The Dreams That Make Us Real

Love love.

2012-01-29T18:50:00.001-05:00

I'm pleased with my blogging frequency lately, but I know I should be studying for math so I will try to make this short.*

Mostly my life has fallen into a monotonous routine: school, tennis practice, homework, sleep, repeat. I have not been reading as much as I would like nor painting/doing other creative projects. Hopefully this will change.

Speaking of tennis, though, I made varsity! The only downfall has been not doing well in essentially challenge matches against teammates. I think a lot of it is a mental block. I know I can do better so when I don't I get frustrated easily. My goal is to approach this next week with a renewed enthusiasm and love for the game.

I must give watching the 2012 Australian Open Men's Finals match credit for inspiration. I only wish I could play as well as Rafael Nadal(2) and Novak Djokovic(1)! Still, the sheer amount of effort both maintained during a gripping five hour match, was, for lack of a better word, awesome. Granted they have abs of steel (see below) and practice nearly all the time, I can't say I won't pretend I am them if I happen to hit a really good shot.

(Besides, Djokovic isn't bad to look at.)
And yes, he did tear his shirt off hulk- style moments after he won the championship.

I suppose there's nothing else new in my life. What about you?

What I've been listening to lately:
"High and Dry" by Radiohead
"Tighten Up" by The Black Keys

*I said that only to then spend the past half an hour just watching YouTube videos, completely forgetting I had started this. No regrets.

The fault in our stars.

2012-01-22T20:00:00.006-05:00

"I looked over at Augustus Waters, who looked back at me. You could almost see through his eyes they were so blue. "There will come a time," I said, "when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our species ever did anything. There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you. Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this"—I gestured encompassingly—"will have been for naught. Maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever. There was time before organisms experienced consciousness, and there will be time after. And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it. God knows that's what everyone else does." -- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I enjoyed the book -- if my ability to finish it in less than 48 hours is any indication -- but in efforts to keep the Internet more spoiler-free, I've resisted talking about it. For now, suffice to say it's one of my favorite books; one I will revisit years later and undoubtedly feel completely different about. Though I've never had to battle cancer personally, I have the most utmost respect and appreciation for those that do. I'm not sure I'd handle it as gracefully as Hazel.

I learn if I made Varsity tomorrow.

P.S. To clarify, Chem Boy and I aren't an item. I just like to think sharing covert smirks after one of his friends says something funny and/or questionable is a step in the right direction. Plus, he looks me in the eyes when we talk. I also know the password to his phone after successfully guessing it. (With his permission, of course.) Yes, I am aware of how stupid I sound now and I don't care. He makes me feel happy. In the same mind as Augustus, I will not deny myself that simple pleasure.

Ritual.

2012-01-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

So my friend Karen has recently started creating short films. If I haven't mentioned her photography before, I should've, since it has influenced me tremendously. Ritual is her first of probably many to come. I was utterly speechless after watching it. I think she wants to become a director one day, which would be awesome. She always gives the best movie recommendations.

Sorry for the short post; I hope everyone is doing well! Currently, I'm in the middle of tennis tryouts and tons of studying for tests this Friday. But perhaps I'll be back this weekend?

I make no promises.

P.S. Chem Boy...and I...

Impressions.

2012-01-15T20:38:00.003-05:00

With the new year came a new schedule for school. Instead of Economics Honors, I am taking American Government Honors. Both are requirements to graduate, but I waited until senior year to complete them because they are super easy. Don't get me wrong, the rest of my classes are rigorous as all get out. It's just nice to have a break in my day.

At any rate, I figured most people would take both semesters. Evidently not. Quite a few additions have been made in place of others. One such addition is a boy who I don't know the name of, yet has caught my eye. We'll call him Steve*.

My first impression was formed when, during a pseudo-discussion, he asked if he could respond to a comment I made. I've since forgotten what he said, but needless to say I thought it was intelligent and was duly noting his manner from then on. This was only the second day, mind you. As I left class, I peaked a glance at his paper in hopes of finding a name and was sorely disappointed.

Thursday we were asked to read from our textbooks and I noticed he was reading with intensity. Perhaps this means doing so requires his full concentration? I let myself interpret it, however, as a thirst for knowledge. He cares about an education! Who was this kid and why hadn't I seen him before? Is he from a different school? Is he a junior or a senior? Et cetera, et cetera.

Thursday afternoon I went to the bathroom and lo and behold he was descending the nearby staircase. My heart skipped a beat. Here was my chance to casually make conversation.

And then he spit.

I'm not sure I did well to hide my revulsion. My face literally scrunched up in disgust. I'm not sure if I even want to get to know him better now.

All of that to say I think it's amazing how quickly your impressions of someone can change. Has anything similar ever happened to you?

*Coincidentally that's also what I named my bull in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life.

P.S. I got all A's for the semester and I am beyond satisfied. Now my goal is to finish out my last semester of high school(!!) just as strong.

Fall back in love eventually.

