For the first time in a very long, long, long time, I have been able to sit down and read without interruption and without guilt. Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to escape from my own world into someone else's? It's even nicer when the threat of late homework assignments is absent.
So, from now on this summer I will write out a list at the end of each month of the books that I read, starting today. The lists will be called "Reading Worlds" because that's sort of how I look at entering a book. It will be short this month, because I've only been able to read for about three days, but it still counts. Here goes:
1. The Well of Ascension, Brandon Sanderson
I really enjoyed this. The second installment of the Mistborn trilogy, I can't wait to read the third one. Which is on hold at the library right as I type. *squee*
2. Beastly, Alex Flinn
My favorite thing about this book was watching the main character go from boy to beast to man, not only in shape but in maturity. I also loved all of the imagery with the roses.
3. Anahita's Woven Riddle, Meghan Nuttal Sayres
I was intrigued to read this because of the beautiful cover (not the one seen on the Goodreads website). I picked it up to see what magic was contained inside its pages and I wasn't disappointed. Anahita is a strong young girl, and I rooted for her the whole time.
4. Daughter of War, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Why have I never heard of this before? Daughter of War is based on true accounts of individuals living through the Armenian genocide in Turkey during WWI. I was angered to read this and have it be my first exposure to the events. I have never heard of it before in a history class, and clearly I should have. I was not, however, angered because of the quality of the book. It was well written, with endearing characters and shone a true light on the atrocities of human hatred without being overly graphic.
5. The Dream-Maker's Magic, Sharon Shinn
It wasn't until after I read this book that I learned it is part of a series. You couldn't tell-it completely stands on its own. Good read, lovely characters, and full of happiness (at the end, at least).
6. Princess Ben, Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Great until the end. I thought it happened too fast and didn't fit well with the rest of the book. I would have liked to see more development before the climax and denoument. The beginning and middle were awesome, and then it just sort of died. *sigh* Still, I liked it.
7. Schooled, Gordan Korman
I'm not a hippie kid, but I sympathize with Cap. I've been homeschooled at least part time for my entire life, and I'm rather naive when it comes to the world around me (if you hadn't noticed). Excellent read-can't wait to get a hold of it again.
There you have it, folks. My first list of Reading Worlds. I read more in three days than I did in almost the entire second semester of the school year. Pathetic (I am justified-homework takes priority [sadly]). Next month's list should be longer (I hope). Tonight I start The Last Battle of the Icemark, but I won't count that until the end of June. Also, when I read books that I don't like, they'll be placed before the ones I liked in a seperate list. To be honest though, I haven't read a book I didn't like in a very long time.
I love reading worlds. I really do. Ta!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
one giant knot...
I am so sore. Standing up for six hours is not good for you. At least not for me. Yeah, I'm at work with nothing to do (for the moment). The last rush just passed on, and I'm taking a wee break to write from work for the first time.
I'm also stressed out, which is weird because I have nothing to stress over. I mean, school's out for Pete's sake. My job doesn't give me any problems. What is the deal?
Yesterday fell through again. I knew that it was Tony on the phone because the first thing he said to me was in the general idea of "My friends suck." No big deal to me-just means more time to look forward for my time with him. He could keep on putting it off and I'd be happy. I mean, I'd know for sure that I'm guaranteed at least one day with him. :)
I am so sick of looking at clothes. I'm not the only one; Michelle, Alexa, and Savanne feel the same way. We cannot WAIT for this Buy One, Get One sale on all old uniforms to be over. It will be so nice to not have to look at and fold those over and over again.
Bye.
I'm also stressed out, which is weird because I have nothing to stress over. I mean, school's out for Pete's sake. My job doesn't give me any problems. What is the deal?
Yesterday fell through again. I knew that it was Tony on the phone because the first thing he said to me was in the general idea of "My friends suck." No big deal to me-just means more time to look forward for my time with him. He could keep on putting it off and I'd be happy. I mean, I'd know for sure that I'm guaranteed at least one day with him. :)
I am so sick of looking at clothes. I'm not the only one; Michelle, Alexa, and Savanne feel the same way. We cannot WAIT for this Buy One, Get One sale on all old uniforms to be over. It will be so nice to not have to look at and fold those over and over again.
Bye.
Friday, May 29, 2009
30 minutes...
Well, today is the day. I am so excited. The house is clean (mostly :)), my hair is wet, my clothes are pressed, and all I need to do is lay out the rugs and find my shoes. Pray that they don't fall off this time. :D
I watched another great BBC series last night. It's called North and South. I can't remember the names of the people who are in it, but it was really, really good. I didn't even see the first episode and I still liked it a lot. Maybe later tonight I can watch the beginning to see what I missed. Hm...
The only problem with watching things like BBC and A&E is that I start to talk with an accent. It's probably horrible. Fun, though.
27 minutes! I'm going to go finish up-I'll write later. :D :D :D
I watched another great BBC series last night. It's called North and South. I can't remember the names of the people who are in it, but it was really, really good. I didn't even see the first episode and I still liked it a lot. Maybe later tonight I can watch the beginning to see what I missed. Hm...
The only problem with watching things like BBC and A&E is that I start to talk with an accent. It's probably horrible. Fun, though.
27 minutes! I'm going to go finish up-I'll write later. :D :D :D
Thursday, May 28, 2009
devastated...
I hit a bird while I was driving today. It was a robin. A bright, happy little thing without a worry. Gone. All gone.
graduation...
Hooray for the Class of 2009! They all made it out alive!
Ew. Horrible and unintentional rhyme. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I went to graduation (mom came with me so that I wouldn't have to sit alone-thanks!), and I have decided that I am decidedly against such unnecessary ceremony. For me, at least. I don't mind going to watch the big shebang for all of my friends; I'm glad they get to be recognized for their achievements. I am, however, absolutely terrified of this time next year. I'll probably do something stupid, like trip or my lip will get stuck to my teeth when I'm trying to smile or my hat will fall off. Ugh. Personally I'd like to just bring my family into the administration office and have them hand me my diploma there. No fuss, no nonsense, no chance to completely embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people. Why all the torture just for a piece of paper that my parents will probably hang up on some wall? *sigh*
So, yes, it was a big shebang. I saw a lot of my friends-Clark, Taylor(s), Abbey, Amy, Chelsea(s), Marissa(s), Josh, Jordan, Matt, Flint, to name a few (geez, I know way more guys than girls. never noticed that before-weird) The biggest reason I went, however, was Tony. He mentioned in passing a couple of weeks ago that it would be cool if I came to his graduation, so I did. After all, what are friends for? It was worth it to see him go from storm cloud when he entered to sunshine when he exited. You know, he's become one of my best friends. He won't agree, but I think of him as one. I am SO glad that I switched from B3 Multimedia to B4 Multimedia and decided to sign up for AP Enviro.
After the ceremony (long, flowery, but not too bad) I went outside to find friends and congratulate them. I saw a lot of the kids I mentioned before, and they were all happy and most of them on cell phones. Tony was the hardest to find; he was getting his picture taken with his parents when I finally saw him (after nearly 20 minutes of looking), and making funny faces at the camera. After I gave him a hug (I forgot how tall he was; my forehead came to the middle of his chest. my Preference heels must have been higher than I thought they were) he asked me what I'm doing tomorrow (was doing? am doing? ???). Nothing until three, so we're going out. Yes! I'm excited. It'll be super fun. He was so funny when I said congratulations. "It's not a big deal; it's just graduation." I'm proud of him anyway.
Let's see, did anything else happen? Oh, yes. A kid stuck gum on the back of my shirt. Turd. My shoe fell off while crossing the street. The pavement was very hot. And a stick got caught in my hair. I had serious wardrobe problems today. But did you notice that none of them were my fault? ;)
I use parentheses a lot. I just noticed that. They're so frequent that they're almost unnecessary. Oh, well.
10:30 am tomorrow begins my term as a Senior in high school. I couldn't figure out how that works until one of the school counselors explained it. On the books, I am officially a Senior in high school when the last bell of the school year rings. The old Seniors become alumni at the same time. So, not only did Tony and I spend my first and his last day as 17-year-olds together (Preference in January), but we'll be spending part of his last day and part of my first day as Seniors together. Odd, isn't it?
Ta!
Ew. Horrible and unintentional rhyme. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I went to graduation (mom came with me so that I wouldn't have to sit alone-thanks!), and I have decided that I am decidedly against such unnecessary ceremony. For me, at least. I don't mind going to watch the big shebang for all of my friends; I'm glad they get to be recognized for their achievements. I am, however, absolutely terrified of this time next year. I'll probably do something stupid, like trip or my lip will get stuck to my teeth when I'm trying to smile or my hat will fall off. Ugh. Personally I'd like to just bring my family into the administration office and have them hand me my diploma there. No fuss, no nonsense, no chance to completely embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people. Why all the torture just for a piece of paper that my parents will probably hang up on some wall? *sigh*
So, yes, it was a big shebang. I saw a lot of my friends-Clark, Taylor(s), Abbey, Amy, Chelsea(s), Marissa(s), Josh, Jordan, Matt, Flint, to name a few (geez, I know way more guys than girls. never noticed that before-weird) The biggest reason I went, however, was Tony. He mentioned in passing a couple of weeks ago that it would be cool if I came to his graduation, so I did. After all, what are friends for? It was worth it to see him go from storm cloud when he entered to sunshine when he exited. You know, he's become one of my best friends. He won't agree, but I think of him as one. I am SO glad that I switched from B3 Multimedia to B4 Multimedia and decided to sign up for AP Enviro.
After the ceremony (long, flowery, but not too bad) I went outside to find friends and congratulate them. I saw a lot of the kids I mentioned before, and they were all happy and most of them on cell phones. Tony was the hardest to find; he was getting his picture taken with his parents when I finally saw him (after nearly 20 minutes of looking), and making funny faces at the camera. After I gave him a hug (I forgot how tall he was; my forehead came to the middle of his chest. my Preference heels must have been higher than I thought they were) he asked me what I'm doing tomorrow (was doing? am doing? ???). Nothing until three, so we're going out. Yes! I'm excited. It'll be super fun. He was so funny when I said congratulations. "It's not a big deal; it's just graduation." I'm proud of him anyway.
