Life of a High Schooler

What is Quality?

2012-02-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

I've been putting this post off for several days now because I just wasn't sure how to start it. But now I think I do.
I'm in high school. And sometimes, high school can get really tough and the teachers always tell you to do your best and show quality work. But my question is this. What is quality? What the hell is quality?! There are nineteen different definitions of quality. And because of those nineteen different definitions, an actual definition of quality can't be found. It would be like closing your eyes, running your finger up and down the numbers, picking one blindly and saying "Yep, that's quality!". It just doesn't work that way.

Quality can't be defined by one single thing, because there's too many things that are pegged to quality. In my AP English class at school I recently read an excerpt from a fictional and philosophical book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values written by Robert M. Pirsig in 1974. The author, Pirsig, makes his main character reflect on a hiking trip he took with his son. In those couple of paragraphs I remember something that the character said about the mountain that he and his son were going to climb and all the different ways of getting through the mountain.

Pirsig writes about the mountain and how "For more than three centuries now the old routes common in this hemisphere have been undercut and almost washed out by the natural erosion and change of the shape of the mountain wrought by scientific truth. The early climbers established paths that were on firm ground with an accessibility that appealed to all, but today the Western routes are all but closed because of dogmatic inflexibility in the face of change."

The way Pirsig writes about the mountain and all its different paths is how I think of quality. Quality has so many definitions to its name that nobody really knows how to comprehend what quality actually is. Quality doesn't hold the same meaning to me as it does to anyone who reads this post. Just like forming new paths in the mountain, quality has a different feeling and different definition to each and every person. Quality doesn't have a solid definition and maybe that's why kids at school get frustrated when they're told to produce quality work. Because they don't know what quality work is. But maybe having no solid definition will make people stop and think about what they are going to do with their life.

But that is something that I haven't quite figured out yet.

Finals Week

2012-01-26T20:38:00.000-08:00

I've Finals Week this past week and this is an essay that I wrote for my American Studies class. We had to write about Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal Program and whether or not it was effective in helping America and how the role that the federal government played inproved or not. I am quite proud of it. Here it is:

In the year 1929 the stock market in New York City crashed and millions of dollars were lost. After the crash, the people of America were understandably frightened and they were looking to President Hoover for help. He helped as much as he could, but the people kept demanding for more and more resources. American’s were almost at their wits end when a new President was elected. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected in 1933 and soon after he moved into the Whitehouse, he started to implement plans to help America get out of its slump. Not only did these plans become known as The New Deal and they helped America get back on its feet, they also changed the role the federal government played.

Before FDR was elected President, as stated above, the stock market crashed. This shows that the federal government took more of a “hands off” approach in how they dealt with businesses and people’s lives in general. Because the federal government did not oversee those businesses as good as they should have, those businesses in turn helped to fill the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with their money. When the NYSE crashed, all of that money was lost and those businesses were going out of business and were more than likely filing for bankruptcy. Businesses’ filing for bankruptcy does not reflect the federal government in a good way. The federal government should’ve been overseeing those businesses a lot better but they weren’t.

Due to businesses closing down, there were a lot of American’s that couldn’t find work. Before President Roosevelt got elected in 1933, there were approximately twelve million people that weren’t farmers that were unemployed. That is quite a large number. But as soon as he started implementing his New Deal strategies, the unemployment started going down and by 1937 the amount of workers that were unemployed reached approximately seven million. The unemployment rose for a bit for a year before it continued to fall dramatically. Between the years 1943 and 1945, America had seen its lowest unemployment rate ever since the stock market crashed: between six thousand and one point five million people were still unemployed. That is quite a drop from the twelve million people that were unemployed when Roosevelt became president in 1933. The number of people that were still jobless by 1945 proved that the New Deal strategies that Roosevelt had implemented were doing their job in helping America get back on its feet.

Although the President before Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, had the ideas to start the Civilian Conservation Corp, also known as the CCC, it was FDR who came up with the resources to make it actually happen. The CCC provided millions of jobs to young men to make trails in state and national parks and to re-plant trees. The jobs that the CCC provided helped those young men prepare for the future and what was to come.

Another thing that seemed futuristic and some critics called it “militaristic”, was the introduction of Social Security (SS) Numbers. SS numbers were given to each person that applied for a job. With these SS numbers, the federal government kept tabs on the money that got taken out of each workers pay-day. Every year the federal government would look at the workers work history and when it came time to retire, the government would look at all of a persons work history to decide how much money they would get back from the government. It took several years to get the kinks out of this program and it took even more years to give a SS number to a person once they were born instead of when they applied for a job.

Over the span of sixteen years the role that the federal government played improved greatly. Some people appreciated the involvement of the government, some thought the govt. was becoming too involved, and others still wanted more help. The govt. was becoming more and more involved in people’s lives and businesses, both big and small, which is what they should’ve done in the very beginning. The New Deal strategies that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt implemented all those years ago improved America, albeit slowly. So much improvement came to America that some of the New Deal parts still exist today!

That's a Wrap!

2012-01-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ok I think these are the last pics of my Summer 2011 Vacation that I will put on cuz they are the best and some of my favorites ♥
AND I'M TERRIBLY SORRY FOR BEING SO SLOW AT POSTING THESE!

Me sittin at a bench while the pretty sun sets

This is beautiful

Snow in the Mountain on the way home! Incredible!

A kite in the sky

Black and white of Cape Meares Lighthouse

Down Memory Lane

2011-09-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

The last time I was here there was a bench...but not anymore. But I still like this picture too

Overhead view of Arcadia Beach

A really old house!

Some more mussel things

I was requested to put this one on here...so here ya go

More Pictures!!

2011-09-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Reflection and People

Cape Meares Light House~Black&White

Sun in the Corner

The Octopus Tree!

Macro of Barnacles~Arcadia Beach, Or

More Summer Vaca Pics

2011-09-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

My new friend!!

My little crab friend!!

Some waves

Another shot of Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Or. My Fav:)

A Beautiful Sunset

An Adventure without Words...well mabybe a few

2011-09-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, I'm sorry that I didn't start putting pictures on here last night, but I was tired after school. And my eyes burned from whatever crap is out in the yard and I had a killer head-ache. But that's no excuse. So here, today, I will start putting those pictures on. Here's the first five:

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon

A different shot of The Rock

Some grasses...the dunes

Twin Rocks in Rockaway Beach, Or. (aka the lochness monster)

Reflections

I deeply apologize

2011-09-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have meaning to put pictures of my summer vacation on this blog of mine, but I just started school as a junior in high school on the sixth of Sept. so I've been really busy. But, I promise you that shortly after I get home from school on Friday afternoon, I will start putting pictures on here. Some of them won't be all that nice, just touristy stuff, but a lot of them will be beautiful :)

Vacation 2011 :)

2011-08-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

So, for the past six days, I have been in the most beautiful place ever. The Oregon Coast. I have been coming to the Coast for all my life, give or take the few years we didn't go because of money and stuff. Anyway, this place is breathtaking, absolutely amazing. We left last Saturday at six in the morning...I had to get up at five. We stopped that night in The Dalles at a Super 8. The next morning, Sunday, we continued our journey to the Coast. I think the scariest part was going through the Portland Interchange...never want to do that again.

Once we got to our hotel/cabin thing, we unloaded the car, and hit the beach. I was so excited to be there, hadn't been there since 2009, so that's a two year wait. Our first night there, we ate at this smokehouse place and just chilled. My parents and I were super tired.

Monday, our second day there was filled with activities. We started our day shopping in the town, and I bought stuff, it was fun. We had lunch soon after that and then headed down the highway to another little beach town for more shopping. Our dinner that night was at my favorite restaurant ever! It's called Mo's and I had the most amazing grilled cheese and fries; it was so good.

Our third day there, Tuesday, was spent trying to find this little lighthouse that's only thirty-eight feet tall. The information my mom found said that from our location it would only take about a half hour to get there. Well that didn't exactly happen. It took us two flippin hours to find that stinkin lighthouse and once I saw it, it wasn't that special. After lunch in a parking lot, we headed to Tillamook for the most amazing ice-cream ever. It was so delicious!!!!

On Wednesday, the fourth day of beach heaven, we went back to another beach that we'd been to in the past and wanted to see again. It was nice to see it again but the weather didn't exactly help. That day was so windy, I thought I would have one of those "Wizard of Oz" moments. For the second half of the day, we headed to another beach, my choice mostly, and I saw some horses on the beach. They were being rented to ride. I would have loved to do that! But...I don't know how to ride. So that idea is out. And for dinner we had pizza. Yum!

Today, our fifth day and last day here, and also Thursday, my mom and I did some more shopping before lunch. It was a nice day and only a little bit windy. After lunch, we all headed to another beach that neither of us has been to before, and it was so much fun! There was this huge, and I mean huge, pile of driftwood all jammed up. I was climbing on it and kinda fell. I didn't break anything thank god. I also saw a lot of pelicans! There were nearly 25-30 pelicans and I was nearly 90-100 feet away from them. It was such a spectacular sight; to see them dive into the water for their food. For dinner my parents went to a Mexican restaurant while I stayed behind and had leftover pizza and Skyped with my boyfriend. He is so amazing and I love him so much.

So, after I had finished Skyping, we started loading up the car with all our crap. We're going to hopefully leave by six again, which means I have to get up at five again. Ugh. But I shouldn't complain.

I've had such an amazing time here, and I really wish that we can come again next summer. And maybe I can get my senior pictures done here too. At my absolute favorite place on earth.

The Way I Feel

2011-08-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I'm so sorry that I haven't written anything in long while. I've been busy with Driver's Ed, getting ready for vaca, turning sixteen, and lots of other stuff. Last night, on the 7th, I was up late working on this poem and therefore I apologize if things don't sound gramatically correct. I'm usually not one for sharing feelings where thousands of others can see...but this time is okay I think. My friends don't know about this blog of mine. Well...here it is.

Title: The Way I Feel

As soon as I see your name,
my heart starts to pound,
I can't hear any sound,
and I feel no shame.

We were both struck by the arrows of Cupid,
the bow is still quivering,
it's leaving me shivering,
and I hope and pray that I won't ever say something stupid.

You love me for who I am,
even when my crazy Italian side comes out,
I wonder if that ever makes you want to shout,
but I know you'll always be as gentle as a lamb.

There are many things in the world and I don't know it they're true,
there's one thing I know for sure,
I love you and it has no cure,
but I hope that some day I'll be able to show you.

This is honestly real,
don't think it came from out of the blue,
remember all the things that I've told you,
I said them because it's the way I feel.

Summertime Fun :)

2011-07-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

I was downtown several days ago with my parents and I wanted to take some pictures of the big water fountain that the little kids play in. I just wanted the neat water shots. But what I actually got was a lot better. A once in a lifetime shot I think...but maybe not. Here it is!

WOW! I missed it again...

2011-06-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

This is the second year in a row that I've missed my own blogeversary...how sad is that?! I haven't been there lately and when I checked my e-mail, I had a comment on my latest post and the person said "Happy Blogeversary!" What?! How did that happen?! Sure enough, I remembered the date I started it [the blog] and I'm like "Crap I missed it again!" But next year...I'll be sure to remember it! Hahaha

Suck it Up and Get Over It

2011-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

I've been debating on whether or not to put this on here, let alone even writing it. But I've put this off for too long, I need to get this out in the open. I have many friends, both guys and girls, and I love them all. But I have one friend that has started to drive me crazy quite a lot lately.

