center needs, and I'll post a list as soon as I get one. You can drop stuff off at my house if you'd like to when I get a list up.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Factory

Write a 4 verse poem (with at least four lines in each verse), a 1 page short story, or draw and color a picture illustrating some changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

Samantha stared out at the sky, or where she thought the direction of the sky might be. Dust and smoke clogged the air today, though it was no different than any other day. She coughed and wiped her hand across her mouth to try and rid the taste of dust from her tongue.

“Sam! What are you doing out here? If Foreman catches you, we’re both dead!”

Samantha turned around and faced her twin, who although they looked very much alike was quite the opposite of her.

“I’m coming Elsa. I just wanted to look at the sky,” she said.

“Lunch has been over for almost five minutes. Foreman will be looking for you soon. I told him you were in the bathroom, but he didn’t believe me. Come on,” Elsa replied, dancing nervously from foot to foot.

Dragging her feet, Samantha followed her sister back into the gaping mouth of the factory. It was like being swallowed by a monster, a monster that belched black clouds into the air and swallowed little girls for breakfast. Samantha hated the factory, but she had to work there. Her father had lost his job at the meat factory a few weeks ago due to an injury, and she and Elsa had left school to help make ends meet.

The air was stuffy and filled with little particles of cotton that floated like snow to the ground, making it hard to breath. The machines were whirring again, spinning thread around wooden spools at what seemed to be a hundred miles a minute. Samantha hesitated before entering.

“Go, hurry!” Elsa hissed, already scampering to her spot.

The door opened. Foreman entered the room, surveying the working children with a keen eye. He was looking for anyone who might still be missing.

“Uh, oh.”

Samantha bent her head down and made her way quickly back to her section and began to watch the thread, spinning, spinning, spinning. One spool stopped abruptly and held fast, the gears jammed on a knot. Samantha reached quickly around the machine and yanked on the thread, then jumped backward like a scalded cat. She knew that if a person didn’t get their hand out of the way quickly, they could lose fingers or whole hands. She’d seen a girl on her first day here who had been new like herself. The girl had reached around, yanked the knot out, and then given a terrifying scream of pain. Her hand had been caught in the gears, and the sight of her mangled flesh still gave Samantha nightmares.

I hate it here, thought Samantha as she stood on aching feet, I wish I could go back to school. I wish I could sleep until the sun came up. I wish…

She never finished her thought. A terrified and pained scream burst through her mind. Samantha looked around.

Probably a new one, she though bitterly.

But then she gasped, “Oh, no!”

Elsa had collapsed onto the floor two rows down from her, her arms wrapped around her head.

“Elsa!” Samantha cried, dashing to her sister’s side.

There was no hair left on the right side of Elsa’s head. Blood trickled down the side of Elsa’s face into her screaming mouth, crying for her mother. Foreman hurried over to see what had happened.

“Caught in the string, stupid girl,” he grumbled, “More work for me.”

“You two!” he barked, pointing at two bigger girls, “Get her out of here.”

Samantha pushed them away, “No! Don’t take her anywhere!”

Foreman grabbed her arm and swung her around. His face was inches from hers.

“You need this job, don’t you?” he whispered menacingly.

“Yes, sir, but…”

“You’re going to lose it if you don’t go back to your station right now.”

She gaped at him, mouth open.

“You-you can’t do that,” she whimpered.

Foreman grinned maliciously, “I can. And I will.”

He stood up and began to walk away.

“No! No. I’ll-I’ll stay.”

“Get back to work,” Foreman said.

Samantha stared down at her sister, horrified by her screams. She had to leave her. She had to keep this job.

Samantha took a deep breath.

“Yes, sir.”

She turned her back on Elsa, hoping against hope that she would be all right. The machines went right on spinning, spinning, spinning.

Shake the Gates

You are a French peasant during the French Revolution. Write a poem that you feel would sustain you and your fellow countrymen during these harsh times.


Canst you hear the crying
of the babe in mother’s arms?
Would you see him dying?
Would you wish him harm?

No! resounds the answer
from the fields and from the knells.
Shake the gates, shake the gates,
show the demons hell!

Canst you feel the anger
of the dead ones in the gloom?
Would you see them linger?
Would you wish them doom?

No! resounds the answer
round the trees and round the hedge.
Shake the gates, shake the gates,
they shall be avenged!