Let's see, did anything else happen? Oh, yes. A kid stuck gum on the back of my shirt. Turd. My shoe fell off while crossing the street. The pavement was very hot. And a stick got caught in my hair. I had serious wardrobe problems today. But did you notice that none of them were my fault? ;)
I use parentheses a lot. I just noticed that. They're so frequent that they're almost unnecessary. Oh, well.
10:30 am tomorrow begins my term as a Senior in high school. I couldn't figure out how that works until one of the school counselors explained it. On the books, I am officially a Senior in high school when the last bell of the school year rings. The old Seniors become alumni at the same time. So, not only did Tony and I spend my first and his last day as 17-year-olds together (Preference in January), but we'll be spending part of his last day and part of my first day as Seniors together. Odd, isn't it?
Ta!
firsts...
I've had/will have a lot of firsts this week. I thought I'd make a note of them.
First first: Being the oldest at a party (they were all sophomores, and I was the only junior).
Second first: Driving home on the freeway in the dark.
Third first: Being totally freaked out by an angry customer at work (more on that later).
Fourth first: Going to Yearbook Day at the high school. I didn't do that last year.
Fifth first: I'm going to my friend's graduation ceremony today, because he asked me to. I've never been to a graduation before.
Sixth first: I stapled my finger at work (on accident, and it's not bad-just the tip).
Seventh first: I watched Take the Lead (edited version I believe).
Eighth first: Seniors wrote novels in my yearbook.
Ninth first: I didn't finish my last Ceramics project. Not my fault; the kiln broke. Still, I've never not finished one before.
Tenth first: I'm skipping the last three days of school. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. :)
Can't think of anything else. If I do, I'll let you know. ;)
First first: Being the oldest at a party (they were all sophomores, and I was the only junior).
Second first: Driving home on the freeway in the dark.
Third first: Being totally freaked out by an angry customer at work (more on that later).
Fourth first: Going to Yearbook Day at the high school. I didn't do that last year.
Fifth first: I'm going to my friend's graduation ceremony today, because he asked me to. I've never been to a graduation before.
Sixth first: I stapled my finger at work (on accident, and it's not bad-just the tip).
Seventh first: I watched Take the Lead (edited version I believe).
Eighth first: Seniors wrote novels in my yearbook.
Ninth first: I didn't finish my last Ceramics project. Not my fault; the kiln broke. Still, I've never not finished one before.
Tenth first: I'm skipping the last three days of school. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. :)
Can't think of anything else. If I do, I'll let you know. ;)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
meme...
I was tagged by distracted by shiny objects over at Tidings of Magpies. Here's the rules:
respond and rework
answer questions on your blog
replace one question
tag eight other people.
1: What is your current obsession?
Current obsession, eh? Isn’t that a bit personal? What the heck, we have no secrets here. I suppose my current obsessions are: PB and J sandwiches, Pirates of the Caribbean (my father will agree with me-he’s gotten near to banning any mention of it at all), and looking through all of my past yearbooks.
2: Which item of clothing do you wear most?
Um-underwear? Lol, sorry. Probably my Scout uniform. Since it’s what I wear to work, the button-up shirt and green trousers are what I can be found in a lot.
3: What's for dinner?
I really can’t cook. And since it’s the last week of school, and we’ve got rehearsal tonight, and I’m going to a party-probably Wal-Mart sandwiches or more PB and J (two of my favorites).
4: Last thing you bought?
Gasoline for my car. And it wasn’t my money, which is always so nice.
5: What are you listening to?
I’m listening to the laptop make noises. The whirring of a well-oiled machine. I dunno.
6: If you were a God or Goddess, who would you be?
Me, but taller, skinnier, and pretty.
7: Favourite holiday spots?
I love, love, love Arches National Park, Moab, and the Indian ruins near Dead Horse Point. I love going to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork and the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake City at Christmas time. I love Disneyland and New Port Beach. I love going to St. George to see plays at Tuachan and visiting Zion’s National Park. I love Cedar City and the Shakespeare Festival. I love Nauvoo, Illinois and the temple there. I love, love, love, LOVE my grandparents home near Flaming Gorge.
Favourite places in the world? Take your pick. It’s funny how most of them are in my own state.
8: Reading right now?
Just finished the Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, which was amazing. I’m now reading The Last Battle of the Icemark by someone who’s name I can’t remember.
9: Okay...what were you thinking about just then?
Who wrote The Last Battle of the Icemark. I still am thinking about that.
10: Who's your hero/heroine?
Hm…again there are a lot. Right now, I’d have to say Clara Barton. She was absolutely amazing, and she’s always been on my top ten list of people. I’ve loved her since I was eight years old, when I found a book that had been placed on the discard shelf at the library. First book I purchased by myself, for fifty cents. It has definitely seen a lot of love.
11: First spring thing?
Going outside to look at the lilacs. Ever since the summer I missed them (11 or 12 years old), I make it a point to go out to my backyard to see them.
12: Funniest thing you saw in your life?
That is so hard, but the one I keep thinking of happened last week when Tony got up behind Mr. Brown in class and starting imitating him. Mr. Brown put up with it for awhile, but finally threw his keys around behind his back at Tony. It was seriously one of the funniest things ever, to see Tony bust up laughing, the whole class fall apart, and Mr. Brown just stand there grinning like “Haha, I totally got you.”
13: Favourite film?
Wives and Daughters, The Mayor of Casterbridge, While You Were Sleeping, Amazing Grace, Prince Caspian, Surf’s Up…oh. It just said to list one. Well, there are way more than the six you see here. :)
14: Share some wisdom?
What is right is not always popular, but what is popular is not always right. ~Unknown
That quote was on the wall of a sewing teacher’s classroom at Payson High School when I was at a cast meeting for Singin’ in the Rain. I was ten, but I’ve never forgotten it.
15: If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?
A willow. They can hide their faces from the world and sit in silence with their thoughts uninterrupted.
16: Fictitious characters who made a lasting impression on you?
I don’t know. For reals, I don’t. I guess I could say Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities.
17: 4 words to describe you?
A work in progress.
Tag! ramblins, Chelsea, Woman in a Window, Summermoon, Maya, Kate, cuileann, and spider.
respond and rework
answer questions on your blog
replace one question
tag eight other people.
1: What is your current obsession?
Current obsession, eh? Isn’t that a bit personal? What the heck, we have no secrets here. I suppose my current obsessions are: PB and J sandwiches, Pirates of the Caribbean (my father will agree with me-he’s gotten near to banning any mention of it at all), and looking through all of my past yearbooks.
2: Which item of clothing do you wear most?
Um-underwear? Lol, sorry. Probably my Scout uniform. Since it’s what I wear to work, the button-up shirt and green trousers are what I can be found in a lot.
3: What's for dinner?
I really can’t cook. And since it’s the last week of school, and we’ve got rehearsal tonight, and I’m going to a party-probably Wal-Mart sandwiches or more PB and J (two of my favorites).
4: Last thing you bought?
Gasoline for my car. And it wasn’t my money, which is always so nice.
5: What are you listening to?
I’m listening to the laptop make noises. The whirring of a well-oiled machine. I dunno.
6: If you were a God or Goddess, who would you be?
Me, but taller, skinnier, and pretty.
7: Favourite holiday spots?
I love, love, love Arches National Park, Moab, and the Indian ruins near Dead Horse Point. I love going to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork and the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake City at Christmas time. I love Disneyland and New Port Beach. I love going to St. George to see plays at Tuachan and visiting Zion’s National Park. I love Cedar City and the Shakespeare Festival. I love Nauvoo, Illinois and the temple there. I love, love, love, LOVE my grandparents home near Flaming Gorge.
Favourite places in the world? Take your pick. It’s funny how most of them are in my own state.
8: Reading right now?
Just finished the Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, which was amazing. I’m now reading The Last Battle of the Icemark by someone who’s name I can’t remember.
9: Okay...what were you thinking about just then?
Who wrote The Last Battle of the Icemark. I still am thinking about that.
10: Who's your hero/heroine?
Hm…again there are a lot. Right now, I’d have to say Clara Barton. She was absolutely amazing, and she’s always been on my top ten list of people. I’ve loved her since I was eight years old, when I found a book that had been placed on the discard shelf at the library. First book I purchased by myself, for fifty cents. It has definitely seen a lot of love.
11: First spring thing?
Going outside to look at the lilacs. Ever since the summer I missed them (11 or 12 years old), I make it a point to go out to my backyard to see them.
12: Funniest thing you saw in your life?
That is so hard, but the one I keep thinking of happened last week when Tony got up behind Mr. Brown in class and starting imitating him. Mr. Brown put up with it for awhile, but finally threw his keys around behind his back at Tony. It was seriously one of the funniest things ever, to see Tony bust up laughing, the whole class fall apart, and Mr. Brown just stand there grinning like “Haha, I totally got you.”
13: Favourite film?
Wives and Daughters, The Mayor of Casterbridge, While You Were Sleeping, Amazing Grace, Prince Caspian, Surf’s Up…oh. It just said to list one. Well, there are way more than the six you see here. :)
14: Share some wisdom?
What is right is not always popular, but what is popular is not always right. ~Unknown
That quote was on the wall of a sewing teacher’s classroom at Payson High School when I was at a cast meeting for Singin’ in the Rain. I was ten, but I’ve never forgotten it.
15: If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?
A willow. They can hide their faces from the world and sit in silence with their thoughts uninterrupted.
16: Fictitious characters who made a lasting impression on you?
I don’t know. For reals, I don’t. I guess I could say Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities.
17: 4 words to describe you?
A work in progress.
