And you got me living in the past.

I apologize for this entry's length in advance.

I thought for a blog entry on the last day of 2009 I should somehow commemorate the year. So here goes.

My friend Zack had helped me in the past to think up some pretty ingenious entry titles for my former AOL blogs, "[Meh.]" and "No One Ever Listens to Me." I would link you to those if I could. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the AOL Company decided to discontinue their blogging service and delivered an ultimatum. Either we relocate here or quit the hobby entirely. I had gone a good few months debating my decision. I was also computer-less, which weighed in the balance considerably. And therefore, I must confess, at one point I was leaning towards not doing it. Then I suppose I woke up one day -- after receiving a new laptop -- and decided to make a new blog here during the fall of 2008. Soon, Abs and Scarlett (known as Jedi Girl to me at the time), followed suit and we all started anew.

Okay, so that's basically the backstory of how this blog came to be. I really feel it took me until January of this year to gain readers, though. I felt apathetic that month especially. A memorable line from one entry was, "I feel like taking pencils and shoving it down people's throats." Yeah, not a whole lot of love there.

February introduced some new changes. Not only was I seriously settling down into my second semester of freshman year in high school, I lost friends, and I was hurt. March was better because I started focusing on other aspects of my life. This was also the first month I started posting pictures with any regularity. I got a 100 on my latest math test and all A's on my report card for the first time in high school. More blog friends began entering my life such as Jess (who needs to update sometime!), Shelby, Katie, and Strawberry.

In April, I regaled about my various happenings related to school.  Come May, I was studying for dozens of exams, including IGSCE papers. I had started a Photography Passion Week for basically just myself and to convince my mom I was indeed serious about photography. That way I could ultimately get a Nikon P90 camera to further my abilities as an aspiring photographer.

June marked the beginning of my summer 2009. I got my Nikon P90. Woot, woot! I went and saw Transformers 2 with my best friend, Nikki, during its midnight showing. That was a ton of fun. Oh, and my family took a mini vacation down to South FL. In addition, I was introduced to Kait and her awesomeness around this time. By July I was used to sleeping in and having the days to do practically whatever. It was a nice contrast to the constant slew of homework and projects I had months prior. I became more proficient with my camera, even though chances are I don't know everything. This, by far, was my busiest month.

Then came August. I started school again, this time as a sophomore. I read Ethan Frome and made a post about my first pair of converse shoes that subsequently became littered with comments and such from friends of mine in middle school. A pretty decent month, if you ask me. Next is September. I managed to talk about failing a math test and making a copper necklace.

I think October, November and December are recent enough that they need very little recap.

NOTE: If you are reading this and I did not mention your name and you're a friend/follower, I do not think any less of you. I just tried to limit who I mentioned and to be perfectly honest they are just the names that first popped into my head. You guys are all awesome and I hope you'll stick around! :]

Now that I've looked back and taken several glimpses into the past, it's time to face the future. 2010! We're on the cusp of entering a new decade. It's exciting and fresh. However, I am not good at making resolutions, so instead, I thought I'd list a few things out of several I'm looking forward to in the coming year.

1. Getting to use my panda Bento box.
2. Summer.
3. Making new friends.
4. Hanging out with my already friends.
5. Seeing Toy Story 3 in 3D with a giant group of friends.
6. Receiving the four pairs of tights in the mail from Kohls.com (gift card, FTW!)

Happy New Years, everyone!
:D

It's a feeling inside that keeps building.

*NOTE: This bird is not dead, I promise. This just happened to be one of the best shots where you could see its feathers in close detail. I apologize if you were taken aback at first.
I saw these beautiful --Does anyone have any idea what kind of birds these are!? Their head features would suggest a turkey but they had webbed feet. That detail leads me to believe their some breed of duck. Yet the color on their feathers says more peacock -- birds while on an early evening walk Christmas Eve around the block with my brother. We had passed by the birds in the retention pond nearby and I insisted we stop so I could retrieve my camera when we looped around. One of the younger kids in the neighborhood was out and about and was there as I snapped these shots. Apparently they come often? News to me, for sure. He also told me he feeds them bread. That may not be the best idea. As far as I know they are tame in the sense they don't attack. I suppose they wouldn't if you're offering food.

Regardless, I thought these feathered fellows' wings were so lovely colored! I was incredibly grateful to have such a good zoom on my camera or otherwise I may not have gotten any closer than I did for the first picture. (It does not look it, but the ground right next to the pond has the consistency of quick sand.) Also, had the city decided not to tear down the fence around the pond and put up palm tress instead, I would've never been close. The fence was up when it was known there were alligators living in the pond. Oh, and snapping turtles. I remember being nearly frightened to death of those things.