Canst you taste the freedom
of the ones who hold the whip?
Only for their kingdom?
Only for their wish?

No! resounds the answer
from the voices of the drums.
Shake the gates, shake the gates,
till the demons run!

Tada!

I am going to feel better today! I'm going to breakfast with some friends in about five minutes, and I haven't been this excited to go with this particular group in a long time. No more worrying about grape vines for a couple of days. Thank goodness for weekends!!!


Thanks to Tiana ba Llama and Q for their advice and love! You guys both rock!





Friday, May 23, 2008

What the *#@$?!?!?!

I know I'm in a bad mood when it's taking all of my self-control to not repeatedly punch out every single swear word I have ever learned. I am in the worst mood of my entire life, because a friend I trusted turned out to be a jerk. Or I think he is.

There. I feel better. But I feel like this right now...


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Just cuz

So, I'm sitting in the math lab at my high school and I'm pretty sick of doing radicals and special right triangle formulas. I decided to write this because I'd rather blog than do any more arithmetic.

It's raining today. I woke up at 2 in the morning since the wind was so amazingly loud. It was pretty neat, until I remembered that my dad and I had left the tent up in the backyard. Luckily for me, he'd already taken it down so I didn't have to attempt it by myself. It started to rain at about 4 in the morning, and it hasn't let up since. I love it a little bit too much, since I suggested that my PE class go play in the rain. We took a Frisbee out, and now my coat is soaked. It sucks because the math lab is freezing! Ah, well. We had fun.

Got two new presents! Tevin and Kirshell, two of my math lab buddies, gave me pwesents! I got a pet rock (Tevin) and a golden ticked (Kirshell, she just watched Willie Wonka [the old one] a couple of days ago. i haven't seen it). Pretty sweet, huh?

G2G, since Mel (teacher) is on her way over. :D

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Three on Two

A short Harry Potter fanfiction. I own none of the characters, I just borrowed them. This story can also be read at www.mugglenetfanfiction.net. I wrote it for a challenge but never really got around to figuring out how to submit to the challenge until it was over. So, here ya go.

Three on Two

Hot, melting rays of sun made the cool shade of the large trees enticing. The emerald green field looked perfect for a leisurely afternoon picnic; care free with nothing to worry about. However, if any Muggles, or non-magic people, had come up the hill to the tree-surrounded paddock, they would have dropped their jaws in amazement.

High in the air above the field, almost level with the tree tops, were four people, all circling and diving like large, colorful birds. Each was trying to catch the small green apples that they were throwing to one another. Three redheaded and freckled, one with black hair and glasses, every one of them were riding, of all things, broomsticks.

“Oi, Ron, Harry!” yelled one of the larger redheaded boys, throwing an apple high in the air.

The boy called Ron watched it for a split second and dove for it, his broom clearly having a hard time diving fast enough to catch up with the dropping apple.

“Come on!” Ron said, flattening himself against the handle.

He caught the apple by the tips of his fingers, looked behind him, and tossed it to Harry, the black haired boy, who sped off to meet George, one of the twins, at the goal post.

“Nice and easy, Harry!” George bantered with a large grin, “Don’t want to hurt yourself!”

Harry snorted and lunged forward at George. Harry then feinted left, looking like he was going to try and go around George, and swooped underneath him. He easily tossed the apple into the goal basket.

“Yes!” he cried, pumping his arm into the air.

“Woo, hoo!” Ron said.

“That’s it, now we play dirty,” Fred, the other twin, said, picking up the apple and streaking off down the field with it.

He laughed as Ron tried to catch up with him. Fred held it out to Ron and then tossed the apple to George. George caught it and threw it back.

It looked like a game of monkey in the middle; Fred and George throwing it back and forth to each other with Ron in between them, trying to stay on his broom and catch the apple at the same time.

“Not working for you, is it, little bro?” Fred jeered, tossing underhanded to George.

“Give it here!” Ron said.

“Watch it there, boys.”

Whoosh! Harry sped upwards, and with the trained prowess of a Seeker, caught the apple deftly and soared off.

“Blimey!” cried the shocked twins.

“Ha!” Ron laughed as the twins broke off, following after Harry.

“Hand it over, Harry, and we won’t have to knock you off your broom,” said George, swerving to the right but missing Harry by inches. Closer and closer came the twins.

They were going to catch him. Harry looked over his shoulder, twisted around, and threw the apple with all his might.