Tag! ramblins, Chelsea, Woman in a Window, Summermoon, Maya, Kate, cuileann, and spider.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
bump on the head...
I did it again. I was playing around in my room with my imaginary friends (yes, I do that often) and misjudged the distance from where I was standing to the corner of my bed. The bed corner did not like being jumped on from that awkward angle, so it spit me out. I landed in an untidy heap head-first on my bedroom floor with an ache behind my right ear. You'd think I'd learn. I will now share with you the first time this happened, several years ago.
Eighth grade had just started. I felt like a complete nobody, a useless husk, a waste of space, whatever you want to call it. Black was my color of choice-long sleeved turtle necks, black jeans, black lace-up ankle boots, black socks, and a black zip up jacket. The only other color was the red stripes that ran the length of the jacket sleeves. I kept my head down, my hair in a braid down my back. I didn't speak. I didn't make eye contact. I did my school work; I just didn't participate in discussions. So silent and such a shadow I was that people in my classes thought I was someone else, until the day that I could no longer remember who they were.
Yes, I was once again engaged in playing with my imaginary friends, namely various characters from the Star Wars series. Not just the movies, mind you. The books-Expanded Universe novels, pre-Clone Wars, et cetera. I was a completely different person-Shae Solo, youngest daughter of Han and Leia Solo, set out to rescue my nephew, Ben Skywalker, from the Yuuzhan Vong. Well, I misjudged my landing on the escaping Vong speeder and shot off backwards, landing hard on my head.
In all reality, I was making the same jump towards the corner of the bed that I did today. The bed didn't like it that time either; it spit me out. I ended up with severe tunnel vision and ringing ears. It got to the point where I realized that I'd severely injured myself. My mom took me to the ER and I was told that I had a major concussion. As I lay in the bed, the world blurred and so did my memory. I could not remember faces, names, anything. I asked for people in my classes, but I didn't know who they were. I barely remember what happened that night. I remember that they sent me home, but I was brought back after throwing up several times. I remember the IV that was put into my arm, being terribly cold, and not being able to see. That's about all.
Four or five days later I went back to school. This was the time when people actually noticed I was in their class still, but I didn't remember most of them. I remembered small details about them, but no names. We spent a lovely time in first period reintroducing everyone, with me remembering some better than others.
Luckily I had no problems with that today. It is rather embarrassing to recount that adventure, only to have it happen again. Stupid Lord Beckett. No, not the Lord Beckett of the already released Pirates stories; his son, Lord Beckett, Jr. If only he weren't so jealous.
I'll leave you to figure out what the devil I'm going on about whilst I tell you of Saturday, May 16-otherwise known as The Last Day of the AP Environmental Science Field Trip.
As I think I mentioned before, the night spent at Dead Horse Point Campground was freezing cold. I again woke up to see the moon shining brilliantly through the tent window, but instead of being too lazy to get up and take a picture I was too frozen. I found it totally brainless of me that I'd packed a stocking cap that didn't come down around my ears; what is the point of that? I spent the night as a popsicle, teeth chattering so loudly I was afraid that I'd awake Meri. She was dead to the world, though, so I was lucky.
5:35 came around (not that I knew that until later) and I finally gave up trying to sleep anymore. I went up to the small bathroom and let out a wail of frustration that brought Mr. Clark running. "What?" he asked, "is there a scorpion?" "No!" I replied, "This bathroom was obviously designed by a man because THERE IS NO MIRROR!!!"
Yes. I was upset because how was I supposed to get ready for the day with no mirror? I was more upset when Mr. Clark laughed and walked away. I was even more upset when I realized that I didn't need a mirror because my hair was still nicely placed in French braids. So, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tried to remain dignified as I walked past my teacher to my tent.
Never pack fresh bagels for breakfast on a camping trip. Make sure they're properly packaged in plastic sacks. Otherwise Mr. Brown can use them as hockey pucks with holes in them to throw at sleeping students. It was rather fun to watch, even though it was sad that we couldn't eat them. Yogurt, Pop Tarts, Instant Oatmeal, and hot chocolate were good enough for breakfast. Lunches were the same as yesterday, only this time I smuggled a Yogurt for good measure. What? I can't eat apples, okay? They hurt my teeth. Had to figure out some other way to get a little bit of fruit. So Yogurt hardly makes the cut, but it's better than nothing.
Meri and I didn't need help getting the tent down this time. We asked Mr. Brown for help at first, but then changed our minds. The girls got to shout about our power to the boys again, seeing as we all got our tents down before they did. Spencer was too busy having Josh hold a mirror in front of his face so that he could put in his contacts. I joined in the teasing, though I'd berated myself for not thinking of packing a mirror. I'm such a hypocrite. Anyway, the tremendous shout of "GIRL POWER" was not met with an shut ups, just rolled eyes and further furious packing. Everything was ready to go long before the bus arrived, so we sat around doing nothing and being cold.
Our first stop came at Upheaval Dome, which is either an impact crater or an old collapsed caldera or remainders of an earthquake. I only know that it isn't a salt dome, which the original geologists believed. I didn't get to hike to the top; I made it about fifty yards up the trail before my arm started to ache horribly. Pam and I tried a to go a little farther after the group passed us up, but I couldn't do it. We went back down and discovered flowers, birds, mini pine cones, and some lovely dirt to draw in. I spent some time tracing out a name which is particularly fun to draw, while Pam laughed at me. Ah, well.
The drive down from the top of the plateau was uneventful, because I was again asleep. It wasn't until we reached Arches National Park that I decided to grace the world with my alertness. I love Arches; it's my other favorite place in the world. And seeing as it's right outside of Moab, it works rather well.
We hiked down Park Avenue (one of the sites inside the park), which is all down hill and very easy. I stayed at the end with Mr. Brown and Todd. They're both photographers, so they didn't mind walking slowly. I got some good pictures, and they taught me about photographing from different angles and such. "Unconventional angles are your friend," said Mr. Brown, "That way you do things differently than other photographers." It's true, really. I've seen hundreds of pictures of the Three Gossips formation and they all look the same. Crouch down on the path and it's a whole different story. Fun stuff.
After Park Avenue came The Windows, Castle Arch (pretty sure that's the name), Double Arch, and driving past Balanced Rock. Don't tell me that erosion takes millions of years; I was in Arches a year and a half ago and trust me, Balanced Rock was bigger then. It shrunk! A lot! I couldn’t do any of the hikes up to the arches in the area, so I stayed in the bus with the driver (Lee) and Meri’s mom. I felt very sick to my stomach, my arm hurt, and I was feeling very depressed for some reason. Meri’s mom wasn’t feeling well either. Motion sickness, probably.
We had a bit of a run-in with an environmentalist, because Lee left the bus running so that Mrs. Chamberland and I could have the air conditioning on. The guy took pictures of the bus and wrote down plate numbers, called Lee names, et cetera. Lee told him to buzz off because there were sick people on the bus. The man replied saying things like the CO2 emissions from the bus were bad for the environment and would degrade the rock formations faster, that it would result in acid deposition, blah, blah, blah. I knew what he was talking about, and I knew that it takes a heck of a lot more emissions than from one bus.
Now, I’m not generally a mean person. I’m not a very brave person, either. I was, however, sick, tired, and out of sorts. I’d had it. I was not going to give up my A/C for some measly mouthed Enviro freak when those rocks had been standing around for whoever knows how long, withstood plenty of carbon, and hadn’t gone anywhere. A few grams of CO2 were not going to bother those rocks. I grabbed hold of the rails on the stairs to hold myself up and stared the Enviro Stormtrooper Geek in the face. I looked him up and down and opened my mouth.
“You know what, Bud? You’ve got some pretty nice hiking boots on there. Must have cost you, what? Fifty odd dollars? Now, if you want to keep them nice, you’ll leave, because I don’t think I can stomach your crap for much longer.”
I know! I’m such a jerk! I feel bad about it now. Sort of. Anyway, he left, and we didn’t hear anything else for the rest of the trip. Lee was rather proud of me, I think. Meri’s mom laughed, but I think she was a little surprised at me. I know I was. I guess the moral of that story is this: Do not mess with a sick Environmental Science student, because she knows what you’re talking about and won’t put up with skewed facts.
And I don’t hate environmentalists. I care about the planet a lot. I don’t, however, care about idiots who listen to one-sided arguments. You’ve gotta know both sides before you can start spouting.
All right, that’s over. Once the rest of the kids came back, we left the park and went to the Visitor’s Center for potty breaks and lunch. I’d eaten some of mine, but I didn’t want to eat anything else (too sick) so I went into the Gift Shop. I found some pens for my family, one from each of the places we’d stopped at. Practical, right? I also got a key chain with Delicate Arch on it for me. It’s one of my favorite formations, though I’ve never had a chance to hike up to it. Next time, for sure.
Heading home was the worst part of the trip, especially when we picked a movie to watch. The choices were three John Wayne movies and The Dark Knight. I’m not allowed to watch the last movie I mentioned. When people told me that my parents would never find out, I knew I’d still feel guilty. Mr. Clark put in Rio Lobo (John Wayne) which is really a horrible movie, but at least it wasn’t something I’m not allowed to see. Most of the boys enjoyed it. Probably because it’s sexist and shoot ‘em up. Don’t make fun of me because I’m 17 and still obey my parents, even when I’m on a trip miles from home. I’d feel guilty and I’d be breaking the rules. Besides, if you do make fun of me, I won’t really care. I’ve had plenty of experience with people making fun of me because I keep the rules. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t care much anymore.
So, Rio Lobo was a total fail and I was wishing that I’d brought Mulan or Pirates of the Caribbean or something like that. Sitting in front of people trying to convince me that The Dark Knight is a great movie was a fail on their part, because I wouldn’t listen. It’s dark, evil, and disturbing. I’ve seen parts of it, and the utter darkness I feel when watching it is way worse than being made fun of. Anyway, now that you know the story of my run-in with the Stormtrooper I dare you to take me on. ;) Just kidding.