This friend of mine has problems at home and she has problems with guys and problems with classes and problems with teacers. I get that, everybody does. But what's different about my friend is that she has such a sour attitude when she's pissed. Her attitude is like a repellent. She gets all silent and mopey (is that a word?) and it makes her friends, including me, want to get away from her and her attitude.

I guess that's why I'm writing this post, to voice my frustrations I can't say out loud to anyone. I'm tired of keeping it all inside. I'm getting so frustrated with my friends mood-swings. Everytime I try to ask her what's wrong, just simple answerable things, she glares at me and tears me apart, and I know it's not because of her period. When my friend gets all mopey the way she does, it's almost as if she's putting us ( me and other friends) on a guilt trip as if we did something wrong. And whenever we try to comfort her she gets even angrier.

Another thing that bothers me about my friends attitude is that whenever she complains about the problems she's having, it's almost like she doesn't think that any one of her other friends has problems; like at home or school or whatever.

I know this sounds like I'm complaining about my friend, but really, I'm not. I'm just frustrated with her at the moment. She's a great friend, and I love her dearly, but for right now, all I can say is, "Suck it up and get over it already before all your friends ditch you..."

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day. A day to treat your mom, or step-mom to a new side of you. You may be the type of kid who talks back to your parents or doesn't do your homework or whatever teenagers do. But when your mom tells you things like:

"Clean your room"
"Make your bed"
"Do your homework"
"Get off the computer"
"Hurry up or we'll be late!"

She is really doing what's best for you. Parents watch their kids grow up and pretty soon they're thinking to themselves "Where did the time go?"

Don't be one of those kids who never spends time with your parents or whatever.

Today is Mother's Day, so go to your mom, and say that you love them. Because although you may not realize it, that's what she's saying to you everyday; even if it's not said in words.

I love you mommy! ♥

Life is a road you can't ignore

2011-04-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been learning some things about life. Things like this:

1) Guys are a specimen that are either one thing or another. They are either really good friends or they're mean idiots.

2) School is a place to learn things that may or may not help me in the future, and I'm okay with that. Another thing that school has is geometry, no comment there...

3) Friends are my rocks, they would do anything for me

4) Family are those people that hound you to do your homework or to brush your teeth or to feed the dog or whatever. Even though you think your family is caaaaaarrrrraaaaaaazy, they're your parents and they know what they're doing. Trust me, I have parents, and sometimes I think they're crazy, but they only want what's best for me

5) Life. I'm learning Life every single minute of every single day. Life is a road. A road that must not be ignored. And I'm not ignoring it.

Sorry I haven't been on in awhile...school is very dominant...

Invisible Children

2010-12-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well folks, this is my post about Invisible Children (IC). I've been meaning to post, but I've been putting it off as you can see. There's just so much information on them, that I didn't know how to get it all down. But without further ado, here it is:

Seven (almost eight) years ago, in the year 2003, three young men from San Diego, California embarked on an adventure unlike any other. The three young men, Bobby Bailey, Lauren Poole, and Jason Russell, decided that they needed to find an incredible story in the world. They decided to go to Uganda, Africa with simple recording equipment and camera's to film their story. With the help from friends and family, they raised the money to go to Uganda. Once they arrived in Southern Uganda, they searched for their story but they found nothing.

They then crossed into Northern Uganda and everything took a drastic turn. Bobby, Lauren, and Jason had found their story. A story where children were being kidnapped and trained to be child soldiers. A story where the girls would be raped by the older army men. A story where children would kill other children, where limbs would be hacked off, where the tribes people get placed in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. A story where horrific things were happening, but was invisible to to the rest of the world. The problem was this:

"The war in Northern Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today. For the past 21 years the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)and the Ugandan government have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle. The Ugandan government has failed to protect it's citizens from this rebel militia that has murdered young mothers and buried the young, leaving an entire generation of youth that has never known peace..."

First Con: Everyone standing w/ Jacob

When Lauren and the guys returned back to their home in San Diego, they put all the footage together and put out their first documentary, Invisible Children: Rough Cut. Fast forward seven (almost eight) years to 2010. It's April 2010 and I was sitting in my history class watching this documentary. I felt compelled to do something, to help. And I got my chance. Two Ugandan's and Invisible Children, Inc. roadies came to my school to share what was happening in Northern Uganda. Jacob and his mentor, Peace, were very inspiring to listen to; they spoke at the very first IC Convocation (con) at my school and I was a part of that. I felt good getting the awareness out; at our con, in the beginning, several students performed John Lennon's Imagine. Then the roadies showed another IC Documentary, from 2005, titled Legacy. The name of the film fit well with the name of the tour, The Legacy Tour. All of this happened when I was a Freshman in high school.

Me standing w/ James after school

Fast forward to September 2010, and I'm in my school's auditorium once again viewing another IC Con (Tour: Face to Face) put on by many of my friends as well as myself. At the beginning of the con, the dancers performed to a song called Be the Change by Mc Yogi. The middle of the con was a 2007 IC Documentary entitled Go and two more Ugandan's, James and his mentor Robert. The ending of the con was John Legend's If You're out There sung by more high schoolers. I was, once again, proud of all the hard work that we did. But now, I am a Sophomore. One year older, one grade higher, yet, I still have a long way to go. Run by the history teacher that I had as a ninth grader, our school as their very own IC club, called People Encouraging And Creating Equality, or P.E.A.C.E. I am the treasurer and I am proud to be the treasurer.

During the summer or club made Then and Now calendars to sell at the Grand Re-Opening of my high school to raise money for IC. We are still selling calendars and we are still raising and earning money for IC. We will raise money and I am not giving up hope that we can make a difference in the world. Whether in another country or your own community. Because if you're out there, go, and be the change that you want to see. For updates and more information and ways you can help, please go HERE!

In Honor

2010-11-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

I wrote this poem two years ago (I was 13 years old) for a contest at my middle school. I didn't win, But I'm still proud of it. I believe I put it on either that year, or just last year, I don't remember. Here it is:

Our veterans have fought or do fight side by side with one another.

They know what they are doing although they may be scared or afraid.

They know what they are doing although we may not.

For all the lives in the world living or dead, I pray the most for our brave troops.

America’s troops or as I like to call them, “America’s Warriors” need our strength.

They need our hope. Our love. Our faith.

What they need right now more than ever, is our optimism.

Because they give optimism, we need to return the favor and give it right back to them.

Our troops, veterans, soldiers, Warriors.

God bless America

Sophomore Year

2010-09-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, today was my first day of being a Sophomore at my high school. I had no trouble finding my classes, although I like some of them more than others. I like all my teachers, which is a really good thing, because then you form stronger connections. I will list my schedule below:

Per. 1) Fitness/Foods
Per. 2) Biology A
Per. 3) Geometry A
Per. 4) Spanish 1
Per. 5) Digital Photo 3
Per. 6) English 10A Honors

Those are my classes for first semester, but I think they will be the same for second semester as well. I wasn't as nervous for today as I was for the first day of school for my Freshman year; which is good thing. A very good thing.

I'm sorta tired because it was a long day of trying to get used to school again, but I will write more this weekend about my 'starting school adventures'.

But before I sign off, my friend gave me the most beautiful necklace that I've ever seen. I love it. A lot. I wore it today to school and I played with the charms subconsciously all day.

A Dedication

2010-08-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am like, waaaaaaaay behind on this, and I apologize from the very bottom of my heart. I just finished this yesterday. And yes, I was fourteen when I wrote it, but I'm fifteen now. Enjoy:

A Dedication
October 27th, 2009
Age: 14

This is a small writing piece for the DOR and her human friends and for Cactus Jack Splash and his horsy friends. In loving memory of...Ginger.

I can feel the sun on my back, the rays warming me.

I can feel the soft green grass, the luscious temperatures cooling my hooves.

I can feel the embrace of my loved ones, who are still way down there.

I can feel the new energy, because it’s coursing through me as I run.

I can hear the ground pounding beneath me, are those really my hooves?

I can hear my new horsy friends whinnying joyously; spring makes them feel young again.

I can hear the hummingbirds flitting about, aren’t the wings so pretty?

I can hear the streams flowing in the distance; the sound is relaxing and peaceful.

I can see my family below me, carrying on but still remembering.

I can see little creeks flowing lazily over the rocks.

I can see all around me, knowing that I will never leave this beautiful place.

I can see myself being happy for the rest of my time here.

Baby Name!!

2010-08-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know the name of my baby nephew and I've seen pics of him and he is so cute! I can't tell who he looks like more, my brother or my sister-in-law. The parents can tell but I can't. Oh well! It doesn't matter now. And, I just got back from vacation yesterday with my parents and it was so much fun! We went to Forks, Wa. and La Push, Wa. I had a fantastic time on this vaca mostly because I love the Twilight Saga books. But I am soooo not a major nut when it comes to the fan-base. I'm not as bad as some of the other tourists that I saw. I'm quite mellower. But I did get a shirt that says "Team Jacob" and another shirt that has a wolf on it and it says La Push on it too. It also says "Run with the pack beneath a full moon". I love it! I've liked Taylor Lautner since he was on Sharkboy and Lavagirl so I think it's fair to say that I like the wolf better than the vampire.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2010-08-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday today! I'm so excited! I turned 15 today! I had family over yesterday, and then today, I-well, I don't know how to tell you what I did, so I won't. But it was different, I can tell you that! And another piece of news is that I am an aunt! My sister-in-law gave birth yesterday to a health baby boy! I don't know the name yet, but I will soon! I'm so happy for my brothers! One is the dad, the other, an uncle! Well, that's it! TaTa for now!

My Sewing Projects: The pics

2010-07-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Alas! I have gotten pics of my different sewing projects! Getting the pics wasn't all that hard, but actually coming downstairs to get on the comp to put the pics on here; that took a little work. My mom kept saying I was procrastinating. Oh, but I'm not, See, here they are:

This first one is of the bag that's draw-string capable. It has the initials of my middle name on it, A*M, but without the little asterik mark.

The second one is of my reversible bag. The blue side is what you can see, but if you look closely, you can see some of the pink from the pink side!

The next one is of my pj bottoms! They're green and it says things like love the earth and what not. Like, going green. I love em!

The next pic is of me wearing the dress that I made! It's white with little blue flowers allll over it! It even has a button in the back that I sewed on by hand!

Okay, the very last pic is of the pj shorts that I made outside of the camp. It's kinda like t-shirt material. And they only have one pocket instead of two. And I know that they may look big, but once I draw the draw-strings, they will obviously fit!

Okay, so there ya have it! All the sewing projects that I did! See, mother, I didn't procrastinate!