I got splendid gifts. I did not get an ipod touch unlike her and a few of my friends, though. This is mighty fine, I have no real want for one. You see, my family instead bought me littler things (and one giant thing) they knew for certain I'd want and love. For example, I am now the proud owner of not two, but count 'em three Scottish calenders, two panda ones, and two art ones. They're amazing and I cannot wait until the new year to put them up. The giant thing I'm referring to do is plush Giant panda. Duh!

In addition, I got this adorable turtle pin from my grandparents.
A few years back for Christmas, my grandmother made me a necklace type-pouch with a turtle charm attached to it. It's cool, too. One day I'll take a picture of it.

All right, I think I've written enough. I hope everyone is enjoying their post-Christmas and pre-New Years time. I will certainly try to continue doing so.

Happy holidays.

I finished reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. What an interesting book! I highly suggest you check it out and give it a read. And then, after wards, you can comment me and we can discuss it. Or something like that. I think it's one of those stories that will seriously stick with you. I wasn't especially moved, however, perhaps because the protagonist was male and old, the exact opposite from me.

However, I am now reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This, you would know, if you've been bothering to take glimpses at the "As of Late" text off to the right-hand side of the page. I've been good about updating it, even when I'm unable to write a proper entry. Anyway, the book's protagonist is most definitely identifiable in my eyes -- young and female. I heard of the book like most have recently: the hype surrounding its transformation into a motion picture. If I've got my facts straight, the movie releases in the coming month.

Here are a few random photos I've been meaning to post. They're mainly of my latest fascination: the sky. It makes me sad all the years I've gone living without truly appreciating it. I thought these were wicked cool formations.



These next two were taken with my lovely phone's 3.3 megapixel camera. They're, surprisingly, not too bad in quality.
Now I must be off to get serious work done on my latest drawing.

Where is the hot chocolate?

"This is a story about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun. It might seem strange to start a story with an ending. But all endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."
--The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

I finally checked this book out from the library. I think I'm going to devote most of my time the next few days to reading it. That is, of course, when I'm not hibernating. It is actually cold, by a Floridian's standard, making it the perfect weather in which I can curl up under the comforter and enjoy a good book.

But the current prediction for Christmas day here? Rainy and hot. Swell.

In case I forget to say it another time: Happy holidays to all! I appreciate every single one of my readers very, very much!!

I see you.

I am free from school until January 5th! It is so refreshing to know I can sleep in late. Don't get me wrong, there is a pile of stuff I should accomplish between now and, say, the new year, but tonight was for revelry:

Me and eleven of my friends (Aniesa, Puja, Garrett, Zach, Regina, Luke, Patricia, Joy, Jacob, Andrea and Monica) went and packed the movie theater to see James Cameron's action film, Avatar. It was amazing, and Sam Worthington is a cutie. We didn't, however, see it in 3D as planned because a few people complained of the cost. I wanted 3D glasses so I could run around like a doofus with them on in plain daylight. Still, I had a great time.

I hope tomorrow Nikki and I can go Christmas shopping together. I believe she has to do something as part of Robotics. I don't think she'd be mad for hanging with the people I did tonight, but I'm never sure. It's probably all good and I over-think, as always.

Haha, oh my! my brother just gave me his 3D glasses. He went to see Avatar too, just in a separate movie theater, at a different time, with only his girlfriend.

Ah, and here is a breakdown of my exam and then semester scores.

English -- 89% on the exam, A for the semester
PE -- I'm not sure, probably A for the semester considering I had a 99% going in and I could use my notes on the exam
Chemistry -- 90% on the exam, A for the semester
Spanish -- 93% on the exam, A for the semester
History -- 100% on the exam, A for the semester
Math -- 91%, B for the semester
Art -- I'm not sure, probably an A for the semester since I'm cool like that

I wish my English exam grade was higher. I suppose that's what I get for neglecting truly studying grammar. Look at that math grade on the exam, though! Sweetawesome.

One more week.

I think I'm listening to Justin Bieber on the radio and I must say, I am not particularly impressed. He's what, 13? Sounds pre-pubescent and if that's your -- OH MY GOODNESS. Love Song is on! I remember finding this song on Artistdirect.com in the summer of 2007. The song must have had some popularity to be on there and labeled as an 'up and coming', but I felt mighty special when I heard it on the radio for the time first time a month later. It was like uncovering a gem. Back to what I was originally saying, this Bieber kid is not strumming my heart cords though I guess I see some appeal? Maybe?

This is adorable.

I love this photo.

My history project/presentation went extraordinarily well. We got 298 points out of a possible 300 points. That equates to a 99%. I'm so proud of all the work my group did. It was definitely worth it.

One more week.