Ron stopped and soared after it, his broom bucking and shuddering.

“How come mine is so stupid?” he complained and reached out his hand as the apple arched downward.

Another figure swooped underneath him and pulled up, grinning. Her eyes were shining with glee as she showed her prize.

“Ginny! Where did you come from? What are you doing here?” Ron cried, turning sharply to look at her.

“Yeah, what do you think you’re doing?” asked one of the twins.

“Mum told me to come and tell you that lunch is ready,” the girl replied, throwing the apple to a grinning Harry.

“Catch it, Harry!” Ginny laughed.

“Thanks, Ginny!” Harry replied, circling the twins once and zooming off.

“Harry, look out! There go Fred and George!” Ron pointed to his brothers, urging their brooms after Harry.

Harry streaked up the field to their make-shift goal post but was cut off as one of the twins flew in front of him.

“Not fast enough, there, Harry,” Fred grinned, lunging for the apple.

“Wanna bet?” Harry laughed and dived for the ground. He stopped hand a few feet above the grass.

“Shouldn’t we go in for lunch? Your mum…”

“Nah, she won’t mind. Besides, you and Ron are still ahead of us,” George said, making a mad swipe at Harry.

“Ron!” Harry yelled to his friend, tossing him the apple.

Ron raced up the field as fast as his broom would go, threw the apple and-

“Score!” he, Ginny, and Harry cried.

Fred groaned and tossed the apple to George. Ginny intercepted it and whizzed around the twins, tossing it to Harry, who put it into the goal easily.

“All right!” Ginny squealed.

“Not fair. Three on two?” George bellowed.

“Aw, stop whining, George,” Ginny giggled.

“Ginny, how about you play on Fred and George’s team? I’ve got a faster broom,” Harry suggested.

“Yeah Gin, they need all the help they can get. Not that it’ll make much difference,” Ron snorted.

Ginny glared at him, then shrugged, “All right,” and turned away. Quick as a wink she snatched the stationary apple from the goal post basket.

“Pass it, Ginny, pass it!” Fred called, reaching out a hand for the apple.

Ginny lobbed the apple to Fred, who caught it. Harry flew up next to Fred, who tossed it to George, who tossed it back to Ginny. Ron intercepted it and flew under her to toss it to Harry.

He missed.

“No! Get it!” Ron cried and dove to the ground, but Ginny got there first. She raced past Fred and George, with Harry right on her tail.

Ginny aimed for the goal, threw with all her might, and scored.

“Yes!” yelled the twins, racing over to give their sister a high five.

“Twins and Gin thirty, Dream Team eighty,” George said.

“For the moment, anyway,” Harry said, tossing up a new apple as high into the air as he could.

Ten minutes later, Ginny had scored five more goals, Harry and Ron, zero. They were tied, and no one was scoring.

“Maybe we should have kept her on our team,” Ron mumbled.

“Come off it. We’re just as good. Now it’s three on two against us, so it’s all right,” Harry said, rushing past him after Ginny.

Ginny soared around the goal post, threw the apple, and was blocked by Harry’s broom.

“Better luck next time, Ginny,” he teased, tossing the apple over her head, which was caught by George.

“Yeah, thanks, Harry,” Ginny laughed, swooping over to George

“Look who needs all the help they can get now?” Fred whooped, looping Ron easily and tossing it through Harry’s outstretched hands.

“Score!” he cried, flying a victory lap around the field.

“Ninety to eighty for Twins and Gin!” said George, smirking at Ron.

“Just wait,” Ron replied, catching the apple Harry tossed to him.

“Whoops,” Fred said as Ron swerved around him and raced up the field.

“Get him, Ginny!” the twins yelled.

“Give it here, Ron,” Ginny laughed, “Let me make the goal for you.”

“Heck no!” Ron retorted, reaching the goal post at last.

“Gotcha!” Ron yelled as the apple landed in the basket.

“Ginny!”

All five players braked in midair.

“Uh, oh,” said Ron.

Up that path marched a very perturbed looking Mrs. Weasley. She stopped at the edge of the field and planted her hands on her hips.

“Ginerva Molly Weasley, I told you to tell the boys that lunch is ready.”

“I know, mum. And I did!” Ginny replied, landing on the ground gracefully and walking to her mother.

“Why didn’t you boys come in?” Mrs. Weasley glowered.