Sewing Camp

2010-06-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I started a sewing camp. It is pretty fun actually. Once you get in a cycle, it's not that bad! The very first thing that I made was a pin cushion to put all my pins in. Oh migosh. The ending result for that was very ugly looking. I took my sewing machine and the crappy looking pin cushion home to show my parents. I left the pin cushion at home. I didn't want to look at it at camp. Anywho, the second thing that we made was a bag that was draw-string capable. It was fun to make and I was the first one done! On my bag was some embroidery work of the initials of my middle name. The letters are A and M. The next project that I worked on was another bag. But this time, a reversible one! I worked the rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday to finish the bag and I am so proud of it! I used a really pretty pink pattern for one side and a pretty looking blue pattern for the other side! I even made the straps. And then, after I made mine, all of the other little girls started copying me; wanting to make bags of their own. It was sweet.

But while I was working on finishing my bag on Wednesday, the rest of the class were starting on their pj bottoms. So I was behind. That didn't bother me any. I didn't mind it at all that I was behind. So it was Thursday when I started MY pj bottoms. But that was the day that everyone started their dresses! Ok, I was getting a little bit frazzled. But I told myself to calm down. I wasn't going to rush something just because I was behind. And I didn't. I took one step at a time, and eventually, I finished my pj bottoms on Friday! Yahoo they were done! And, the best part: They had pockets! I was the only student with pockets in them! Hehe! When I was finally done with the project I decided that I would take the sewing machine home and work on something there. I decided to make a hanging pillow thing for my friends girlfriend. I had the fabric embroidered on to get the letter A for her name.

So on Saturday, I started the pillow; and also on Saturday, I finished it! I even stuffed it all by myself too! Well, my mom helped me a little with the corners and spreading out all of the stuffing. I had a well rested weekend. If you consider cleaning your room in three days and having your guy friend over for dinner well resting. But I liked it. The whole weekend I mean.

So here it is, another week of sewing camp ahead of me! And I'm looking forward to it! And guess what?!!? I started my dress today! It's white with little blue flowers all over! And it has pleats in the front too! I'll be so excited when I am done!

And guess what ELSE?!!? I will post pics of all my creations, excluding the pin cushion, when I am all done with my dress! That way you get to see everything in one post!

I am perhaps the most idiotic person on the planet. Seriously.

2010-06-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

"School's out for summer! School's out for ever!" This song has been recently stuck in my head playing these two lines over and over. And it has a right to be. Because starting tomorrow, I have 4.5 days of school left! Yes! My Freshmen year at high-school is almost done and it's so hard for me to believe! But let me get back to the original point. The title.

Every school year since 7th grade I have gotten a yearbook. Well this year, I knew that my ninth grade yearbook was going to be huger and heavier than the two previous yearbooks that I had. I mean, it had four grades instead of two, fall/winter/spring sports, the seven different choirs, drama, leadership, elective classes, and a whole lot more is what the yearbook would have. I bought my $45.00 dollar yearbook the same time that I paid my second semester $15.00 digital photo fee. I thought nothing of the yearbook until the time that I needed to get it.

It was now May 28th, 2010. The day the yearbooks would be distributed. I was super excited. I mean, who wouldn't be?! During lunch I asked my friend where I could find the list to see if I could get my yearbook that day. You see, if your name wasn't on the list, you had to wait until Tuesday June 1st for your yearbook. Well, I went to the list and I looked at it. I didn't see my name on the list. It was alphabetical by last name and I did not see my name. Damn.

I did not get my yearbook on the 28th. I went through the rest of the school day in a tizzy. I was so mad. When my mom got home from work I told her what happened and she went on a rampage. We located the copy of the check that she wrote and I knew that that would help. I left a little earlier from my house on Tuesday to head to the Business Office to straighten out the problem. The lady I talked to was really nice and she used to work at my elementary school so she knew me better than most of the other students.

I told her what the problem was and she looked up my name on the computer and she said that I had paid. I was so confused and I asked her what the list was. She looked at me with a puzzled look. I told her about the list to the right of me, the one that my friend told me about at lunch.

The lady laughed, not meanly, and she said. "Oh that list is for seniors who haven't paid their fee's yet. You don't want to be on that list." I felt like the biggest idiot. I was so embarrassed and I still feel like an idiot. Ugh.

My Favorite Websites!

2010-05-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

This is going to be a short post today. I have recently realized that I have three favorite sites that I visit almost everyday. Maybe you have heard of them, maybe you haven't!

1) www.facebook.com is my most favorite! I am on it constently and whenever I miss school, I can always ask my friends on FaceBook what I missed!

2) www.mylifeisaverage.com is another one. I recently came across it and have become positively addicted to it!

3) www.mibba.com is the third and final one. It's a place where you can submit your own stories, journal entries, and poems. You can read and comment on other people's work. It's a really cool site where you can be free to do your own style of writing without someone telling you that it's not good to be writing. I myself have some poems and a short story on my account!

All of these sights are amazing in their own way! I just hope that you think so too!

Caffeine: My new science Project

2010-05-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Sometime last week, in science, we got a new project to work on. We had to pick a compound and research it. We could either do a poster, or make a model of our compound. I decided to do the easiest thing possible...the poster. This research activity is worth 50 points. Wow, that is a lot. Soooooo, the compound that I picked was Caffeine. And I felt like sharing this information with you because I wanted to. That's right. So here is what I had to research and the point value for each item.

*Formula for compound (2 pts)
- C8H10N4O2 (the numbers are supposed to be subscripts)

*Symbol, atomic number and mass, and group(family) for each element in your compound as found in the Periodic Table (2 pts)
- Carbon: C, 6, 12.011, 4
- Hydrogen: H, 1, 1.0079, 1
- Nitrogen: N, 7, 14.007, 5
- Oxygen: O, 8, 15.999, 6

*General properties of the compound (state of matter at room temperature, appearance, forms) (2 pts)
- State @ room temp.: Solid, Bitter
- Appearances: Odorless, White
- Forms: Powder or Crystalline

*Several examples of where the compound can be found (3 pts)
- Arabica Plant: Produces coffee beans
- Theobroma Cacao Plant: Produces the beans that are the primary ingredient in chocolate
- Kola Nuts: Many cola products are made from these
- Thea Sinensis Plant: Leaves are used for teas
- Some diet pills
- Some O.T.C pain relievers
- Some medicines

*Man-made (synthetic) or naturally occurring? (2 pts)
- The answer is both. Caffeine is naturally occurring but when the manufacturing process starts and it gets put into beverages and pills and such, then it's man-made.

*Whether it is saturated or unsaturated (2 pts)
- I have not a clue with this one because my teacher didn't help me when I asked and because this has to do with covalent bonding and hydrocarbons. Not the fat content.

*High quality drawing (structural formula) of the compound including bond types (a single, a double, or a triple) (5 pts)
- I haven't done this yet either because I don't know if the picture I found to draw from is correct or not

*Uses for compound that aren't human related (5 pts)
- I searched high and low for this answer and came to a conclusion that caffeine is made for human purposes only

*How is this compound obtained and used by humans (5 pts)
- caffeine is a natural stimulant, therefore it is a drug. Stimulants are a drug category. I learned that in health. Anywho, humans mostly get caffeine from beverages such as teas, coffees, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Caffeine mostly is used to ward of drowsiness and restoring alertness. But low levels of caffeine mixed with other stuff can help with Type 2 Diabetes, Low Blood Pressure, Asthma, and Gallbladder Disease.

*What happens if humans do not get this compound? (5 pts)
- Nothing bad will happen to humans if they don't have caffeine in their systems. But, there are plenty of bad things that can happen to you if you consume too much caffeine. You can get insomnia, headaches, anxiety, etc. based on a combination of dependency and a wide range of unpleasant mental/physical conditions. And one of the things you can get is Caffeine Intoxication and that is not fun for anyone who's experienced it before.

*Soluble or insoluble in water (1 pt)
- Caffeine is soluble in water

*Bring in a product/sample that contains your compound (2 pts)
- I'm bringing in a 20 fl oz Mountain Dew soda in a plastic bottle. There is 90 mg of caffeine in a 20 fl oz container of Mountain Dew

*Poster presentation/quality (10 pts)
- I can nail the presentation

*Use of class time (4 pts)
- We haven't used class time yet. Just home time

Be colorful and creative. Use pictures (from magazines) and drawing where appropriate. This project is due May 6th for periods 1, 3, and 5. It's due May 7th for periods 2, 4, and 6. And presentations start on the 11th and 12th of May. This is a 50 point assignment so do your best work!

Well, this is what my weekend is filled with because I have a four day weekend! Yay.....not. But at least I'm not procrastinating!

In a good Place

2010-04-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on my Invisible Children Post but I needed to do something so I wouldn't feel guilty. Some things have happened to me recently that I wasn't prepared for, let alone ever experienced before. I was super excited about these new feelings and so was the other side of the story. But then something happened and I don't know how it came about and I felt crushed. I was angry at the other side of the story as well as my own side. I was angry at myself because I thought I had rushed it and pushed too far. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I'll never know for sure. But after things finally settled down, and after things started looking up, I was feeling alot better. I'm in a wonderful place right now and I'm not gonna ruin it. I'm not gonna jump into things too fast like I did last time. I'm letting nature take its course and I think that's a better plan for me. But one more thing before I sign off: There's a new side of the story (aka, a guy). So for right now, I'm in a good place, and I'm liking it.

A new Post coming soon!

2010-04-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

There's a post that I'll be doing soon, it's all about The Invisible Children. I need to get the post all written down before I write it here so I can get everything right. I don't want to throw in any extra stuff. So be patient, it'll be here soon!

Oh...

2010-04-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

IT'S APRIL FOOL'S DAY TODAY! MAYBE I CAN GET IN A FEW TRICKS OF MY OWN...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AM I EVIL OR WHAT?! NAH, I'M NOT EVIL, BUT I LIKE A GOOD JOKE EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE!

My Olympic Poem

2010-03-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yaaaaay! I've finally been able to type up my Olympic poem and know I'm putting it on here. I wrote it two days before the closing Ceremonies, so that's why it may sound funny. So, here it is!:

Olympic Poem
February 26th, 2010
Age: 14

There comes a time every four years,
when we must come together/ rally around/ and send out cheers.

There’s only one word that surface’s when countries send their top picks,
that word is my favorite and that word is Olympics.

Watching the Olympics is quite entertaining,
and when the athletes see the gloomy weather they think ‘Oh shit, it’s raining!’

We’ve heard of accidents and seen many crashes,
even read about pre-Olympic gashes!

I’ve seen such grace and elegance on the rink/snow/ and air,
and some of the Bronze/Silver/ and Gold winners have won by the width of a hair!

Celski, Ohno, White, Vito, and Vonn,
these are just some of the athletes that will never be gone.

You’ve got hardships and trials of faith,
especially when you know that maybe you can alter the path of fate.

Although the Closing Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics are two days away,
the memories of these games will be in my head to stay!

Almost here!

2010-03-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I only have one thing to say today!: THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING IS TOMORROW! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So Busy!

2010-03-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so so sorry! I've been so busy with schoolwork lately, that I haven't been able to put up my Olympics poem. What I'm working on in Honors World History right know is a very lengthy process, but we're taking it one step at a time. We're working on our CBA, Classroom Based Assessment. It's a state-wide assessment and it's mandatory. I'm in the stages of writing my rough draft. What we had to do was to pick a conflict of history that we thought was the greatest conflict of that time period. We also have to compare our conflict with a current conflict within the last ten years. I picked the Unification of Italy and I'm comparing it to the Unification of Europe and the EU (European Union). That's why I'm so busy!