We stopped in the canyon near Price about an hour and a half from home to see a large exposed coal vein. No one really cared enough to take good notes; we just wanted to go home. Tony did bring out his rock hammer to take a sample; I thought that was funny. He really enjoys geology.
We arrived home around 4:30 in the afternoon, ahead of schedule again. Dad picked me up and helped me get my stuff in the car. I got to tell him about my trip, and was in the process of doing so when I was met with a complete surprise in my living room. There against the wall stood a shiny, dark brown, beautiful piano. I do play the piano (though not well), and I suffered a great heartbreak when the piano I had was reduced to uselessness when some children who will not be named pounded on it and broke most of the keys. It was way too much to fix it; over 38 of the keys no longer played and those that did sounded terrible. To come home to an instrument that actually worked, had gorgeous tone, and was ever so wonderful was amazing. To be told that it was mine struck me speechless. Seriously. I didn’t play it though; I was too dirty to touch this treasure. I waited until the next day to play it.
My mom and I watched Surf’s Up that evening, and I went to bed early.
That, my friends, was the AP Environmental Science Southern Utah Field Trip of the year 2008-2009. I will never forget it, because it was truly amazing. Not to mention that a certain boy asked me on a date during that time. *sigh* Good times.
This has been a terribly long post. Forgive me, and if you read the whole thing, type something like.....hm....99/> or something. I hope it was at least somewhat interesting. And if you type "hm....99/> or something. I hope it was at least somewhat interesting" in the comment box to let me know that you read it, I will laugh and the smack you upside the head with a 2 x 4. ;)
Ta.
Eighth grade had just started. I felt like a complete nobody, a useless husk, a waste of space, whatever you want to call it. Black was my color of choice-long sleeved turtle necks, black jeans, black lace-up ankle boots, black socks, and a black zip up jacket. The only other color was the red stripes that ran the length of the jacket sleeves. I kept my head down, my hair in a braid down my back. I didn't speak. I didn't make eye contact. I did my school work; I just didn't participate in discussions. So silent and such a shadow I was that people in my classes thought I was someone else, until the day that I could no longer remember who they were.
Yes, I was once again engaged in playing with my imaginary friends, namely various characters from the Star Wars series. Not just the movies, mind you. The books-Expanded Universe novels, pre-Clone Wars, et cetera. I was a completely different person-Shae Solo, youngest daughter of Han and Leia Solo, set out to rescue my nephew, Ben Skywalker, from the Yuuzhan Vong. Well, I misjudged my landing on the escaping Vong speeder and shot off backwards, landing hard on my head.
In all reality, I was making the same jump towards the corner of the bed that I did today. The bed didn't like it that time either; it spit me out. I ended up with severe tunnel vision and ringing ears. It got to the point where I realized that I'd severely injured myself. My mom took me to the ER and I was told that I had a major concussion. As I lay in the bed, the world blurred and so did my memory. I could not remember faces, names, anything. I asked for people in my classes, but I didn't know who they were. I barely remember what happened that night. I remember that they sent me home, but I was brought back after throwing up several times. I remember the IV that was put into my arm, being terribly cold, and not being able to see. That's about all.
Four or five days later I went back to school. This was the time when people actually noticed I was in their class still, but I didn't remember most of them. I remembered small details about them, but no names. We spent a lovely time in first period reintroducing everyone, with me remembering some better than others.
Luckily I had no problems with that today. It is rather embarrassing to recount that adventure, only to have it happen again. Stupid Lord Beckett. No, not the Lord Beckett of the already released Pirates stories; his son, Lord Beckett, Jr. If only he weren't so jealous.
I'll leave you to figure out what the devil I'm going on about whilst I tell you of Saturday, May 16-otherwise known as The Last Day of the AP Environmental Science Field Trip.
As I think I mentioned before, the night spent at Dead Horse Point Campground was freezing cold. I again woke up to see the moon shining brilliantly through the tent window, but instead of being too lazy to get up and take a picture I was too frozen. I found it totally brainless of me that I'd packed a stocking cap that didn't come down around my ears; what is the point of that? I spent the night as a popsicle, teeth chattering so loudly I was afraid that I'd awake Meri. She was dead to the world, though, so I was lucky.
5:35 came around (not that I knew that until later) and I finally gave up trying to sleep anymore. I went up to the small bathroom and let out a wail of frustration that brought Mr. Clark running. "What?" he asked, "is there a scorpion?" "No!" I replied, "This bathroom was obviously designed by a man because THERE IS NO MIRROR!!!"
Yes. I was upset because how was I supposed to get ready for the day with no mirror? I was more upset when Mr. Clark laughed and walked away. I was even more upset when I realized that I didn't need a mirror because my hair was still nicely placed in French braids. So, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tried to remain dignified as I walked past my teacher to my tent.
Never pack fresh bagels for breakfast on a camping trip. Make sure they're properly packaged in plastic sacks. Otherwise Mr. Brown can use them as hockey pucks with holes in them to throw at sleeping students. It was rather fun to watch, even though it was sad that we couldn't eat them. Yogurt, Pop Tarts, Instant Oatmeal, and hot chocolate were good enough for breakfast. Lunches were the same as yesterday, only this time I smuggled a Yogurt for good measure. What? I can't eat apples, okay? They hurt my teeth. Had to figure out some other way to get a little bit of fruit. So Yogurt hardly makes the cut, but it's better than nothing.
Meri and I didn't need help getting the tent down this time. We asked Mr. Brown for help at first, but then changed our minds. The girls got to shout about our power to the boys again, seeing as we all got our tents down before they did. Spencer was too busy having Josh hold a mirror in front of his face so that he could put in his contacts. I joined in the teasing, though I'd berated myself for not thinking of packing a mirror. I'm such a hypocrite. Anyway, the tremendous shout of "GIRL POWER" was not met with an shut ups, just rolled eyes and further furious packing. Everything was ready to go long before the bus arrived, so we sat around doing nothing and being cold.
Our first stop came at Upheaval Dome, which is either an impact crater or an old collapsed caldera or remainders of an earthquake. I only know that it isn't a salt dome, which the original geologists believed. I didn't get to hike to the top; I made it about fifty yards up the trail before my arm started to ache horribly. Pam and I tried a to go a little farther after the group passed us up, but I couldn't do it. We went back down and discovered flowers, birds, mini pine cones, and some lovely dirt to draw in. I spent some time tracing out a name which is particularly fun to draw, while Pam laughed at me. Ah, well.
The drive down from the top of the plateau was uneventful, because I was again asleep. It wasn't until we reached Arches National Park that I decided to grace the world with my alertness. I love Arches; it's my other favorite place in the world. And seeing as it's right outside of Moab, it works rather well.
We hiked down Park Avenue (one of the sites inside the park), which is all down hill and very easy. I stayed at the end with Mr. Brown and Todd. They're both photographers, so they didn't mind walking slowly. I got some good pictures, and they taught me about photographing from different angles and such. "Unconventional angles are your friend," said Mr. Brown, "That way you do things differently than other photographers." It's true, really. I've seen hundreds of pictures of the Three Gossips formation and they all look the same. Crouch down on the path and it's a whole different story. Fun stuff.
After Park Avenue came The Windows, Castle Arch (pretty sure that's the name), Double Arch, and driving past Balanced Rock. Don't tell me that erosion takes millions of years; I was in Arches a year and a half ago and trust me, Balanced Rock was bigger then. It shrunk! A lot! I couldn’t do any of the hikes up to the arches in the area, so I stayed in the bus with the driver (Lee) and Meri’s mom. I felt very sick to my stomach, my arm hurt, and I was feeling very depressed for some reason. Meri’s mom wasn’t feeling well either. Motion sickness, probably.
We had a bit of a run-in with an environmentalist, because Lee left the bus running so that Mrs. Chamberland and I could have the air conditioning on. The guy took pictures of the bus and wrote down plate numbers, called Lee names, et cetera. Lee told him to buzz off because there were sick people on the bus. The man replied saying things like the CO2 emissions from the bus were bad for the environment and would degrade the rock formations faster, that it would result in acid deposition, blah, blah, blah. I knew what he was talking about, and I knew that it takes a heck of a lot more emissions than from one bus.
Now, I’m not generally a mean person. I’m not a very brave person, either. I was, however, sick, tired, and out of sorts. I’d had it. I was not going to give up my A/C for some measly mouthed Enviro freak when those rocks had been standing around for whoever knows how long, withstood plenty of carbon, and hadn’t gone anywhere. A few grams of CO2 were not going to bother those rocks. I grabbed hold of the rails on the stairs to hold myself up and stared the Enviro Stormtrooper Geek in the face. I looked him up and down and opened my mouth.
“You know what, Bud? You’ve got some pretty nice hiking boots on there. Must have cost you, what? Fifty odd dollars? Now, if you want to keep them nice, you’ll leave, because I don’t think I can stomach your crap for much longer.”
I know! I’m such a jerk! I feel bad about it now. Sort of. Anyway, he left, and we didn’t hear anything else for the rest of the trip. Lee was rather proud of me, I think. Meri’s mom laughed, but I think she was a little surprised at me. I know I was. I guess the moral of that story is this: Do not mess with a sick Environmental Science student, because she knows what you’re talking about and won’t put up with skewed facts.
And I don’t hate environmentalists. I care about the planet a lot. I don’t, however, care about idiots who listen to one-sided arguments. You’ve gotta know both sides before you can start spouting.
All right, that’s over. Once the rest of the kids came back, we left the park and went to the Visitor’s Center for potty breaks and lunch. I’d eaten some of mine, but I didn’t want to eat anything else (too sick) so I went into the Gift Shop. I found some pens for my family, one from each of the places we’d stopped at. Practical, right? I also got a key chain with Delicate Arch on it for me. It’s one of my favorite formations, though I’ve never had a chance to hike up to it. Next time, for sure.