“Well, she didn’t say that you said to come inside right that very second. So, we stayed out for a few minutes,” Fred explained.

“Don’t be cheeky with me! Now, get up to the house before I lock your brooms in the garage for the rest of the summer!” Mrs. Weasley ordered.

Grumbling, the four boys touched down and clambered off of their brooms.

Ron smiled happily at his brothers and sister.

“Ha. Even with three on two, we can still tie up the game.”

Cut

Turmoil. You wouldn’t know it.
I hide it very well. No one can see it,
it’s hiding. How can I not hide it?
The way I feel is something
most don’t understand.

It hurts, the way I feel. As if I’m
a shadow, and no one can see
what’s really there, beyond the surface.
It’s good for it to be that way,
otherwise they’d think I’m some sort of freak.

Thoughts creep into my mind,
thoughts that scare even myself.
I’m not strong enough for this.
I cannot get the pain to leave.
There’s only one way I know for it to leave.

Heavy in my hand, it clicks open
for my use. Sharp and steady, across and down.
Sweet release comes at once.
Ghost white skin, slowly red it turns, thin
slices release my hurt and anguish.

Cool and soothing, out
flows the symbol of what’s inside of
me. It doesn’t hurt at all.
They wouldn’t believe me, but it doesn’t.
Nothing hurts like what’s inside.

Again I drag it, pressing it
hard. I am strong enough now. This
is something I know and understand.
I can feel this pain and think about it.
It’s easier to think of that instead of what’s inside.



This one is a bit creepy. I wrote it at a very hard time in my life.

Karen and the Dentist


Little Karen Schlosser, age six, do not forget,
Was going to the dentist, an affair she would regret.
She begged and pleaded not to go, but in a harsh, stern voice
Her mother said, “Too late, you must, you really have no choice.”

Karen climbed into the car, determined not to cry.
She sat and sat and thought of sun and birds and trees and sky.
She made a picture in her mind of things she’d always loved
Just in case she ne’er returned and entered the world above.

All too soon the car did stop, mother opened up the door.
It was all the girl could do to keep from melting to the floor.
The dentist’s office loomed ahead, and with one last deep breath,
Karen squared her shoulders firmly, o’er the threshold she did step.

“Ah, if it isn’t little Karen,” the receptionist said grinning.
“Take a seat right over there; you can wait while you are sitting.”
Karen shuddered while she sat there, and waited for her doom.
She scarce could keep from screaming when he came into the room.

Ghostly white and peeling, hands gnarled into fists,
Shuffling and creaking, in walked the dentist.
“There you are, so glad you’ve come, I’ve missed you so,” he rasped.
And when he touched her shoulder Karen let escape a gasp.

The room was gloomy, dark, and bare, except for chair and table,
And on the walls grew dark green fuzz that did not look too edible.
“Oh my,” Karen stuttered, looking round the place,
“This will not be easy from my memory to erase.”

The dentist coughed and turned to her, positively leering,
In his hand he held the thing that Karen had been fearing.
Sharp and pointy, deadly prick, the silver tool it glinted,
And as the man advanced on her, Karen went demented!

“Oh, no you don’t!” she yelled aloud, ducking his mad swipe.
She turned and said, “I’ve had enough, it’s time you tried this strife!”
She grabbed the tool from him so fast she was hardly even thinking
And plunged it hard into that grin, the needle quickly sinking.

Working quickly, whistling clearly, kneeling on the floor,
She worked on the sleeping dentist, who now was deep in snore.
Standing up and looking round, she searched for one more thing.
“Ah, ha!” she cried when spotting it; it was bright and sharp and twinkling.

Tug, pop, tug, pop, on and on she worked.
Never stopping, steady working, never did she shirk.
Pop, tug, pop, tug, one by one they came,
Mossy, black and brown and yellow, disgustingly insane.

“Well?” asked her mother as Karen came through the door.
“I’m fine, mom, it was no big deal, so let’s head out and soar!”
Her mother stared at her in wonder, “Where’ve you put my girl?”
“She’s right here, Ma, just right now, so let’s go face that world!!!”

So Karen and her mother left, the former grinning broadly,
While miles away a dentist was now speaking rather oddly,
For when he woke he blinked his eyes, was shocked at what he saw.
He’s not a dentist anymore, since his teeth are long, long gone.



