My body is a cage.

Great song, even though this reminds me that Arcade Fire's performance at the Grammys made me grateful I am not epileptic. No, seriously, what was up with the excessive strobe lights the whole night?

I feel like I owe you readers an explanation for my extended absence. As you can imagine, I spent it drowning under piles of books and assignments, playing tennis and little else. I had no time to do "leisure activities." Simple as that. Oh, and dwelling over moments of stupidity like forgetting to bring my ID and being denied the opportunity to give blood today.

My school work is going well and I have been good about time management and blah, blah, blah. Still, I fear that with the nine weeks ending soon and teachers neglecting to input grades until the last minute that I will have B's on my report card. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I tend to beat myself up for it. Also, on a purely materialistic level, it means not being rewarded a giant candy bar as part of club a school that promotes academic excellence.

Watch out for this seque...

I've also been studying for ACT. Somehow just writing and reading that sentence is inherently stressful. Turns out I'll have to take the make-up one offered by the school because of a trip now scheduled for the end of April. More on that later.

We've been continuing to read Invisible Man and discussing it for English class. Call me an overachiever, but I actually read the assigned chapters and then sparknotes (I love how this is a verb) it to make sure I understood what was going on. It's an intriguing book with many layers that I delight in pulling back and exposing.

I saw Food, Inc. in my AICE Biology class and it has widened my perspective on the whole issue of subsidized crops. After stomaching Super Size Me last year for HOPE class, I lauded (and continue to laud) my family and I for very rarely going to Mickie D's.

Tennis updates: I've played four matches that don't matter and won two of 'em. The two I won were singles matches and the two I lost were doubles. See a trend here? Yes, I play doubles with Puja so I don't despite my partner or anything like that. I think I'm just a better player when I'm on my own. I don't mind the diversity and I don't mind losing, I just prefer to be able to play my best all the time, y'know? Also, since we lost 7-0 this past week to two really good competitors, the rigor of practice has escalated. I wouldn't mind getting more toned, burning more fat and being able to hit consistently with topspin. Sorry if that was mumbo jumbo.

In the realm of art, I've been quite inspired lately. I made a turtle out of recycled materials (a picture of it to come whenever my art teacher decides to send it to me) and now am working on a piece for a patriotic art contest. I'm thinking of sculpting a homeless veteran. That'd be cool, right?

It's later. This past Saturday the middle school science bowl team that I coach had their Regional competition. Amazingly, they placed first and are advancing to Nationals! In Washington, D.C.!! I am incredibly thrilled, proud and honored to get to go along for the week. Of course, it has to be scheduled for the same date as a field trip to the Salvador Dali museum. Grr, anger.

I think that's all, folks.

I will possess your heart.

I thought the title was fitting since it's so close to Valentine's Day Single's Awareness Day. (SAD for short.)

I apologize. I was having a small mental breakdown during my last post, but things are all right now. Thank you for the -- virtual -- hugs, Natalie, Strawberry and Em!

The aforementioned mental breakdown was induced by my SAT score. It's not terrible and yet it's not great either. This seriously pains me. Both my brothers practically aced theirs. I had studied for it and everything. Fortunately, this is why I took the test before it truly matters. And I'm not my brothers.

My two tennis matches this week we're okay. Considering I only played doubles --and lost -- and one of them didn't actually matter, perhaps I'm not the best judge. Regardless, my school won our first match Tuesday. Go us!

Sadly, we lost our away one Thursday to a really tough team. After the match, though, we went to Dunkin' Donuts to celebrate my friend Jackie's "donut" set of 6-0. Well, we at least tried to go to DD. They had closed literally eight minutes before we arrived. Plan B: walk to the grocery store and buy donuts from the bakery. Cue the free cookies, random high-fives from strangers, fits of laughter, being collectively hit on (yes, all 11 of us) by two guys and jamming to songs on the car ride home. It made up nicely for the fact that we had been traumatized on the court just an hour or two before.

As far as schoolwork goes, we recently concluded The Great Gatsby in English class with one final discussion and have since started to read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Not to be confused with The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. So far I am indifferent towards it; this may change.

I have this song stuck in my head. It's hard not to get up and dance to it.

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

"I thought I lost my goddamn mind
trying to be all that you want me to be."

I'm not calling you a liar.

This image has been floating around in cyberspace for a few days now so chances are it looks familiar. And why yes, that would be my state in yellow and red with balmy temperatures in the 70s. I wore sandals and shorts to school the other day so I wouldn't be too hot. That's not something I should say in February, even in Florida! Of course, this heat only makes me want it to be spring break. That and babysitting yesterday for a family that lives in an apartment/condo on the beach.

Otherwise, I've had another pretty good week.

I learned for the first tennis match I'll be playing doubles with Puja against our rival school. I hope we do well. I've been trying to instill the coach's mantra in my head, "just treat it like another practice." Oh, and I got varsity player of the week! Along with the title, I received a bag of homemade cookies. They are delicious and will most likely make me regain any weight I've lost. Awesome.

I baby$at Friday and $aturday. $$$

Art wise, I've been painting things to fill pages in my visual journal and working on my recycled art project. Perhaps I'll man up and actually use my moleskine and stop being afraid of making 'bad art.' I keep trying to be inspired and will get so far as to open the black book open, but never put pen to paper. It's a viscous cycle.

Guiltily, I've also been online window shopping.

Today I went to Books A Million to do calculus with Patricia and Marisa. (Marisa bought me a strawberry & creme frappuccino from Starbucks as payment for all the math I help her with. Yeah, I have the sweetest friends.) We got a lot of work done.

Now I'm avoiding the Superbowl, booknotes, studying for Biology, and an easy Spanish assignment. I probably should at least do that latter two and then catch some shut eye. I am awfully tired.