Heading home was the worst part of the trip, especially when we picked a movie to watch. The choices were three John Wayne movies and The Dark Knight. I’m not allowed to watch the last movie I mentioned. When people told me that my parents would never find out, I knew I’d still feel guilty. Mr. Clark put in Rio Lobo (John Wayne) which is really a horrible movie, but at least it wasn’t something I’m not allowed to see. Most of the boys enjoyed it. Probably because it’s sexist and shoot ‘em up. Don’t make fun of me because I’m 17 and still obey my parents, even when I’m on a trip miles from home. I’d feel guilty and I’d be breaking the rules. Besides, if you do make fun of me, I won’t really care. I’ve had plenty of experience with people making fun of me because I keep the rules. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t care much anymore.
So, Rio Lobo was a total fail and I was wishing that I’d brought Mulan or Pirates of the Caribbean or something like that. Sitting in front of people trying to convince me that The Dark Knight is a great movie was a fail on their part, because I wouldn’t listen. It’s dark, evil, and disturbing. I’ve seen parts of it, and the utter darkness I feel when watching it is way worse than being made fun of. Anyway, now that you know the story of my run-in with the Stormtrooper I dare you to take me on. ;) Just kidding.
We stopped in the canyon near Price about an hour and a half from home to see a large exposed coal vein. No one really cared enough to take good notes; we just wanted to go home. Tony did bring out his rock hammer to take a sample; I thought that was funny. He really enjoys geology.
We arrived home around 4:30 in the afternoon, ahead of schedule again. Dad picked me up and helped me get my stuff in the car. I got to tell him about my trip, and was in the process of doing so when I was met with a complete surprise in my living room. There against the wall stood a shiny, dark brown, beautiful piano. I do play the piano (though not well), and I suffered a great heartbreak when the piano I had was reduced to uselessness when some children who will not be named pounded on it and broke most of the keys. It was way too much to fix it; over 38 of the keys no longer played and those that did sounded terrible. To come home to an instrument that actually worked, had gorgeous tone, and was ever so wonderful was amazing. To be told that it was mine struck me speechless. Seriously. I didn’t play it though; I was too dirty to touch this treasure. I waited until the next day to play it.
My mom and I watched Surf’s Up that evening, and I went to bed early.
That, my friends, was the AP Environmental Science Southern Utah Field Trip of the year 2008-2009. I will never forget it, because it was truly amazing. Not to mention that a certain boy asked me on a date during that time. *sigh* Good times.
This has been a terribly long post. Forgive me, and if you read the whole thing, type something like.....hm....99/> or something. I hope it was at least somewhat interesting. And if you type "hm....99/> or something. I hope it was at least somewhat interesting" in the comment box to let me know that you read it, I will laugh and the smack you upside the head with a 2 x 4. ;)
Ta.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
rescheduled...
Well, Tony and I will be going out on a later date (lol, sorry, unintentional pun). Something came up with the other couple we were going to double with, so it's going to wait until later. It's possibly a blessing in disguise; I was so nervous all morning and was finally able to settle down. The house is clean, I took a nap, and I have something to look forward to next week. :)
I watched a movie today. It's called Truly Madly Deeply, with Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. It was so good, and super cute. If you get a chance you should check it out.
I'll post about the last day of the field trip tomorrow. I'm tired. Yeah, I know, I took a nap and watched movies so I shouldn't be, but I am. Probably because I stayed up late with my dog, Buddy. He's really, really sick. I'm not sure what the problem is; neither is anyone else. All I know is that the base of his spine is pressing together, and he's in a lot of pain. He hates to be alone, and he can't walk well on his own. It's so hard to watch him. The vet can't see him until Thursday, so we're hoping we can get him help. I love my beagle so much; I hope things work out. Buddy is the sweetest dog in the world. I want him to get better so badly. If that's not what's supposed to happen though, I know he'll be happier in another place. After all, all dogs go to heaven. Gives me more motivation to be a good person so that I can play with him forever.
Enough sadness. I'm going to bed.
I watched a movie today. It's called Truly Madly Deeply, with Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. It was so good, and super cute. If you get a chance you should check it out.
I'll post about the last day of the field trip tomorrow. I'm tired. Yeah, I know, I took a nap and watched movies so I shouldn't be, but I am. Probably because I stayed up late with my dog, Buddy. He's really, really sick. I'm not sure what the problem is; neither is anyone else. All I know is that the base of his spine is pressing together, and he's in a lot of pain. He hates to be alone, and he can't walk well on his own. It's so hard to watch him. The vet can't see him until Thursday, so we're hoping we can get him help. I love my beagle so much; I hope things work out. Buddy is the sweetest dog in the world. I want him to get better so badly. If that's not what's supposed to happen though, I know he'll be happier in another place. After all, all dogs go to heaven. Gives me more motivation to be a good person so that I can play with him forever.
Enough sadness. I'm going to bed.
Friday, May 22, 2009
not cool enough...
I got invited to a party today. It was mostly terrible, partly good. It was good because the friend who invited me was genuinely glad to see me. He yelled hello, sprinted over, gave me a hug, and said "Thank goodness you're here! I didn't think you'd come." Aw. It's nice to be loved.
Left early though. It's hard enough when you don't know most of the 200+ people there, but it gets worse when the fifty or so you do know turn their backs when they see you walking to join them. The seniors who have told me that they are glad I'm their friend seemed to have changed their minds; they'd look at me and turn around, closing the little circles. Friend when help is needed, nerd when cooler friends are around. Just proves what I've always known. I'm not cool enough. Never will be, because I'm too shy and too afraid to be anything but what I am.
All right. Friday of the trip, May 15 2009 follows:
Woke up five minutes before the rest of the people in camp (excluding most of the chaperons and Mr. Clark), so I didn't have to wait in line for the bathroom. I then packed all of my stuff and waited for Meri to put her stuff away so that we could collapse the tent. It was pretty hard for me to roll it up one-handed and Meri didn't really know how, so Mr. Brown came to the rescue. He flopped down on top of the tent that was folded in thirds and squished all of the air out. It was pretty impressive.
Loading the bus took all of about ten minutes, with everyone helping. I tried to help, honest, but when I picked up a cooler of water Mr. Clark firmly told me to put it down and not to pick anything else up for the remainder of the trip. I hate feeling useless, and it was quite an achievement to pick it up with one arm and not spill anything. Ha.
We made lunches before we left. You had your basic paper bag options: lunch meat, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, peanut butter, jelly, bread, chips, apples, granola bars. I struggled getting my sandwich into the small plastic bag. I had the bag in my teeth and the sandwich in my hand. I got frustrated and kind of growled. Ish. Mr. Clark looked at me and said, "She's just trying to get sympathy. But she won't find any of it here!" I shook the bag out again and said through a mouthful of plastic "I'm not asking for sympathy. I don't want any sympathy. People just give it to me anyways." I have never seen the man laugh harder. I still don't understand why it was so funny, but he seemed to enjoy my response immensely.
Departure from the goblin land passed without my notice. I was asleep for a lot of the drive. We stopped at a place called Comb Ridge, which is basically a giant monocline thing. Don't ask me to explain that; I can't remember what it is. We also stopped at the Lake Powell Overlook where it's mostly river. I've never been to Lake Powell. Well, I have now, I mean, but before that....never mind.
I think that up top was out of order. I can't remember. I do remember that we stopped at the Natural Bridges (State? National? Monument?) Park. Pam, my new friend, stayed with me while everyone else hiked to the bridges. They're formed when rivers hit meander bends. It's hard to explain without a visual. Check out the link above if you're curious.
Anyway, Pam and I spent two hours watching the visitors' movie twice, feeding the ants, watching lizards, coloring, writing, eating lunch, and talking about nothing very important. We colored a giant squid together. Quite fun. I used the red crayon and she outlined it in red ink. Team work. Awesome.
When everyone got back, they all ate lunch. I learned that two sisters on the trip had 11 other siblings, of which only two were adopted and two were twins. 13 kids! The parents were there too as chaperons. I was really shocked. They have over 150 cousins, too. Talk about a family reunion. That'd be so cool. The sisters have also been home schooled for a lot of their lives, like me. They live on a farm in the city. How cool is that? They're super nice. I like them.
More driving. I think we went to Comb Ridge after Natural Bridges. Can't remember for sure. Ah, well. It's still written down. So, sometime later we reached Moab. I absolutely adore Moab. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Not that I've seen much of the world, but of the places I've been, it's amazing. I saw all of the little shops and restaurants, the bookstores, the "adventure stops." It was so great to be back. Not so great was the drive up the mountain to Dead Horse Point, our last stop for the day (except for the Dead Horse Point Visitor Center for a potty break, which a lot of kids wanted) and then to the camp site. I did feel a little car sick on the drive up. Too many switchbacks and fast change in altitude. Yuck.
In short, I was feeling really awful by the time we reached the Dead Horse Point Overlook. I half-heartedly took notes and looked over the edge of the rock wall to the steep drop on the other side. I sort of felt like flinging myself off the edge and just ending everything there. Yes, I was depressed, too. It just sort of snuck up on me. Soon everyone started taking pictures, and I went to stand next to the wall near where Tony was. We didn't talk for awhile, and then he broke the silence by asking me what I was doing the next Saturday (aka tomorrow).
Yep. He asked me on a date. And it's tomorrow. Do you have any idea how absolutely excited and nervous I am? Probably not. :) It was so cute (possibly romantic. he once told me that if he tried to be romantic i'd never take him seriously. i don't think he was trying-but it still was). I'm so excited!
The next couple of hours were spent in desperate attempts to find cell phone service. Not me, I don't have a cellular device, but someone else's. I wanted to call my mom and ask her if I could go! I finally got a connection on Pam's phone, and I called my mom. She said it was fine, and then I talked to her for about five minutes.
The girls totally beat the boys in setting up the tents. In unison we linked arms and shouted over at them "GIRL POWER!!!" to which they replied "Shut up!" Baha. Dorks. :)
Spencer picked up a prickly pear cactus, not realizing that they are covered in tiny needles as well as the larger ones. I helped him pull the tiny ones out of his fingers. Then Cami showed me the blister on her foot. No joke, it was the size of a quarter. I was so grateful that I'd followed the "hunch" to pack moleskin in my first aid kit, along with tweezers and antiseptic.