A twist with Personification

2010-02-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if any of you know what the word Personification means, so I shall tell you. Personification is a literary device that I use in my highschool English class. I never knew what it was until recently. What you do is you take an inanimate objects (pencil, pen, paper clip, etc.) and you give it a personality. It's almost like you give this object a life and a story. And I recently wrote a story using Personification. I will not tell you the object until the end of the story, but I want to see if anyone can guess before they get to the end of this post! Here it is!:

Personification: My Life
February 24th, 2010
Age: 14

My very first memory of life was actually painful. Not emotional, but physical. The first thing I remember was going through that punching machine. The punch slid over my body and I tried very hard not to cringe or squirm. It was painful, and I barely made it through without moving my body. But I was strong and I was proud of my life. The next order of business was heading out to the big world. I was terrified, but I was not alone. Thousands of others, like me, were heading out to meet the person that we’d spend the rest of our lives with. We were all grouped together and sent off to our masters. When I met mine, I was really proud to serve him. He never scolded me or put me down. The first few days were kind of boring, but then the rumbles came. They just kept coming and coming. I was scared and I shook all over. I rattled with nerves and fear, but my master always helped me overcome the fear. The part that I loved most about my master was his voice. It was so very soothing and relaxing. The rumbles soon became less apparent as long as I concentrated on my master’s voice.

But then my master left the place where we were, he didn’t need to be there anymore. And I went with him. I was put in a special box and was kept safe. But then one day, some years later, something tragic happened. My master left me. He left me one day and never returned. I was shocked and then sad and then angry. Then I became bitter and felt resentment towards everyone. Many years passed and I was probably forgotten. I never saw anyone.

But one day, many years after the tragic event, I heard a girl’s voice. I looked up at this young girl and I was surprised to see a mirror image of my master. I began to weep as she picked me up and cradled me. She looked at me inquisitively and asked many questions. I tried to answer her, but she could not hear me. From that moment on, I vowed that that girl would become my new master. I will treat her right and she will treat me right. I will help her to understand my first master. The one that this girl looks like, but doesn’t know.

Have you figured it out yet?! If you have, that's amazing. It you haven't, that's okay, I'll tell you. The inanimate object that I wrote about was my grandfather's dog-tag from the military. But I don't know what war it was though. Anyway, the "master" was my grandfather (my mom's dad). The "soothing sound of his voice" was the clarinet that he played in the army's band. The "rumbles" were like explosions or something that my grandfather would've experienced (I'm only guessing). And finally, the "girl" is me. I own his dog-tag now, and I won't lose it ever. He died before I was born, so I don't really know who he is. So when I wear the dog-tag and when I wrote this story, I feel/felt a connection.

A new STORY! ♥♥

2010-02-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

I wrote this story last December. It's not based on a true story perse, but it was sort of based on something that I wanted really badly. I changed the storyline, because none of my friends at school knows what this story truly means. But I do. Here it is!

Under the Mistletoe: Finally
December 14, 2009
Age: 14

The guy that I loved (and still do) ...was my best friend. He is the most sincere guy I know. He’s sweet, funny, and smart too! Blaine Johnson and I have known each other since we were little kids. He is always there for me if I need help. With anything. My friends have always told me that falling in love with your best friend (especially if your best friend is a guy) is the worst thing that can happen to you. And I did just exactly that. I fell in love with Blaine. Yup. I did.

When I first realized it, I thought that I was going crazy. But I wasn’t. A few months ago, in January, is when it happened. Blaine and I were walking home from school and I looked up at him and asked a question. But instead of answering me, he reached across with his hand and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind my ear.

I started seeing him differently after that incident. His blue eyes weren’t just blue anymore. They were such a vivid blue that I would get lost in them if I stared too long. And his black hair that laid so sloppily over his eyes changed too. I don’t know what happened. I made a vow to myself that I would tell him by the time my parents Christmas party came.

But what I didn’t know was that secretly, Blaine liked me back. Me! Can you believe that?! It was December 15th, five days till the Christmas party. I still hadn’t told Blaine my secret, but I wouldn’t have to wait long. When I came home from school that day, I asked my mom if Blaine could come to the party.

“Of course he can come, you silly thing!” She said it as if I was stupid or something!

On the day of the party, I was so nervous. Why couldn’t I have told him way back in January? Why did I have to wait for the party?! When the doorbell chimed at 7:00 on the twentieth of December, I leapt from the couch to answer it. When I opened the door, I found Blaine standing there looking so handsome. I asked him why he looked so nice (he’d never worn anything nice to previous parties) and he responded with a shrug.

I let it go. Fifteen minutes later, everyone else showed up. It was mainly my parents’ friends. Blaine and I headed up to my bedroom, the place where we always go during the Christmas parties. I flopped down on my bed and he flopped next to me. We were sitting up against the headboard when I put my head up against his shoulder. He put his arm around me and we sat there quietly for several minutes.

I got up to go and get some food when I felt a soft tug on my wrist. I turned and saw that Blaine had stood up too. Before I knew it, he was giving me the softest of kisses. I looked down at my shoes with cheeks burning. He looked at me with an injured expression. “Didn’t you like it?” I shook my head ‘yes’ while still looking down at my shoes.

I felt his gentle fingers lift up my chin and he saw that I was crying. He gave me another soft kiss and pointed upward. I looked up and saw some mistletoe taped to the top of my door jam. I gave him a questioning look. He laughed.

“I put it there before I sat on your bed.”

I smiled and told him to stay right where he was. I went downstairs and got some food for the two of us. By the time I got back to my bedroom, Blaine had stayed. I handed him a plate and we sat back down on my bed. I was starving, so I ate everything on my plate. I put it on my nightstand, and curled up against Blaine. He put his arm around me again and I snuggled closer. We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. It turned out that I didn’t have to tell Blaine at all. It was like we silently told each other. It’s been a month since those two kisses happened and more have happened since.

But those two kisses felt like they happened just yesterday and that’s how I want to keep it.

A fallen Warrior

2010-02-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

A little over a week ago, Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie had a stroke. Capt. Phil and many other crab fishermen in Alaska are a part of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. I LOVE THAT SHOW! But I learned the most saddest thing a few nights ago. Capt. Phil had died because of the stroke. I wrote a poem in dedication. Here it is:

Oh Captain, My Captain: A dedication to Capt. Phil Harris (1956-2010)
February 10, 2010
Age: 14

When the sad sad news rang across the air into my ears,
I was surprised to not find tears.

I had just found out that Capt. Phil was dead,
and my surprise was so strong it filled his beloved Bearing Sea with red.

On the boat Capt. Phil was careful with life,
especially his sons he’d cut the ropes away with a knife.

The ‘Brothers’ of the Bearing Sea will rally and unite,
because losing a ‘Brother’ is just something they cannot fight.

I wish I could go back in time to prevent Capt. Phil from doing the bad stuff, but that would be impossible because he’s just way to tough.

Although Capt. Phil has passed away,
his life and legacy are here to stay.

In a Mood

2010-02-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Homework's been so hectic lately but I'm in the eye of the storm right now. Here's another of my rhyming poems! I think it's pretty good. I wrote it sometime last week when I was 'In a Mood'.

In a Mood
February 1st, 2010
Age: 14

Have you ever been in a rotten mood,
cause if you have you’ve just gotta lean back and say... ‘dude.’

Don’t take your anger out on your friends,
cause they might think you’re mad at them and the story can twist and bend.

Just take the days slowly one at a time,
and pretty soon it’ll get easier for your days to rhyme.

Wait until the sound rings clear and true,
then you’ll have a clue on what to do.

Relax and take a break,
but maybe that won’t work and you’ll growl “Let them eat cake.”

Be light and airy and spin on the rings,
and maybe you’ll become a fairy with blue and silver streaked wings.

Have you ever been in a rotten mood,
cause if you have you’ve just gotta lean back and say... ‘dude.'

A new poem

2010-02-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

This Saturday that we just had, I wrote a poem. Only a few close people know what it really means. It rhymes and it sounds pretty awesome. So, here it is!:

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?
January 30, 2010
Age: 14

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?

“Love is in the air,”
I hear it everywhere.
I’ve never felt love at all,
so it’s like my life’s gonna fall.

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?

Those brilliant eyes that I see three times a week,
makes my mouth go dry so it’s like I can’t speak.
Sometimes it feels like I’m gonna shed a tear,
and that’s the biggest fear that I can’t possibly bear to hear.

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?

My schedule is the one that’s correct for the class that we share,
it’s his that’s screwed up and that’s so totally not fair!
When he walks in the room my heart jumps like a pouncing cat,
and I stare so dumbly so you might as well call me a bat.

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?

I keep my friend posted fore she’s the only one who knows,
and when I tell her things into her head it goes.
She’s promised to help me in fulfilling my quest,
so I only hope that she does her very best!

Love: Is it real, or is it just a Wife’s Tale?

My French Revolution Essay

2010-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I'm in the 9th grade and as a freshman, you are learning things that are more in depth that what your used to. Lately, I've been learning about France and it's Revolution in 1789. Because our last day of 1st Semester is on Friday, January 15th, we have to do something called a 'Summative Assessment' and it's an essay on the French Revolution. Doing each step is very methodical in the way that we have to work it. The Graphic Organizer was due last week. The Rough Draft is/was due today. The Works Cited page was due last week. And last but not least, the Final, is due January 14th at the start of the period. Some rules about the final are that it has to be typed, it has to be in Times New Roman, it has to be 12pt font size, the margins have to be 1", and it has to be double spaced. So here's my Essay on the French Revolution:

France: Once Glorious, Now in Ruins

     1789. The year that started it all. With Louis XVI (the 16th) as King, with economic troubles on the rise, and with France’s population being split into three Estates, all Hell will break loose. In the late 1780’s in France there were some problems. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the King and Queen of France, made a bad set of monarchs. And while the Third Estate tried to become politically involved, other problems became larger as well.
     With King Louis XVI, an incompetent monarch leading the people of France, problems are about to emerge. Unknowingly, King Louis XVI became one of the causes of the French Revolution. He was slow at making decisions, so therefore, problems became bigger. The poor people of France became poorer under the reign of the King. “The children were terribly ragged.” (Arthur Young- Travels in France- 1788). They had no shoes or stockings either. King Louis XVI obviously did not have the know-how to take care of the people of his country. Although King Louis was called a king, he really did not act like one, and was not fit to rule.
     Another deadly cause of the French Revolution was the Economic Crisis that was going on in the years of 1788 and 1789. In those two years, the devastating crop results were badly received by the people of France. There was a slowdown in manufacturing, and that led to food shortages, rising prices for the food, and unemployment. And, the lives of the poor people of France reached crisis mode on the eve of the Revolution. Here’s an example of how the economy was bad: In August of 1788, a commoner who worked with wallpaper and earned roughly $15.00 a day, paid 60% of their wages on bread. A year later in 1789 however, that same wallpaper commoner had to pay 97% of their wages on bread (Economics of the French Revolution chart). As you can see, the economy had very bad problems in those two years. It really added to the stress and fear of many people that a revolution might be coming to their doorstep.
     Three. That is the number of groups that France’s population was split into. The First Estate, made up of the clergy (church people), the Second Estate, made up of the nobility, and the Third Estate, made up of the peasants/commoners of France. Each of these three Estates in France added to the French Revolution in a major way. Both the First and Second Estate’s were rich and tax exempted! But it was the Third Estate that carried the brunt of it. In Abbé Sieyès’s pamphlet from 1789, What is the Third Estate? he asks, “What is the Third Estate?” The answer? “Everything.” The Third Estate had all of the taxation and barely any of the money! (Spielvogel 548). Most of the Third Estate and a few members of the First and Second Estates were ready for change. The Third Estate wanted to be a part of the political order in France, but they had a long road in front of them. A road that more or less led them to the French Revolution.
     With the fact that France had a bad leader, bad money problems, and a gap between the rich and the poor, it is no wonder that they had a revolution coming towards them. Now, in today’s time, there are multiple reasons why people would want to start a ‘revolution’ of sorts here in America. With Obama’s so-called new health-care plan, many people of our country are becoming angrier each minute. Another reason for American citizens to be angry is the shutting down of Guantanamo Bay; the people do not want alleged terrorists to be running around loose. Let’s hope and pray that America doesn’t come to a ‘revolution’ because I am just a kid, and I would not want to see the nation crumbling in front of me.