I wrote this poem for English in ninth grade. It's dedicated to my teacher.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

This is the Place

Yesterday was a very good day. My family and I got up early, dressed up in 1800s pioneer clothes, and set out for Zion. Not literally, but we went up to This is the Place State Park where we volunteer in the living history museum. It was the Mountain Man Rendevous, so we were super busy.

In the morning, my sister and I went to see the baby animals in the petting zoo. They were alive and frisky after just waking up. There are about eight or nine lambs, I think. Their names are: Montgomery, Charity, Hope, Ty, Lily, Dash, Chance, and then two others that I can't remember. There are three kids as well (baby goats) and they're named Sally, Gizmo, and Oakley. Sally and Oakley are my favorites, with Sally being the biggest and Oakley the smallest and youngest of the group. Sally is super affectionate, and she fell asleep in my lap while I was petting her. Oakley is fearless and curious. She was the only one brave enough to cross the bridge over the stream in the corral; the others all just stood there and looked at it. Sally finally did it. She's more of a follower, but she's sweet.

Later in the day, my "Pa" and sisters and I went down to look at the Mountain Man Rendevous site. We shot bow and arrows (I got a 60 lb. pull bow, and I hit the bulls-eye!), churned butter, made arrowheads, and, the best part: I got to learn how to throw tomohawks!!! It was so awesome! My littlest sister beat me in the competition, so now I have to iron her dress next week (if she remembers ;) but it was really cool. I loved it, because I could actually do it!

In late morning, my parents and my friend, Shandy (she's the employee who works in the house where we are at) left for lunch. We hadn't been busy all day, with three or four people at a time coming to tour the house and see how to weave rugs. Then, as soon as they were out of sight...there were over 75 people who wanted to tour and weave and make tipis!!! For a whole hour, I was teaching kids (and parents) how to make the tipis stand up with sticks and tape (not authentic, but that's what we did) and my sister was showing them how to weave. I also gave a whole bunch of tours, which was really embarrassing because I didn't know much about the house or the people who lived in it. But, we got through it. Just as my parents and Shandy came back, lo and behold, everyone was leaving. I say that that just isn't fair. My mother has great timing.

All in all, I enjoyed it very much. I got to help people and see how happy little kids were when they put their tipis on their heads and scrambled down the lane. The only minus in the day was that by the time I had gotten home, my face was as red as my petticoat. Since I couldn't see when wearing my bonnet (it's like being a horse with blinders on, or sticking your head out of a mailbox) I hadn't worn it while helping people. Unbeknownst to me, I had slowly been recieving a heck of a sunburn.

Thank goodness for aloe vera.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Sluffer

So, I pretty much sluffed school today. I went to Seminary (again) and then I just decided I was too tired to go to any more classes. I went home and fell asleep at about 9:30, and I didn't wake up until 1:00. :-o Wow, right? I MUST have been tired.

On Monday I have to do two hours of PE to make up for today, but it's all good. I feel really rested now. Or at least I should.

I am a sluffer now. Yay.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Eye Wash

I was the first person at work to ever use the eye wash station today. My friends Sam* and DJ were playing around with the window cleaner, and I got hit in the friendly fire. Under the water I go! My nose got very cold.

Then I bumped my head on a desk and the broom fell on my nose. Then I smashed my finger in the door. Then I tripped down the stairs and jammed my back. Then I got my foot caught between the vacuum and the wall.

Geez.

Black on White

Wouldn't it be easy
if the world was black on white?
Life so starkly painted,
drastic dark and light.

Wouldn't it be easy
to make any single choice?
All points clearly marked,
no confusing voice.

But it really isn't easy,
the world is shades of grey.
You have to pay attention
to what goes on each day.

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!

Bother

In Seminary today, we talked about the book of Joel, which tells about the events that will happen prior to the Second Coming. It made me start to wonder and think about things that bother me about the world today. One of the things that troubles me the most is that people don't seem to care about the effect that their actions have on themselves and others. It's like there are no consequences. There are a lot of kids who attend my school (E.S.H.) that are there for second chances, but it's like they don't even care. You can only start over in life without getting into trouble for it so many times. There always punishments that should come from not obeying the laws or just being a nice person. I just didn't realize until class today that I really am bothered by the way people act like the things they do are no big deal.

There's my vent for today. I wasn't angry when I wrote this, though. So maybe it's not a vent. I am not really sure. ?