Dinner was an event. There were hard and soft tacos, and it was quite entertaining to watch everyone try and eat them. I had my share of droppage onto the plate, but it was still fun. After dinner, Mr. Clark led an expedition down to the cliff a little ways from the campsite. Pam, Mel (her sister), and I stayed behind and used the time to wash our hair. So nice. Pam French-braided my hair while I watched my first ever sunset. I know, I know. I'd never watched the sun set before. Sure, I've seen snatches of them, but I've never actually taken the time to see the whole thing. It was, to me, amazing. There was a cloud on top of the sun, with the mountain beneath. The cloud on top looked like a city made of gold. It was amazing, even though a couple of boys said it was not very impressive. *cough*
The majority of the evening was spent in Ultimate Frisbee, and when it got dark the kids in my class duct taped glowsticks to the Frisbee so that they could keep playing. The two sisters (Sarah and Becca) and I talked with Tony. He can play the guitar. I didn't know that before. He can also sing, even though he says he can't. Once it got pitch black, most everyone went to play Mafia in the pavilion. My parents have asked me not to play that game, so I sat on a rock with my flashlight and sang softly, everything from Les Miserables to Prince of Egypt to hymns. It was a relief to go to sleep, and an even greater relief that the ground under me was sandy and soft.
Meri and I spent about half an hour talking before we fell asleep, mostly about boys and camping. Tee hee. :)
It was so cold that night. My sleeping bag was not as warm as it used to be. :P
I'm going to bed now. Ta!
Left early though. It's hard enough when you don't know most of the 200+ people there, but it gets worse when the fifty or so you do know turn their backs when they see you walking to join them. The seniors who have told me that they are glad I'm their friend seemed to have changed their minds; they'd look at me and turn around, closing the little circles. Friend when help is needed, nerd when cooler friends are around. Just proves what I've always known. I'm not cool enough. Never will be, because I'm too shy and too afraid to be anything but what I am.
All right. Friday of the trip, May 15 2009 follows:
Woke up five minutes before the rest of the people in camp (excluding most of the chaperons and Mr. Clark), so I didn't have to wait in line for the bathroom. I then packed all of my stuff and waited for Meri to put her stuff away so that we could collapse the tent. It was pretty hard for me to roll it up one-handed and Meri didn't really know how, so Mr. Brown came to the rescue. He flopped down on top of the tent that was folded in thirds and squished all of the air out. It was pretty impressive.
Loading the bus took all of about ten minutes, with everyone helping. I tried to help, honest, but when I picked up a cooler of water Mr. Clark firmly told me to put it down and not to pick anything else up for the remainder of the trip. I hate feeling useless, and it was quite an achievement to pick it up with one arm and not spill anything. Ha.
We made lunches before we left. You had your basic paper bag options: lunch meat, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, peanut butter, jelly, bread, chips, apples, granola bars. I struggled getting my sandwich into the small plastic bag. I had the bag in my teeth and the sandwich in my hand. I got frustrated and kind of growled. Ish. Mr. Clark looked at me and said, "She's just trying to get sympathy. But she won't find any of it here!" I shook the bag out again and said through a mouthful of plastic "I'm not asking for sympathy. I don't want any sympathy. People just give it to me anyways." I have never seen the man laugh harder. I still don't understand why it was so funny, but he seemed to enjoy my response immensely.
Departure from the goblin land passed without my notice. I was asleep for a lot of the drive. We stopped at a place called Comb Ridge, which is basically a giant monocline thing. Don't ask me to explain that; I can't remember what it is. We also stopped at the Lake Powell Overlook where it's mostly river. I've never been to Lake Powell. Well, I have now, I mean, but before that....never mind.
I think that up top was out of order. I can't remember. I do remember that we stopped at the Natural Bridges (State? National? Monument?) Park. Pam, my new friend, stayed with me while everyone else hiked to the bridges. They're formed when rivers hit meander bends. It's hard to explain without a visual. Check out the link above if you're curious.
Anyway, Pam and I spent two hours watching the visitors' movie twice, feeding the ants, watching lizards, coloring, writing, eating lunch, and talking about nothing very important. We colored a giant squid together. Quite fun. I used the red crayon and she outlined it in red ink. Team work. Awesome.
When everyone got back, they all ate lunch. I learned that two sisters on the trip had 11 other siblings, of which only two were adopted and two were twins. 13 kids! The parents were there too as chaperons. I was really shocked. They have over 150 cousins, too. Talk about a family reunion. That'd be so cool. The sisters have also been home schooled for a lot of their lives, like me. They live on a farm in the city. How cool is that? They're super nice. I like them.
More driving. I think we went to Comb Ridge after Natural Bridges. Can't remember for sure. Ah, well. It's still written down. So, sometime later we reached Moab. I absolutely adore Moab. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Not that I've seen much of the world, but of the places I've been, it's amazing. I saw all of the little shops and restaurants, the bookstores, the "adventure stops." It was so great to be back. Not so great was the drive up the mountain to Dead Horse Point, our last stop for the day (except for the Dead Horse Point Visitor Center for a potty break, which a lot of kids wanted) and then to the camp site. I did feel a little car sick on the drive up. Too many switchbacks and fast change in altitude. Yuck.
In short, I was feeling really awful by the time we reached the Dead Horse Point Overlook. I half-heartedly took notes and looked over the edge of the rock wall to the steep drop on the other side. I sort of felt like flinging myself off the edge and just ending everything there. Yes, I was depressed, too. It just sort of snuck up on me. Soon everyone started taking pictures, and I went to stand next to the wall near where Tony was. We didn't talk for awhile, and then he broke the silence by asking me what I was doing the next Saturday (aka tomorrow).
Yep. He asked me on a date. And it's tomorrow. Do you have any idea how absolutely excited and nervous I am? Probably not. :) It was so cute (possibly romantic. he once told me that if he tried to be romantic i'd never take him seriously. i don't think he was trying-but it still was). I'm so excited!
The next couple of hours were spent in desperate attempts to find cell phone service. Not me, I don't have a cellular device, but someone else's. I wanted to call my mom and ask her if I could go! I finally got a connection on Pam's phone, and I called my mom. She said it was fine, and then I talked to her for about five minutes.
The girls totally beat the boys in setting up the tents. In unison we linked arms and shouted over at them "GIRL POWER!!!" to which they replied "Shut up!" Baha. Dorks. :)
Spencer picked up a prickly pear cactus, not realizing that they are covered in tiny needles as well as the larger ones. I helped him pull the tiny ones out of his fingers. Then Cami showed me the blister on her foot. No joke, it was the size of a quarter. I was so grateful that I'd followed the "hunch" to pack moleskin in my first aid kit, along with tweezers and antiseptic.
Dinner was an event. There were hard and soft tacos, and it was quite entertaining to watch everyone try and eat them. I had my share of droppage onto the plate, but it was still fun. After dinner, Mr. Clark led an expedition down to the cliff a little ways from the campsite. Pam, Mel (her sister), and I stayed behind and used the time to wash our hair. So nice. Pam French-braided my hair while I watched my first ever sunset. I know, I know. I'd never watched the sun set before. Sure, I've seen snatches of them, but I've never actually taken the time to see the whole thing. It was, to me, amazing. There was a cloud on top of the sun, with the mountain beneath. The cloud on top looked like a city made of gold. It was amazing, even though a couple of boys said it was not very impressive. *cough*
The majority of the evening was spent in Ultimate Frisbee, and when it got dark the kids in my class duct taped glowsticks to the Frisbee so that they could keep playing. The two sisters (Sarah and Becca) and I talked with Tony. He can play the guitar. I didn't know that before. He can also sing, even though he says he can't. Once it got pitch black, most everyone went to play Mafia in the pavilion. My parents have asked me not to play that game, so I sat on a rock with my flashlight and sang softly, everything from Les Miserables to Prince of Egypt to hymns. It was a relief to go to sleep, and an even greater relief that the ground under me was sandy and soft.
Meri and I spent about half an hour talking before we fell asleep, mostly about boys and camping. Tee hee. :)
It was so cold that night. My sleeping bag was not as warm as it used to be. :P
I'm going to bed now. Ta!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
this is dedication...
Know why I'm blogging? Because I've been neglecting everyone. So, I finally decided to type through the pain and tell you all what's going on. Aren't I amazing? ;)
Okeydokey, here's the run down of the first day of the Southern Utah Trip:
Thursday:
Got up at about 4:30 in the a.m. and showered. Beautiful showers-best thing ever invented, I swear. Dad drove me to the school with my gear, which consisted of my backpack, my sleeping bag, a pillow with a coat stuffed inside, and the tent. The other kids in my class and I through everything onto the bus, had our last orientation in the classroom, recieved our flashlights and fieldbooks, boarded the bus, and took off. I sat next to Cami the whole three days. It was awesome; I love that girl. She's so fun!
Time of departure from MVHS-6:00 a.m.
It was a very long drive to Nephi. All of about 30 minutes. We stopped on the Three-Point Line where one thing meets one thing and another thing to form a single line. Yes, I paid so much attention. It was 6:30 in the morning, people. Deal with me, okay? ;)
Next came the Oak Canyon Rest Stop, where Meri, Ashley, and I spent a jolly ten minutes trying to identify trees. It was hard.
Drive, drive, drive for a very long time until we reach Capitol Reef National Monument. It isn't really an old reef. It's just a bunch of rocks/mountain that looks like a reef. I spent two hours in the Visitor's Center while the rest of my class went on a hike up one of the trails. I couldn't go because of my stupid arm. Instead, I bought a coloring book and some crayons and had a lovely time coloring bears and seals. It was so much fun. The movie that I watched about the park was boring. I was glad I could color instead.