So many things at once!

2009-12-31T11:45:00.000-08:00

Migosh! Is it really New Years Eve?! My winter break has gone by so fast! It started on the 21st and now, I have to go back on the 4th of January! During my break, I had two major projects to do. One for Language Arts (or English if you're picky) and the other for my Digital Photography class. I'll let you know more about them when I have more time. As far as the Holidays go, I was busy then too! On Christmas Eve, my mom and I went to my gramma's house. My dad showed up later because he had to work. Also at my gramma's were my mom's two brothers and their wives (which are my uncles and aunts).

Christmas morning, my parents and I opened the rest of our presents and our stockings.

Later that day, we went to one of my brother's apartments here where I live. At the apartment were his older brother and wife (which is my other brother and my sister-in-law) and their mom was there to. And we all found out that the brother that's married is also gonna have a kid! My sister-in-law is 8-9 weeks along, I'm gonna be an aunt when the kid is born, my dad is gonna be a grampa, and the supposed due date is my birthday! August 1st! But babies are rarely born on their due dates right? I was supposed to be born at the end of August, but I wasn't.

On Saturday, I did nothing except work on my two projects and go to Wal-Mart. I bought a new iPod when I was there. It's blue and you can listen to the radio on it. On Sunday, my parents, me, my two brothers and sister-in-law went to the movie theatre and saw 'The Blind Side'. It was so good.

On Monday, my brother and SIL took me back to the mall to get me something for Christmas. I really needed new jeans, so we had some lunch at the food court and then headed to Khols. I tried on like 6 or 7 pairs of jeans and could not find any that fit me or that I liked. So they ended up just getting me a $50 Khols Gift Card. Later that day, my brother and SIL flew back to California where they live. I really miss them during the time that they're not here.

I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A HAPPY (insert here) THIS YEAR. SAY HELLO TO 2010 IN (insert here) HOURS!

STARBURSTS!

2009-12-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

This is a "magazine ad" that I made in PhotoShop at school today. Sometime last week, I had to do my product photography session. What you had to do was bring in something to take pictures of, then you had to set up a time. After you got your session scheduled, then you took the Nikon D60 camera (owned by the teacher) and took pictures of your product. You could change the fabric background, the height of the tripod, the lighting, and a bunch of other things. The product that I brought in was Starbursts, ya know, the candy? Well, I took pictures of them. When we were done, we had to create two "magazine ads": one single product, one multiple product. Keep in mind that both "ads" were on the same product. My "ad" was for a Wal-mart ad.

Cranberry-Pineapple Minis

2009-11-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hey faithful readers!

Remember how I told you that I would post the recipe of the dish I made for Thanksgiving? Well, I didn't do it yesterday because I guess I forgot. But here is the recipe. And instead of putting them in mini muffin papers, my mom and I put the mix into a bowl.

Cranberry-Pineapple Minis

1 Can(20 oz.) Crushed Pineapple, in juice (brand doesn't matter)
2 pkg.(3 oz. each) JELL-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin
1 Can(16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
2/3 cup chopped Walnuts
1 Apple, chopped

DRAIN pineapple, reserving juice. Add enough water to juice to measure 2-1/2 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil. Pour over gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.

STIR in pineapple, cranberry sauce, walnuts, and apple. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.(WE DID NOT DO THAT!!!!)

REFRIGERATE 2-1/2 hours or until firm. Remove liners.

p.s This is so good!

Happy Thanksgiving (sorry I'm late)

2009-11-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving! I know I'm totally late, but I was really busy yesterday! The dinner I had was amazing. And I even helped make a dish; in fact, I made the whole dish! I forgot what it's called but it's a jello something. I'll do another post tomorrow with the name and recipe!

My Quarter Grades from School!

2009-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

My school just had the ending of 1st Quarter a couple weeks ago and I got my 1st Quarter grades this Monday. I am so proud of myself! Here they are:

Science: A
Intro to Fitness: A
Honors English: B
Digital Photography 1: A
Honors World History: A
Integrated 1 (or Algebra 1): A

For being in high school, I think that these grades are pretty good!

Flower

2009-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

I made this pic in PhotoShop at school. It's originally a red flower that my mom took, but I put it in Ps and darkened the background alot. It was actually an accident but it looked really cool.

So Sorry!

2009-11-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy with my high school life that I haven't been able to finish my post about my trip to Leavenworth! I don't like all the busyness about high school, but I'll have to get used to it.

Color Carnival # 1

2009-10-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is my first Color Carnival. This neat little design (I don't know if it has a name or not) that you see before you is something I drew. I learned how to draw them in my 8th grade math class. But, the circle and dots were pre-printed. So I wanted to see if I could draw it on regular graph paper. And I can! Check back HERE for more colorful photos!

Enjoy your day!

Writings 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20

2009-10-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some more short writings from my little writing book!:

#16- Life- 1/27/07
What do you like better: How you treat your life, or how it treats you? It’s your choice.
Age: 11

#17- Family- 7/13/07
Sunsets bring you peace. Ocean waves bring you comfort. But, what does family bring? Family brings you infinite happiness.
Age: 11

#18- When it’s Raining- 12/23/07
When it’s raining outside it’s like the clouds are crying. The clouds could be crying for something lost or something gained. The clouds could be crying for any reason really. But, when they’re crying everybody will know it for they can see the tears falling.
Age: 12

#19- Good Choices- 1/17/08
Always make good choices in life. If you don’t, the bad choices may haunt you for the rest of your life.
Age: 12

#20- Sunshine- 1/20/08
The rays of the sunshine give you warmth and happiness. Even right down to the depths of your darkest days.
Age: 12

My Strong Old Life

2009-09-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

I wrote this short story Sunday night.

My Strong Old Life
September 28, 2009
Age: 14

Many years ago, my siblings and I were born. There were three of us. I’m old now, but here’s my life story: I was the runt between my siblings and I. They were worried about me. I couldn’t eat or drink. But I proved them wrong. I eventually started to grow, and I got taller than them. I grew and grew and grew. One year when I was in my adolescent years, some men came and took one of my siblings away from me. I flailed my arms and screamed for them to not take her away. But the men didn’t listen. The next day, the dreadful men came back, and they took my other sibling away from me. I knew they wouldn’t stop, so I didn’t even try to stop them. I was afraid that they would come back for me, but they didn’t. But I didn’t let my siblings departures keep me tied down either. I continued to grow, and I admit, I did grow a lot rounder. I continued to soar to great heights. When I grew as tall as I could, I watched over my neighborhood. My home for as long as I live. I still live there. And I’ll continue to keep watch. As long as my strong old life lets me.

* I was inspired to write this after I read an article about California’s Redwood Forests. *

Urban Ink Poster

2009-09-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is another poster that I designed on PhotoShop. It's a picture I took of my own feet on the track at school. I also used another free tutorial to make it. It was a lot simpler than my first poster.

I also completed my Digital Photo Pass. It looks awesome but I'm not able to post that, so here's the poster. Enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Design a Contemporary Poster

2009-09-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

I did this in Digital Photography. DP is a class that I have at school. And we do all kinds of stuff with pictures. Sometime last week, we started this project and I finished it today. If you have PhotoShop, then you can do this. Here's what you do:

1: Go to Google
2: Type in Photoshop Tutorial
3: Click on the second entry
4: Scroll down & click on Page 2
5: Click on Design a Contemporary Poster and follow the instructions

Here's what I came up with! Our PhotoShop at school didn't have some of the brushes, so I improvised! Also, my computer wouldn't let me do a lens flare, so I improvised there too!

Let me know what you think!

Don't know what

2009-09-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've kinda run out of stuff to blog about. It's always been easy, but I don't know why it's not easy right now. I assure you that in a few days, I will have something new to write.

Flying

2009-09-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I was in my school library, I wrote a poem. I titled it flying and I have no idea why. That usually happens a lot.

Flying
August 31st, 2009
Age: 14

Flying is fun, it’s the only time when I’ve felt like I’ve won.

Being so high in the sky, feeling as if the worries will just pass me by.

No worries to tie me down, not wanting to be back on the ground.

Passing by the clouds so smooth and white, but don’t worry they don’t bite!

The light cast upon me feels so warm, I never feel the coming storm.

What I know is that there’s nothing to fear, but my life is the one I should steer.

So yeah flying is fun, it’s the only time when I’ve felt like I’ve won.

P.S. Tell me what you think!

More about my school

2009-08-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

In my recent post, I wrote that I started high school. Well, It's my third day of school, and I think I'm doing pretty good. There are some things that I didn't mention earlier, so I'll describe them now. I have a special class (everyone does) called POD'S. It is a class of about 15 to 20 kids and you talk about what you want to be when you grow up. Career choices and stuff like that. You also talk about your senior culminating project. The teacher you have when your a freshman is the same teacher you have for all four years. Here's some more stuff you didn't know. I have four different schedules.

The first one is called a Plaid Day. They are on Mondays and you have all six classes. The second one is called a Green Day. On those days, you only have periods 1, 3, and 5. You have those Green Days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The third one is called a Gold Day. And you have periods 2, 4, and 6. Those days are Wednesdays and Fridays. The last schedule is called a Plaid/POD Day. You have all your classes PLUS your POD class. And you have your POD class between your 2nd and 3rd periods.

There is something called Student Access Time where you can come in early and get help on stuff or you can just kill some time in the library. But, I'll use it for help. You can go in from 7:35am to 8:15am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Also, I have different school starting times. Every Monday is 8:30am and Tuesday through Friday is 8:20am. That's a lot of info to remember isn't it?! Well, try being me and having to go through all these different times!

I'm as ready as I'll ever be

2009-08-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of high school. It was really difficult finding my classes because almost half of it is under construction. The other half is complete. There are three floors in my new school. And I'm totally not used to that yet. The lunch is okay. I had pizza today. During the middle of our schedules, we had an assembly and all grades were in the gym. The gym is really beautiful because it's brand new. There are also new rooms that look amazing but some of them have a funny smell. My first period is science, just plain 9th grade science and it is in a building that's separate from the main school. It's called the Field School, but the students and staff call it the 'Annex'. My second period is Introductory to Fitness in the gym. My third period is English 9A Honors. My fourth period is Digital Photography 1. And then I have lunch. My fifth period is 9 World History A Honors. And my sixth period is Integrated Math 1A. In that class we have to have a really big calculator and it's called TI-84. I will have more to talk about tomorrow when my brain isn't so full of stuff.

P.S. I did okay for my first day of school. I was a little tired, but I got woken up a bit. Other than getting lost, I think did okay!

I got a haircut!

2009-08-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

I bet that doesn't sound very exciting to all of you, but it does to me! When I got my perm in December of '08, I was happy to have curly hair. But then it started growing out and I had like two inches of straight and then the rest was curly. I became tired with it and I wanted something new. And that's exactly what I got. During last Thursday, I finally got my hair cut. I was so excited to finally get some of my mane cut off. The lady who did it, did a very nice job. I donated my hair for the third time when I got my hair cut. They only need six inches at the minimum and all the donated hair makes wigs for children with cancer. This organization is called Pink Heart Funds and you can go HERE for more information. I got a lot of my perm taken out, but what's left looks more natural. The pictures above are a before shot and an after shot!

The Narrator

2009-08-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is a story that I wrote in a day. It didn't take very long for me to do it because most of my stories don't need a lot of editing and revising. This one only needed a few tweaks. Enjoy!:

The Narrator
August 19, 2009
Age: 14

The Narrator. Yes, that’s what they call me. The Narrator this and The Narrator that. Now I know that some of you might (or must) ask me, is this: Who is they? That’s a good question. A very good one indeed. Now to answer your question. The answer is everyone, for everyone is they. Children, adults, authors. Old wrinkly men like me. It’s simple. Everyone is they. But let’s not dwell on the fact. The real reason why I’m finally speaking up by my own accord is because I’m sick and tired of people always calling me The Narrator. Just like I mentioned a little while back. You know, Narrators have feelings too. Sometimes I would like to be called a Wordweaver. For surly I can weave words, just like others can weave thread? Or sometimes I would like to be called a Teller. Because don’t all Narrators tell the stories to the listeners? So do they call me the names that I truly desire to be called? No they do not. So I am still called The Narrator. And that’s why I’ve stopped telling stories because no one will listen to me or my heart. I will not say another peep. You won’t hear my voice ever again. I’m going dormant like a volcano. What’s that? Did I just hear a peep from one of my dear listeners? Yes I did. Speak louder sweetling. Oh. You just called me Wordweaver. My heart has swelled with joy and just might burst with it. Oh I thank you to the utmost. You don’t know what that word means? Ah well, never mind that. My body is just tingling with pride and warmth all over. You want to hear a story now do you? Well all right. Only because you called me Wordweaver. Now to begin the story; it’s the one I tell most often. I’m starting now dear listeners. A long time ago a young boy sat on the edge of his porch steps. He was only five or six and did not own very much. His family was large and poor. Most of the older children did not reach high school. This little boy loved to think and read and write. He couldn’t do it very well but he loved it. As the little boy got older and older, his reading and writing skills improved greatly and soon that was all he did. Everyone scorned him and told him he was nothing. This boy was a man when he wrote his first short story and the village where he still lived at the time loved it. They loved it even more when the man himself read it out loud. It was like music to their ears. The rises and falls of his voice transfixed all of them to the spot wherever they were standing. As the man aged, he continued to read and write his own short stories. People soon started to apologize for the way they acted all those years ago. The man accepted them and continued his passion. At the age where the bones start to creak and the skin gets all wrinkly, the man still wrote and read things. He still read out loud and it still transfixed people to the spot. Although the man is old, he has not died yet and he still loves what he does. I know that most of you are thinking the same thing by the baffled expression on your faces even though I can tell that some of you have figured it out by now. Yes, I am right. You are thinking the same thing: Who is this story about? I shall clarify that shortly. The boy, the man, and the older man are the same person. And I am that person. Ah yes. Your faces clear up after I told you who this story is about, but no worries. You did enjoy the story? Right?

I had so much fun!

2009-08-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog recently, then you know that I went on vacation. I went to Manzanita, Oregon...and I had a blast. We went to so many places. First of all, the time to check in to the hotel wasn't until 3:00pm, so we had some time to kill. We had to pass through Astoria and Seaside to get to Cannon Beach. Which is where we stopped to kill the time. What I find totally funny is that Cannon Beach is split up into three parts. One is where all the shops are. Another one is where the restaurants are. And the last one is what I call 'Midtown'. But that's not the right order. I forgot what the right one is. Our first night in we went back to Cannon Beach for dinner. We went to a restaurant called Mo's. I love it there because no matter where you sit, you can see the ocean! On Tuesday, we went to a place called Nehalem Bay State Park. We had some time left that day, so we went to Tillamook. They sell cheese, ice cream, and meat at their factory. It's really cool there. On Wednesday, we went back to Cannon Beach to do some more shopping. We got saltwater taffy. And boy is that stuff good. Back at the hotel in Manzanita, we watched a DVD. It was 'Gran Torino'(with Clint Eastwood in it) and it was a good movie but had a sad ending. For dinner that night, we went to a nice restaurant in Cannon Beach for my parents anniversary. On Thursday, our very last day, we went to Hug Point and Arcadia Beach. It did not rain at all on Thursday. Later during the day, close to six, we went out to the beach and had a beach fire. We roasted marshmallows. Mmmmmmmmmmm! We didn't have smores but roasted marshmallows was good enough. On Friday, we got up early and headed out to go home. I had so much fun over there. And sometimes, I even wish I could live there! But I don't know if I would be able to handle the rain and constant moisture

My Vacation!!!!

2009-08-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

(This is a picture of Manzanita, Oregon!) Hello all! Tomorrow, I will be leaving around 6am from my house to go on vacation! My family and I will be heading to Lacey, Washington to spend a night there. We will be visiting my dad's uncle. After spending a night there, we'll head down to Manzanita, Oregon. That's where our hotel is. We will be going to Cannon Beach, Oregon as well as Tillamook, Oregon. I haven't been on the coast in over 2 years! I love going there. One of our favorite dinner places is Mo's Restaurant in Cannon Beach! I will be back Friday late in the afternoon. My parents will be spending their anniversary while on vacation. It will be their 26th wedding anniversary!

My b-day presents from family!

2009-08-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of presents from family. From my brother, I got a gift card to Barnes n' Noble. And from his mom, I got thirty bucks. From my own parents, I got two picture frames, two hanging things with my name on it, and one of the Miley Cyrus/Max Azria shirts. My mom got it at Wal-mart. Some other presents that I got were from my Aunt D and Uncle C. If you read this, I thank you very much!

My Birthday (Pt. 2)

2009-08-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

(The picture here is of my friends and I at dinner!) Today is the second part of my b-day! Last night, it was for friends. And it was fun! As you read in the post before, my mom let me invite 2 friends to take to dinner. So, I invited 2 friends and we went to dinner. It was awesome to watch the chefs make the food in front of you! They are so fast! From one friend, I got a 15.00 gift card to iTunes and a box of Mike n' Ikes. (From her mother, I got a miniature horse statue.) And from the other friend, I got a book, the Twilight Original Soundtrack, a 4 pin Bad Vamp set (Twilight), some Twilight themed Sweethearts (Ya know, they have words on them), and I guess that was it for friends presents. I love those two girls!

As for today, one of my brothers is coming over with his mother. We're going to have carrot cake and vanilla ice cream. And I'm going to open presents from my family!

Yahoo! Coolio! Alright! Yay! (Birthday Pt.1)

2009-08-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited today. It's my birthday! I am turning 14 years old! Later tonight I am going to a restaurant with my parents and two friends. It's one of those places where they make the food in front of you. It's like Chinese food or something. I can't believe I'm 14! I've been waiting for ever. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a friends birthday, and I was the youngest. Out of all my friends in the same grade, (I have a couple of friends in lower grades), I'll always be the youngest! But on my birthday, I will always pretend that I'm older than everybody! HaHa!

Another Cool Author

2009-07-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a five book series by an author named: Lloyd Alexander. He is amazing. The series that I just finished is called Chronicles of Prydain. It's really cool and I think it's fantasy. But I don't know. He started writing this particular series in 1964 and continued all the way to 1968. I don't have much to say about him other than he's a pretty neat author. If anyone is interested, they should read these books!

My writings 13 & 14

2009-07-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

Here they are!:

#13- Matter- 4/12/05
It doesn’t matter what other people think of you, it just matters what you think of yourself.
Age: 9

#14- Who?- 9/20/05
They love you when your playing, they love you when your thinking, they love you when have friends, they love you when you love your parents. Who are they? They are angels.
Age: 10

I discovered a new author!

2009-07-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't discover him, but I discovered his books. His name is Sebastian Rook and he's an amazing author. I'm not sure what the trilogy is called, but the first book is called= The Vampire Plagues: London 1850. The second book is called= The Vampire Plagues: Paris. I'm not sure about the third book. I've only read the first book and it's extremely good. It's very well written. It's brilliant. I'm not sure if he's written any other books before though.

Summer is going by to fast

2009-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

It is. I love summer, but at the same time, I hate it. The reason I love it is because I get to spend time with friends and go on vacations and stuff. The reason I hate it is because I start Highschool on August 27th. That's a little over a month away! My mom says I act like this every summer. But, I don't believe her. But this summer it's different because I don't want to start Highschool. I don't want to be a Freshman!

Day 6: June 22 , 2009

2009-07-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

- Day 6: June 22 , 2009
2:16 p.m- Today's the last day. We just back from Chinatown. I hate it there. First we had breakfast, and then we went to Chinatown. We are now in the bus heading towards the Newark Airport to catch our flight!

Day 5: June 21 , 2009

2009-07-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

-Day 5: June 21 , 2009 (Father's Day)
9:26 a.m- I didn't eat breakfast today. I don't know why. I saw TimesSquare yesterday. I also saw the Good Morning America station. I also saw Mary Poppins on Broadway last night. Today though, I'm seeing the Statue of Liberty, taking a tour of the NBC Studios, and seeing the Blue Man Group. I'm so excited!
11:11 p.m- The BMG was awesome! I don't even know how to describe it! I forgot to say something about yesterday. I saw Ground Zero.

Day 4: June 20 , 2009

2009-07-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

-Day 4: June 20 , 2009
8:44 a.m- I didn't eat much breakfast. I don't feel very good. Last night, we had pizza for dinner and then went to the Empire State Building. When we were done with that, we went to the hotel/motel. I took a shower to wash my hair. It felt so good. My friend blow-dried it for me. When I finally went to bed, I got four hours of sleep. When I woke up this morning, I brushed my teeth, and waited for the same friend to straighten my hair for tonight's Broadway play. It worked okay. My hair is so thick and long. I also heard it was supposed to rain, so the day that I get my hair done, the weather is crap. I also don't have any make-up to wear. It sucks. By the way, the play that I'm seeing is Mary Poppins. I wanted to see Phantom of the Opera. But no, it had to be this!