Lunchtime! We had our sack lunches from home in this little park. It was great fun, except for the copious amounts of caterpillars that kept dropping on us from the trees. Yick. I don't like bugs. Which is why I don't like camping very much. I did get to sit by my friend for a minute (you should know who I'm talking about. :) ). That was nice. And eating lunch with Mr. Clark was interesting. He's a cool guy. Totally different than when he's teaching.
Driving....at least you can sleep on a bus, right? I did for quite awhile. We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove. I think that we drove so long that I forgot where we stopped next-I'm so caught up in the driving memories. Hm......let me check on my camera....
checking.................checking............................robin pictures......nope......ah ha!
I was right. We drove and drove and drove and drove until we reached Goblin Valley. Talk about cool. I'd never been there before, and it was an amazing experience. Even though down in the actual valley it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Ick. That part was awful. Then I got a scare when Tony took off on his own. He was acting funny the whole day, kind of depressed and sad. When he walked away from the group, I was seriously afraid he might try something. Turned out I was wrong, and being wrong made me relieved and happy. Dang it, I wish I could figure out how to help him be happier. He's my friend, after all. I hate seeing my friends sad and not knowing what to do.
Anyway, the Valley of the Goblins was so cool. I hope to go back someday. After that, we set up camp in the Goblin Valley Group Campsite. Meri was my tent buddy, and she picked the tent site. She will never do that again. The middle of the tent was perched on a small mound of dirt, with the two sides draping down. It was horrible to sleep on, but more about that later.
Mr. Clark made spaghetti for dinner. It was good, and I made a new friend. Her name is Pam, and she's super nice. I like her a lot. The food was good, and coloring in my book was super fun. Yes, I used it almost the whole trip. More on that later as well.
I had an interesting conversation with a man from (I think Texas) outside the state while waiting in line for the showers. Yes, there were showers. Hallelujah! He started asking me questions about the Utah culture, starting out with education and politics, religion and education, and eventually winding up at polygamy. It was interesting that the last subject came up, because I'd just spent half an hour on the bus explaining to the people sitting next to me what polygamists in Utah believe in (yes, they live here, but they don't belong to the LDS faith, just to clear that up). It was cool to talk to someone who didn't think I was a loser because I thought differently than he did.
We went our separate ways when it was my turn for the shower. YES! I decided to test it out before I actually got in. Good thing too, because I could not get it to turn on! I got so frustrated with turning the knob back and forth and having nothing happen that I finally looked at the sky and said, "All right. I cannot figure this out. I may be a total idiot, but I need help." As I was looking up, I noticed a round silver thing above the shower head. I poked it out of frustration and was immediately soaked through my clothes with freezing cold water. Happy day. It worked. And the water got warmer, eventually, as I figured out how to change the settings.
Awkward moment: being in your pajamas with soaking wet hair, opening the door, and running into your Multimedia teacher. Mr. Brown and I were both surprised to see one another. So weird.
I got back all clean and happy. Tony did make fun of me because I'd showered earlier in the day, but I replied "I don't care. I will use my resources. Natural or otherwise." That got a laugh. Don't know why. Soon, pretty much everyone in my class and most of the chaperons walked back down to the goblins to play Capture the Flag. I stayed behind so I wouldn't hurt my arm any further. Pam and I hung out while I colored. I did an opossum and lots of shrews. Then I went to bed. Or tried.
9:45ish rolled around and everyone came tromping back, loud as ever. I ended up getting out of the tent because I couldn't find a comfortable spot to lie anyway, due to the strange hump in the ground and the rocks that fit perfectly in between my ribs. I nearly fell asleep on the table when Tony came and sat across from me. We got into a discussion on sleeping pills, and I hope he believes me when I say I'm going to try and get off of them this summer. I really am. Once school is out, I'll start working on it. :D
I got into bed before Meri got back, and when she arrived I told her that I was going to pick tomorrow's tent spot. She laughed, and we slept with our heads facing the back of the tent instead of the opening. Before we fell asleep, though, I came up with "I hate camping! I hate it so much. I hate it. It's the stupidest thing ever! It must have been invented by a man because it's so completely brainless!" I don't remember saying that very well.
So that was Thursday. And my arm kills. So I'm done.
Okeydokey, here's the run down of the first day of the Southern Utah Trip:
Thursday:
Got up at about 4:30 in the a.m. and showered. Beautiful showers-best thing ever invented, I swear. Dad drove me to the school with my gear, which consisted of my backpack, my sleeping bag, a pillow with a coat stuffed inside, and the tent. The other kids in my class and I through everything onto the bus, had our last orientation in the classroom, recieved our flashlights and fieldbooks, boarded the bus, and took off. I sat next to Cami the whole three days. It was awesome; I love that girl. She's so fun!
Time of departure from MVHS-6:00 a.m.
It was a very long drive to Nephi. All of about 30 minutes. We stopped on the Three-Point Line where one thing meets one thing and another thing to form a single line. Yes, I paid so much attention. It was 6:30 in the morning, people. Deal with me, okay? ;)
Next came the Oak Canyon Rest Stop, where Meri, Ashley, and I spent a jolly ten minutes trying to identify trees. It was hard.
Drive, drive, drive for a very long time until we reach Capitol Reef National Monument. It isn't really an old reef. It's just a bunch of rocks/mountain that looks like a reef. I spent two hours in the Visitor's Center while the rest of my class went on a hike up one of the trails. I couldn't go because of my stupid arm. Instead, I bought a coloring book and some crayons and had a lovely time coloring bears and seals. It was so much fun. The movie that I watched about the park was boring. I was glad I could color instead.
Lunchtime! We had our sack lunches from home in this little park. It was great fun, except for the copious amounts of caterpillars that kept dropping on us from the trees. Yick. I don't like bugs. Which is why I don't like camping very much. I did get to sit by my friend for a minute (you should know who I'm talking about. :) ). That was nice. And eating lunch with Mr. Clark was interesting. He's a cool guy. Totally different than when he's teaching.
Driving....at least you can sleep on a bus, right? I did for quite awhile. We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove. I think that we drove so long that I forgot where we stopped next-I'm so caught up in the driving memories. Hm......let me check on my camera....
checking.................checking............................robin pictures......nope......ah ha!
I was right. We drove and drove and drove and drove until we reached Goblin Valley. Talk about cool. I'd never been there before, and it was an amazing experience. Even though down in the actual valley it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Ick. That part was awful. Then I got a scare when Tony took off on his own. He was acting funny the whole day, kind of depressed and sad. When he walked away from the group, I was seriously afraid he might try something. Turned out I was wrong, and being wrong made me relieved and happy. Dang it, I wish I could figure out how to help him be happier. He's my friend, after all. I hate seeing my friends sad and not knowing what to do.
Anyway, the Valley of the Goblins was so cool. I hope to go back someday. After that, we set up camp in the Goblin Valley Group Campsite. Meri was my tent buddy, and she picked the tent site. She will never do that again. The middle of the tent was perched on a small mound of dirt, with the two sides draping down. It was horrible to sleep on, but more about that later.
Mr. Clark made spaghetti for dinner. It was good, and I made a new friend. Her name is Pam, and she's super nice. I like her a lot. The food was good, and coloring in my book was super fun. Yes, I used it almost the whole trip. More on that later as well.
I had an interesting conversation with a man from (I think Texas) outside the state while waiting in line for the showers. Yes, there were showers. Hallelujah! He started asking me questions about the Utah culture, starting out with education and politics, religion and education, and eventually winding up at polygamy. It was interesting that the last subject came up, because I'd just spent half an hour on the bus explaining to the people sitting next to me what polygamists in Utah believe in (yes, they live here, but they don't belong to the LDS faith, just to clear that up). It was cool to talk to someone who didn't think I was a loser because I thought differently than he did.
We went our separate ways when it was my turn for the shower. YES! I decided to test it out before I actually got in. Good thing too, because I could not get it to turn on! I got so frustrated with turning the knob back and forth and having nothing happen that I finally looked at the sky and said, "All right. I cannot figure this out. I may be a total idiot, but I need help." As I was looking up, I noticed a round silver thing above the shower head. I poked it out of frustration and was immediately soaked through my clothes with freezing cold water. Happy day. It worked. And the water got warmer, eventually, as I figured out how to change the settings.
Awkward moment: being in your pajamas with soaking wet hair, opening the door, and running into your Multimedia teacher. Mr. Brown and I were both surprised to see one another. So weird.
I got back all clean and happy. Tony did make fun of me because I'd showered earlier in the day, but I replied "I don't care. I will use my resources. Natural or otherwise." That got a laugh. Don't know why. Soon, pretty much everyone in my class and most of the chaperons walked back down to the goblins to play Capture the Flag. I stayed behind so I wouldn't hurt my arm any further. Pam and I hung out while I colored. I did an opossum and lots of shrews. Then I went to bed. Or tried.
9:45ish rolled around and everyone came tromping back, loud as ever. I ended up getting out of the tent because I couldn't find a comfortable spot to lie anyway, due to the strange hump in the ground and the rocks that fit perfectly in between my ribs. I nearly fell asleep on the table when Tony came and sat across from me. We got into a discussion on sleeping pills, and I hope he believes me when I say I'm going to try and get off of them this summer. I really am. Once school is out, I'll start working on it. :D
I got into bed before Meri got back, and when she arrived I told her that I was going to pick tomorrow's tent spot. She laughed, and we slept with our heads facing the back of the tent instead of the opening. Before we fell asleep, though, I came up with "I hate camping! I hate it so much. I hate it. It's the stupidest thing ever! It must have been invented by a man because it's so completely brainless!" I don't remember saying that very well.
So that was Thursday. And my arm kills. So I'm done.
Monday, May 18, 2009
southern utah...