Day 3: June 19, 2009

2009-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

-Day 3: June 19, 2009
12:15 p.m- I had breakfast this morning. I saw the IwoJima Memorial and after that the Washington State group took an inside tour of the Capitol Building. We are now on the bus waiting, and we're heading to New York City in a few minutes! I'm excited! But, it's a five. Hour. Drive.

Independence Day

2009-07-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello anybody and everybody. Today is July 4th, and a reason to be proud. On this day in 1776, fifty-six different men signed the Declaration of Independence. This document stated our freedom from Britain. My favorite fact about the DOI is that John Hancock, the president of all this, signed his name the largest because he wanted everyone in the world to see it. Today for the 4th, my parents and I are going down to the river to watch the fireworks. We take pop, licorice, and onion popcorn. That stuff is the best. My mom pops a lot of popcorn, puts it in a bag, puts butter on the popcorn, and shakes it up. Then, she takes dry Lipton Onion soup mix and puts it on the popcorn and shakes that all up. And what do you get? Onion popcorn! But, before we leave, my dad and I are going to set up the tent in the backyard. We are going to have a backyard camping trip! Doesn't that sound exciting?! Feel free to comment and say what you're going to do on this holiday!

Day 2: June 18, 2009

2009-07-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

-Day 2: June 18, 2009
6:35 a.m- Just got up at six am. I am still groggy. We have to eat breakfast at 7 am and be on the bus by 8:15 am. I know for sure that we are going to the National Archives. If the line isn't too long!
1:25 p.m- Had lunch. Pizza and potato chips. We went to the Whitehouse and took pics. After that we went to the Holocaust Museum. I don't like that place. It's creepy. Later we're going to Arlington National Cemetery and Mt. Vernon, which is in Alexandria. George Washington lived there! For dinner it's going to be a waterfront gourmet. How fun! I know we're getting back to the hotel late tonight again. Oh. My. Gawd.
8:19 p.m- Just got back from the Ghost Tour. I'm in the bus. The time spent at the places I mentioned previously was fun, but truthfully, dinner was the best part. We never did go to the National Archives. But that was okay. If we can't, we can't. We are going back to the hotel. Possibly. I won't write anymore tonight.

Day 1: June 17, 2009

2009-07-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

-Day 1: June 17, 2009

9:53 a.m- Just had breakfast. The alarm woke us up at 7:15 a.m. We all got ready and took our stuff to the lobby. I'm here now and we're getting ready to rock and roll!

6:07 p.m- At dinner. Hungry, tired, and sore. I went to four or five museums!: The Newseum, Air and Space Museum, The Museum of Natural History, The Museum of American History, and the Natural Museum of Art. We will get to the hotel at 11:00 p.m or so. Two other groups, one from Oregon and one from Colorado, have joined ours. Later tonight we will have a guided sightseeing of all the different monuments at night! Fun!

10:32 p.m- Good grief! I am tired and kind of shaky. My feet have fallen off. I have no feeling! I visited four separate monuments: WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean Memorial. It was fun and I took a lot of pics. I also got post-cards to send to people! I'm at the hotel right now. It's in Maryland somewhere. I don't know what's in store for tomorrow, but oh well!

My Journey- Day 0

2009-07-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of my journal:

-Day 0: Tuesday June 16, 2009

All Day: Came to school for like an hour. I then proceeded to the airport. It took us awhile to get on the plane. The turbulence was okay. The first plane only took an hour or so. But, the second plane took three hours or so. After that when the plane landed, we got our crap and headed out the door at the Dulles Airport. We took two taxis to get to the airport. Four of us were in one taxi, and the other 4 were in the second taxi. When us girls got to our room, we got ready for bed to crash. But our neighbors kept calling and knocking on our door. They even slipped a note under our door! Can you believe that?! But, my friends and I eventually all fell asleep.

So Sorry!

2009-06-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry everyone! I promised myself that I would write everyday in my journal for this blog of mine. I did write everyday, but I've been forgetting to actually put it on here. I haven't really been that busy, but somehow the time slips just slips away. But you don't have to wait any longer because I will be putting it on tomorrow!

My blog anniversary/birthday

2009-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Because I was on my trip, I missed my blog anniversary. It was on the 19th of June. But That's okay. I'm just happy that my blog is now a year old!

My tour Itinerary! For Washington DC and New York City

2009-06-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here is my tour Itinerary!:

Day 0: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
.Depart for Washington DC
.Transfer to hotel using airport shuttle

Day 1: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Transfer into DC
.Smithsonian museum complex
.Free time in DC
.Dinner at Union Station
.Guided sightseeing of DC memorials and monuments

Day 2: Thursday, June 18, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Guided sightseeing of DC with licensed local guide
.Arlington National Cemetery
.Photo Stop at White House
.Mount Vernon excursion
.Dinner in Alexandria: Waterfront Gourmet
.Legends of Alexandria walking ghost tour

Day 3: Friday, June 19, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Visit to Capitol Hill
.Outside walking tour of US Capitol, Library of Congress, & Supreme Court
.National Archives
.Continue on to New York City
.Dinner in NYC: Mariella's Pizza
.Empire State Building
.Go to hotel

Day 4: Saturday, June 20, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Guided sightseeing on NY with licensed local guide
.Visit Metropolitan Museum of Art
.Dinner Midtown NYC Theater Night: Variety Cafe
.Broadway evening performance- Mary Poppins

Day 5: Sunday, June 21, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Statue if Liberty & Ellis Island
.NBC Studios Tour
.Dinner in Times Square: The Palace Restaurant
.Blue Man Group (Booked on own)

Day 6: Monday, June 22, 2009
.Breakfast at hotel
.Free time for shopping
.Depart for home

Happy Birthday Mother Dear

2009-06-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's my mom's birthday today. But, I never said anything to her this morning. I was such a jerk. I remembered at school. Of course, it's a time when I don't see her. I made a mental note to remind myself to tell her after school. Yet again, my mental notes have failed me. I had yearbook signing, and I was so excited and caught up in other stuff, that I forgot. So, Happy Birthday MOMMY! I LOVE U! And I'm SO SORRY!

-Your Daughter-

What Life should be, but Isn't

2009-06-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is a story I wrote on Sunday night. These are just my opinions, so don't feel offended.

Life should be full of happiness, love, good food, jewelry, good surprises, family.
Life should be full of triumph, good fortune, luck, friends, treasures, peace.
Life should be full of laughter, dreams, natural beauty, brilliance, fun, no worries.
Life should be full of health care for everyone, soul mates, fantasy, solitude, focus points, necessary alone time, warmth.
Life should be full of vital moments, family history, important times together, strength, influential people.

But, that’s not what life is.

Life is full of war, divorce, hard times, recessions, bailouts, plans that won’t work.
Life is full of fear, drugs, alcohol, murders, suicides, homicides.
Life is full of lies, deceit, horror, trust issues, hunger, and homeless people.
Life is full of pollution, torture, terrorism, violent memories, no money.
Life is full of litter, cartels, gangs, fatal accidents, kidnappings, wounds that can’t heal.

But, that’s not my life. My life isn’t going to be like that. I want my life to be full of good things. I will do anything. And if I have to fight like hell, with my heart, to do that, then I will.

Guest Author Day

2009-06-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

This piece of writing was written by a dear friend of mine and I really enjoyed it. She gave this piece of writing to every one of her girlfriends. You know, friends that are girls. She didn't title it so I don't know what to call it. Oh yeah, she doesn't know I'm putting this on here. So here goes!

Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Well, what do you think? Let me know.

The Demons in my Head

2009-05-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is a poem that I wrote just last night. It's about the hardships that the soldiers go through in Iraq. I don't want to make anyone upset by this poem. If you are, I'm truly sorry.

The demons are in my head.

The alcohol, burning as it goes down my throat.

The hallucinations are in front of me.

It’s how I cope with them. The demons of course.

I can’t help it.

I’ve seen things.

I’ve heard things.

I’ve done things.

I can’t stop it. They keep coming.

They will always be there.

I can’t hide it.

I’ve tried to get help.

It doesn’t work.

They’re too strong.

They’re not humans or ghosts.

They’re memories.

Of my time in Iraq.

And it’s hell.

Memorial Day Thoughts

2009-05-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'm going to start of by saying: I have no school today! Okay, time to be more somber. Today's Memorial Day and that can mean a whole lot. It could be sad for some, and happy for others who are on vacation. But, for me, it was a time to be serious. Yesterday, on Sunday, my parents and I went to the Cemetery, where my mom's grandparents and step-dad are buried. I took a picture of these flags at an angle so I could see most of them. I didn't know my camera had a fast shutter speed until I looked under my BestShot selections. That's what I used to capture this pic because it was a little windy!

Multi-Cultural Week- Friday

2009-05-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I had to much stuff going on to write last night. For the last day of MCW, we had to wear a color that matched our team. I'm on HOME Team, so I could have worn red, my team color. But, each member on HOME Team had their own shirt to wear. We also had an assembly. It was the most funnest thing that I've ever seen or been to! There were singers from the High-School, the group called Celtic Nots, and a fellow student of mine and his teacher performed some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves. It was amazing!

Multi-Cultural Week- Wednesday & Thursday

2009-05-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Forgot to write yesterday, I had too much homework. Yesterday for MCW, we had to wear something representing the state we live in. So, I wore my shirt that I got from Seattle. Today however, we had to wear our school colors. Gold and blue. I don't have any gold, so I just wore a yellow shirt and blue jeans!

Multi-Cultural Week- Tuesday

2009-05-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today for MCW, we had to wear red, white, and blue stuff. So I did. My shirt has a bird and the words "Forever Freedom" on it. And it has stars too!

Multi-Cultural Week- Monday

2009-05-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yep, today was the start of Multi-Cultural Week. We had to color that sticky piece of paper with our nationality on it. I put the sticker on my shirt! As I wrote before, I'm Italian, so I used green, white, and red. Later today, my friends were saying that Irish is better than Italian, but what's funny is that one of them is more Italian than Irish, so he was dissing himself!

Multi-Cultural Week

2009-05-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Starting next Monday, my school is having a Multi-Cultural week. On Monday, in 1st period, everybody is going to get a piece of paper that is sticky. On that piece of paper, we have to color it with the flag colors that represents our culture. I'm Italian, so I would use the colors red, white, and green. I just don't know the order. And then on Friday of that week, we are going to have an assembly about all the different cultures and stuff. It's going to be fun!!!!

Review Time

2009-05-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, be honest. I want you to truthfully tell me if you liked my story, The Goodbye Letter. I want constructive criticism. And if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all!

P.s. Happy May 5th! CDM!

The Goodbye Letter: Part 6 (Last Part)

2009-05-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Aly heard a yawn behind her and turned to see Rosalie’s eyes open. She ran over to her sister. Aly didn’t know what to say, so she just put her hand in Rose’s. Tears were running down both of their faces. Aly was about to speak, when Dr. Gates came in with the food. He brought it over and set it on the table. Aly looked in the bag and saw most of her favorite foods. Aly started tearing into the food.

After what seemed like endless hours of eating, Aly settled back into the chair with a sigh. She closed her eyes, and asked Rosalie what had happened. Rosalie started telling Aly what had happened to her. Aly settled into the chair more comfortably, while Rose told her story. This is a story I’ll never forget, Aly told herself. And with that thought, she concentrated on emptying her mind and concentrated on letting Rosalie’s voice create a picture in her head.

The Goodbye Letter: Part 5

2009-05-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

When Aly came out of the bathroom, she went to her backpack and got out her favorite book and her iPod. She sat down on the chair beside Rosalie. Aly found one of her favorite bands, Metro Station, and started playing those songs. She soon found it hard to concentrate on her book. She put the book in the chair and started dancing. She was so engrossed in the song “Shake It”, that she didn’t hear Dr. Gates come in. The song ended and Aly heard clapping.

She whirled around so fast, she nearly fell. Aly saw Dr. Gates leaning up against the door with a big smile on his face. Aly turned her iPod off and put it in her backpack. Dr. Gates walked into the room and started checking Rosalie’s I.V’s. Aly had a question that was bugging her. “Dr. Gates, how long was I asleep?” Dr. Gates looked at Aly and chuckled. “Aly, you were asleep for two and a half days. You fell asleep late Friday night.” Aly did the math in her head. Her eyes bugged out. It all came out in rush.

“So, I fell asleep late Friday night, and slept for two and a half days. Oh no! It’s Monday afternoon! I have to get to school!” Aly started gathering her things. She felt Dr. Gates’ hands on her shoulders. “Aly! It’s okay. I called your school and talked to your principal. He understands. You don’t have to go to school for awhile. Oh yea. I’m bringing you some food. It’s not hospital food, and I suspect your starving.” As if in agreement, Aly’s stomach let out a loud rumble. Dr. Gates laughed and left the room.

The Goodbye Letter: Part 4

2009-05-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Aly carefully folded the letter and placed it into Rosalie’s hands. Aly heard soft footsteps behind her and whirled around. She was face to face with her mother. She had tears glistening in her eyes. With a jolt that made Aly’s heart pound and her head spin, she realized that her mother had heard the entire contents of the letter. Aly walked over to her mom and embraced her.

Later that night, Aly fell asleep outside the hospital room slumped against the wall. Around midnight, Aly felt a light tapping on her shoulder. She opened her eyes drowsily. She peered into the darkness and saw Dr. Gates looming over her.” Good morning Doc. What can I do for you?” she said, sleep slurring her words. Dr. Gates chuckled softly. “Actually, Aly there’s nothing you can do for me. But, I need to tell you something. Your sister is awake.” She leaned her head back against the wall and mumbled, “Oh. That’s nice. Rose is awake”

Dr. Gates almost laughed. Aly was so tired, she didn’t even comprehend the fact that her sister just came out of her coma. He started counting to sixty. When he got to fifty-nine, Aly’s eyes flashed open. She looked at Dr. Gates with a wild gleam in her eyes. Aly leaped up, but would have fallen, if the doctor hadn’t caught her. He helped her Aly get to Rosalie’s bedside. He whispered into Aly’s ear, “Rose is asleep now, but she’ll be awake in the morning, I promise you. The bed next to hers is empty. I want you to get more sleep. You look dead on your feet.”

Aly’s initial high was wearing off and she was becoming extremely tired again. She let Dr. Gates guide her to the bed. Once her head hit the pillow, she was asleep again. She slept so soundly and deeply, that it was two and a half days before she woke again. Aly stretched in a long luxurious stretch and gave a deep yawn. She got out of the bed and went to the bathroom.

The Goodbye Letter: Part 3

2009-05-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Dr. Gates left, leaving Aly with Rosalie. Aly felt terrible. She should have been in the ambulance with her sister. Aly got up from her place beside Rosalie, and went to her binder. She grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper and sat down again.

Aly decided to write a letter to her sister. For the next couple of hours, Aly thought hard about what she was going to write. Once she had a good idea about her writing, she wrote with feeling. More than once, when Aly was working on her letter, nurses came in and checked Rosalie’s IV’s.

When Aly finished her letter, she read it more than once to make sure it was perfect. Aly checked outside the hospital room to make sure no one was listening. She cleared her throat and started reading the letter to Rosalie.

“Dear Rosalie,

I don’t know if this is goodbye or hello. I’m expecting the best, but preparing for the worst. If this is goodbye, then it’s goodbye. I’ll let you go with ease, without pain. I will be sad to let you go, but I won’t grieve. I will take care of myself as well as mom. I promise you that, Rosalie. If this is hello, then it’s hello. When you come home, I’ll help you, even if it makes me sick. I’ll be your perfect little sister if it makes you happy. I’ll do anything you want me to. Just let me know, Rose. Just let me know. I want to make you happy. I love you, Rosalie. I always will. I’m expecting to see your smiling face soon. I love you.”

The Goodbye Letter: Part 2

2009-04-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Aly’s mom came rushing up to her with tears running down her face. “Aly, something’s happened to Rosalie! I can’t tell you the details now, but you’ll find out soon enough. Lets go, she’s at the hospital.” The word ‘hospital’ sent Aly’s mind spinning. She became dizzy.

The ride to the hospital was silent. Each person thinking of Rosalie. Rosalie never got punched this morning! Thought Aly, she was in an accident of some kind! When Aly and her mom got to the hospital, they rushed to Rosalie’s room, but as they were about to go in, they were intercepted by a young doctor.

“I’m so sorry Mrs. Croft, but during the time you were getting Aly, Rosalie slipped into a coma.” Aly gasped, and with the ground swaying beneath her, she staggered to her sister’s bedside. She tried to fight the tears, but they were to strong for her. While they streamed down her face, she screamed silently to God. Why did you do this to her?! Why? She’s my sister!

Soft light footsteps sounded behind Aly. She turned around and saw the doctor. “Aly,” he said “I’m so sorry. We did everything we could.” Aly looked at Dr. Gates, and saw that his eyes were sympathetic. “I know you did your best Dr. Gates. I just wish I could have been with her. “

The Goodbye Letter: Part 1

2009-04-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a story that I wrote. It's sort of sad but it has a happy ending!

Aly and her two best friends, Kiera and Julie, were walking in a leisurely pace on their way to school. They were listening to their favorite song, Love Story, on each of their Ipods. Julie glanced at her watch and saw that they had only ten minutes to get to school.

"Oh no! We’re late. Come on!”

All three girls gradually picked up speed, until they were running at top speed. Within three minutes, Aly, Kiera, and Julie were on school grounds heading towards their line. As the girls were talking, Aly doubled over and let out a moan.

Julie and Kiera gathered around Aly. “It’s my sister!” She gasped, trying to force the words out. “She’s hurt, I l know she is.”

Julie and Kiera knelt down in concern. “Aly, are you okay?!” asked Julie, her voice shaking.

“I’m fine guys. I think Rosalie must have gotten punched in the gut or something!” She laughed weakly. Her older sister, Rosalie, was in high school and could get a little over-protective about Aly. Julie and Kiera helped Aly up and they went inside.

Through-out the morning, Aly continued her routine as usual. As Aly settled down in her seat for her third class, her teacher came to her desk and whispered urgently. “Aly, take your stuff and head to the office. Your mom’s here to pick you up.” Confused, Aly got up, grabbed her stuff, and headed to the office.

History Essay Update

2009-04-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

I just turned my Civil War essay in today. My teacher created three piles:

1= Papers he WILL NOT except

2= Papers he WILL except

3= Indecisive

My paper made it onto the Second Pile! I am so happy!

My History Essay on the Civil War

2009-04-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

My latest History Essay is about the Civil War. We had 15 prompts to choose from. I chose the one that said I had to create dialogue that was being said between a person in the North and a person in the South. I really like mine. I have some twists and an epilogue. Well, here it is:

The night slowly started to come to a close. The sun settled on the horizon, letting its bloody fingers linger in the sky. The sun then settled deeper into the sky, making the bugs start to go away. The trees were creating large shadows. Unaware of their surroundings, two men sat huddled close together deep in conversation about a very important issue that was raging between the North and South: The issue of Slavery.

“I understand big brother, that you are a plantation owner and need slaves to pick the cotton for you. You treat them like nothing!” He was so furious that some spit came flying out of his mouth. Anthony Sullivan started to calm down. He sighed. His older brother, John Sullivan, lived in the South running a plantation. Anthony lived in the North and was secretly an abolitionist helping to free the slaves. John didn’t know.

Anthony spoke again. “Okay, John. Tell me. What do you think of all this slavery?”

John hesitated. “Well, we have a whole hell of a lot more Cotton Production than you guys in the North, so we have a use for the slaves, to pick the cotton for us.” He paused to take a sip of his whiskey.

“Also, if you try to tell a Southerner he can’t own slaves, he’ll get angry.” John smiled a devilish smile.

Anthony inhaled and exhaled sharply. “You mean to tell me that you’re secretly an abolitionist posing as a plantation owner?!”

John chuckled. He never told his brother. “Yes baby brother. I am. I never told you because I never really thought about it.”

Anthony was silent for awhile. He knew his brother was secretive, but not this secretive. He decided to tell John his own secret. “Well, my brother my friend, I’m secretly an abolitionist too.”

Now it was John’s turn to be quiet. His younger brother was never like this. This was totally unexpected.

Anthony didn’t wait for a response. “You know John, we could work together. But, it would be extremely dangerous.” His usually child-like eyes were now oddly serious.

John thought hard about it. He agreed it be dangerous. But, he also agreed to help his brother.

The two men continued their conservation deep into the night and early morning. When neither man could get any more input into the conversation because the other kept interrupting, they stopped talking, stood up, and embraced in a brotherly hug.

EPILOGUE

Ten years have past since that meeting between Anthony and John Sullivan. Between the two men, they have freed over 215 slaves by using the Underground Railroad. Anthony Sullivan still lives in the North as an abolitionist. But, only a few select people know that. His older brother, John Sullivan, still resides in the South running a plantation. A very successful plantation. Only a few people know John’s true identity, though. As far as the freed slaves go, no one knows. Anthony and John haven’t heard from any of them for years. But, I think, anyone can assume that they’re eternally grateful.

The WASL Ways: Thursday

2009-04-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I'm done with the WASL! I had my last of it today! Science Part 2. I am all done. I am so happy that I finished. I'm also relieved. Oh yea. Did I mention that I am done with the WASL?! LOL!

The WASL Ways: Wednesday

2009-04-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I took the WASL on the first part of the Science. It was okay. What I mean is that It was easy but sort of difficult. We had two breaks today and, I finished the test after the first break. When I finished the test, I started to read a book by Og Mandino called Return of the Ragpicker. It's a really good book. It's about God, but the way that Og writes it, it sounds like an ordinary book. It's awesome.

P.S. Happy Earth Day!!!!

The WASL Ways: Tuesday

2009-04-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

I had another WASL today: Reading #2. I didn't have any difficulties. In fact, I got finished with it before we had our break! The rest of the time I read my book. It's written by John Edward. He's an amazing medium/physic dude. I would totally be ecstatic if I could meet him!

The WASL Ways: Thursday

2009-04-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today was my last WASL day for this week. I had to do the first Section of the Reading. It was fairly easy. I had one question that was bothering me, but I soon figured it out.

The WASL Ways: Wednesday

2009-04-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today was my second day of the WASL. It was the second and last part of the Math. Except that I couldn't use tools: ruler, calculators, etc. There was one problem that I got caught up on, but I figured it out eventually. I am now done with the Math part of the WASL.