I've been gone for a few days, and for a good reason. I was down in Southern Utah on an Environmental Science field trip for three days, Thursday through Saturday. It was pretty much the most amazing thing ever. For reals. Not just because it was beautiful (totally gorgeous) but because I was actually learning outside of a classroom. I mean, sure, Mr. Brown says there's not much difference in being stuck in a classroom for 6 and a half hours and riding in a bus for the same amount of time, but I say...WRONG! There IS a difference! You can sleep on a bus and not get in trouble for it! BaHA!!!
Seriously, though. It was amazing. Some of it was lame, like not being able to hike because of my stupid arm, and the ground was freaking hard, and I got dirt in my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it was cool. I'll post pictures when I upload them onto my laptop; not all of them though. I took over 400 of them. Yay! Yay for digital cameras!
Oh, Mr. Brown came, by the way. As a chaperon. I, on the other hand, was not a chaperon but a student, though one of my friends' dads thought that I was a chaperon. He asked me who my sibling was and when I was getting married. Um, the ring I was wearing (fake diamond on silver that I got on a family vacation) was on my middle finger, and as far as I know I'm not engaged (thank goodness). Mr. Brown, on the other hand (lol) was mistaken for a high school senior, though he was wearing a ring on his left ring finger, had way more of a beard than the other kids, was constantly called "Mr. Brown" by all of the students there, was our resident photographer, went last on all of the hikes to make sure no one lagged behind, and was Mr. Clark's right hand man on the whole trip. Does that make any sense for us to be confused? Not really.
Enough. My arm hurts, so I'll post the dailies (just tidbits [or longbits] of what happened each day on the trip) later this evening or tomorrow or Wednesday...depending on when I have time.
Ta!
Seriously, though. It was amazing. Some of it was lame, like not being able to hike because of my stupid arm, and the ground was freaking hard, and I got dirt in my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it was cool. I'll post pictures when I upload them onto my laptop; not all of them though. I took over 400 of them. Yay! Yay for digital cameras!
Oh, Mr. Brown came, by the way. As a chaperon. I, on the other hand, was not a chaperon but a student, though one of my friends' dads thought that I was a chaperon. He asked me who my sibling was and when I was getting married. Um, the ring I was wearing (fake diamond on silver that I got on a family vacation) was on my middle finger, and as far as I know I'm not engaged (thank goodness). Mr. Brown, on the other hand (lol) was mistaken for a high school senior, though he was wearing a ring on his left ring finger, had way more of a beard than the other kids, was constantly called "Mr. Brown" by all of the students there, was our resident photographer, went last on all of the hikes to make sure no one lagged behind, and was Mr. Clark's right hand man on the whole trip. Does that make any sense for us to be confused? Not really.
Enough. My arm hurts, so I'll post the dailies (just tidbits [or longbits] of what happened each day on the trip) later this evening or tomorrow or Wednesday...depending on when I have time.
Ta!
Monday, May 11, 2009
HELP ME!!! (please?)
Speak responses are turned in. Phew.
Now for the real post. I am not doing so great in my History class because I suck at retaining information from reading the chapters. I've failed all but one of the five review quizzes (I'm not the only one; 8 other kids failed them too, and there are 10 kids total in the class including me), and I need to make up some points in order to pull off at least a B.
Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever for historical poetry? I've drawn a blank and need some serious prompts. Any time period, but preferably in the United States (wars, rumors of wars, politics, general ideals of the country, emblems, what have you). And yes, I can make a list, but that doesn't mean I can come up with anything. Ugh!
Got anything? Post them in the comments, and I'll post anything I come up with for you! Promise. :)
Ta.
Now for the real post. I am not doing so great in my History class because I suck at retaining information from reading the chapters. I've failed all but one of the five review quizzes (I'm not the only one; 8 other kids failed them too, and there are 10 kids total in the class including me), and I need to make up some points in order to pull off at least a B.
Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever for historical poetry? I've drawn a blank and need some serious prompts. Any time period, but preferably in the United States (wars, rumors of wars, politics, general ideals of the country, emblems, what have you). And yes, I can make a list, but that doesn't mean I can come up with anything. Ugh!
Got anything? Post them in the comments, and I'll post anything I come up with for you! Promise. :)
Ta.
good gravy...
Posting does not take priority over homework, but seeing as I have not posted in a very long time, I'm going to anyway.
I have a legit excuse: arm hurts. Taking the AP US History test on Friday was murder-not because it was hard because it hurt! I don't think that I did well on the multiple choice section, but the essays weren't too bad. I have another AP test tomorrow, Environmental Science. Cross your fingers I do well!
And now I'm going to go and finish up my responses to reading "Speak." Because I have to. :'(
I have a legit excuse: arm hurts. Taking the AP US History test on Friday was murder-not because it was hard because it hurt! I don't think that I did well on the multiple choice section, but the essays weren't too bad. I have another AP test tomorrow, Environmental Science. Cross your fingers I do well!
And now I'm going to go and finish up my responses to reading "Speak." Because I have to. :'(
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
hunt & peck...
i currently have no use of my left arm, hence the following lower case and not higly punctuated post. i don't know what i did to it, but my elbow is acting all funny. first a cat has plunged its claws into my skin refusing to let go. second someone lights a match under my arm. third the muscles are wrapped around a vacumm belt and the switch is turned on. i didn't realize what a gift it is to be able to type 90+ words per minute. let's see...i started this post at...mmmm...9:20ish. it is now 9:31. woot.
my old boss and good friend joe stopped by my house today (after i was home from the doctor and proudly wearing my new jewelry, aka my spiffy blue sling). he just got back from hawaii a couple of days ago, and he brought me some t-shirts and a fresh pineapple! he's so nice. he even invited me to come eat lunch with the crew this summer. i'm so there. i love those guys (and gal ;)) so much!
okay, my arm is tired, and so are my eyes. have a great night/morning/afternoon to you all. wherever you are. :D
my old boss and good friend joe stopped by my house today (after i was home from the doctor and proudly wearing my new jewelry, aka my spiffy blue sling). he just got back from hawaii a couple of days ago, and he brought me some t-shirts and a fresh pineapple! he's so nice. he even invited me to come eat lunch with the crew this summer. i'm so there. i love those guys (and gal ;)) so much!
okay, my arm is tired, and so are my eyes. have a great night/morning/afternoon to you all. wherever you are. :D
Monday, May 4, 2009
fine...
I removed most of my poetry from my blog. *sniff* My parents kept bugging me about it, and I decided to just listen to them. If you want any of the stuff I come up with, email me at wannabkenobi at gmail dot com, and I'll send the writing in a group or something. BBC group, though, so that your email is protected.
*sniff* Makes me really sad.
*sniff* Makes me really sad.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
master of the house...
A few weeks ago, my parents told me to get rid of my Facebook, Myspace, and other such accounts. I did so because I respect what they say and know that they're looking out for me (a HUGE change from about a year ago). Now, though, my mom tells me that I should remove all of my poetry from this blog. She says that people might steal my work because "it's good." What do you guys think I should do?
Prom was last night. *sigh* I'm still really sad that I didn't get asked.
Amanda and I went for a drive today with our dogs. It was fun, until we took the dirt road detour where there was road construction and nearly got stuck. I just went where the detour arrow pointed. It would probably have been better if we'd just turned around, instead of bumping and jumping around. I wonder if someone moved the arrow to point to the dirt road as a joke. :?
My dear, dear, dear friend Shelby called me today. We haven't talked to each other in almost four months, due to the fact that I'm an airhead and lost her phone number. No, she doesn't have Internet and can't get onto her email at school, and no, I don't have her home address. I should have asked for that. Anyways, we talked for awhile and she gave me her new number, and we're planning to get together sometime this summer or next Christmas! Shelby is so awesome. I love that girl so much. She's the greatest. And she broke up with her boyfriend, which is even greater. I really, really, really did not like him. He made me feel rather nervous and anxious. Maybe I'm just naturally suspicious of anyone who could potentially hurt my friends. I'm this kind of girl-"Break her heart and I'll break your face." Lol.
Well. I'm going to go to bed now. Ta.
Prom was last night. *sigh* I'm still really sad that I didn't get asked.
Amanda and I went for a drive today with our dogs. It was fun, until we took the dirt road detour where there was road construction and nearly got stuck. I just went where the detour arrow pointed. It would probably have been better if we'd just turned around, instead of bumping and jumping around. I wonder if someone moved the arrow to point to the dirt road as a joke. :?
My dear, dear, dear friend Shelby called me today. We haven't talked to each other in almost four months, due to the fact that I'm an airhead and lost her phone number. No, she doesn't have Internet and can't get onto her email at school, and no, I don't have her home address. I should have asked for that. Anyways, we talked for awhile and she gave me her new number, and we're planning to get together sometime this summer or next Christmas! Shelby is so awesome. I love that girl so much. She's the greatest. And she broke up with her boyfriend, which is even greater. I really, really, really did not like him. He made me feel rather nervous and anxious. Maybe I'm just naturally suspicious of anyone who could potentially hurt my friends. I'm this kind of girl-"Break her heart and I'll break your face." Lol.
Well. I'm going to go to bed now. Ta.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
pondering night...
All quiet.
Not a sound in the night.
Even the dog across the way
Fails to speak his mind.
All still.
Not a breeze nor a flutter
Of the branches and leaves.
Perfect silence.
All dark.
Not a star shines through
The deepening clouds.
Streetlights out.
All quiet,
Save for the thoughts
Swirling through minds
Without end,
Pondering night.
Prom is tonight. And I'm not there.
Not a sound in the night.
Even the dog across the way
Fails to speak his mind.
All still.
Not a breeze nor a flutter
Of the branches and leaves.
Perfect silence.
All dark.
Not a star shines through
The deepening clouds.
Streetlights out.
All quiet,
Save for the thoughts
Swirling through minds
Without end,
Pondering night.
Prom is tonight. And I'm not there.
Friday, May 1, 2009
excursions...
No poetry, and no journal entry. That will come tomorrow. Promise. Maybe.
Photos of random fun-ness, all taken by me. :) I know I suck at it, but hey, taking pictures is fun.
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