2012-01-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

These past few days of my winter break have made me happy to be alive. Despite having to deal with snobby, holier-than-thou people who shall remain nameless for their safety*, I'm happy. And even if I have to deal with a computer that likes to randomly crash, I will be content. I think it helps I made a pact with a friend to talk with them every day. It helps me feel less alone, y'know?

Wednesday I went to Zack's house for a belated Hanukkah party. (I'm not Jewish, but holla if you are. I'm looking at you, Isaac.) He and Emilia prepared traditional Jewish food, which was delicious. I think this year I am going to love trying new foods. And, hopefully, it will inspire a healthier lifestyle.

From left: gluten-free latkes, kugel, brisket and gluten-full latkes.

After the yummy meal, the party dissolved into playing Super Smash Bros. Usually I hate this video game, but by some stroke of luck, I won quite a few brawls that night and liked it. I always play as the character Kirby, a beast in marshmallow-y disguise. Always. Even if everyone makes fun of me for it. They just don't know what's good.

My friends being my friends.

On Thursday I had an adventure with Brianna. We explored a local park while we took turns taking photos of each other. I still feel like I have a lot I can learn from her and every time I spend time for a photoshoot, I think I gradually improve as a photographer.
I think with school starting back up on Monday I will have to be a weekend blogger. I will miss this free time for sure.

Have a good week, everyone!

*The Blogger Family assault team is a thing, right?

So this is the new year.

2012-01-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

If having lived through 2011 has taught me anything, it's that plans inevitably never work out they way you envision them. Sometimes they turn out for the better, but sometimes, as in the case of last night, things turn out worse than imagined.

I didn't complete my 2011 Reading Challenge. Ultimately, I came up two short of my goal. I am the only one to blame for this. I've set up my new 2012 Reading Challenge for the same, seemingly lofty number of 50, yet I'm hoping I can be inspired by how close I came the year before.

Sparkler pictures with friends was a bust. Not only could just two of my friends show up, we essentially had a few measly glow sticks that emitted little to no light. We had to resort to mini flashlights instead. Since I had never done it before, I called it an experiment, and we agreed to try again in the future.

I was the youngest at the party I went to and thus didn't say/do much. We played Apples to Apples and Rockband, in which I was of course included, yet I was hyper aware of my age. The topics of roommates, getting drunk and drunk roommates are nothing I can add to, and that slowly annoyed me. Every time I did open my mouth to talk, I felt like I sounded stupid and was judged. I realize no one probably did this intentionally, it's just what happens. C'est la vie.

Fortunately, I can let those bad moments stay in the past. Let them be forgotten in favor of better memories. Cease to dwell on the negative, focus on the positive.

I am extremely excited for the things to come in 2012.

I hope you are, too.

2011: The world hasn't ended yet.

2011-12-28T18:53:00.000-05:00

I never understood why they never made a prequel to 2012. If they ever did, I think this post title would be the perfect title for it. Filmmakers of Hollywood, take note.

Besides telling myself I should be reading Mansfield Park -- which is highly strenuous in and of itself, I assure you -- I've had a relaxing few days.

Most notably I've been shopping various post-Christmas sales for winter clothes I'll need in Minnesota. Though picking out cute sweaters may be fun now, I fear once I am wearing them constantly I will miss t-shirt and shorts. Oh wow, you know what I realize? Despite living in Florida my whole life, I don't own a single pair of flip-flops. Sandals, sure, but no flip flops. I will take this as a sign I was made for braving colder climates*.

I've also, in no particular order, eaten stuffing, played Jeopardy! for Wii, watched a ton of YouTube videos, read, lost in Bananagrams and slept. That last one may seem mundane, yet is always ten times more glorious during the holidays. I think you'd agree.

Lastly, I've been trying to push myself to make more creative content. Since I have the time now, I am planning photoshoots and videos in hopes I can produce some awesome stuff before I have to slave away on papers and scholarship essays and yucky tasks like that. Yucky, I say.

The most recent product of this is a video response to Lauren about things from 2011. If you want, I highly recommend creating a video response of your own or at least taking these 20 questions and answering them in a post. Either way, here's mine:

*The things I tell myself sometimes...

Whatcha got planned for New Years?

Everyday's like talking in your sleep.

2011-12-26T15:05:00.001-05:00

Like Strawberry, I will do my best to present my gifts from yesterday in pictures. Honestly, though, I spent more time photographing all the presents when they were still wrapped. Forget the actual presents, I wanted to immortalize the beautiful matches of bows, papers and tags I pulled off. I mean, look at these.

Okay, the back ones on the left and right are from my grandmother.

The gifts: Belgian chocolate covered Oreos and a Georges Seurat puzzle.
(Plus Scotland and panda calendars, which you can barely see.)

On Thursday I went my mom and brother to see Arthur Christmas. It was so much funnier than the trailer made it out to be. It was really nice to be one of six people in the theater, even if it made my laughing more noticeable. Also, I just want to point out there's a scene when McAvoy's character yells "BRYONY" and I couldn't help think it wasn't the first time he's shouted that (see: Atonement). I wonder if that was intentional. Probably not.

Emilia and I exchanged presents this year.
She baked me these uber delicious cookies and made a splendid mix cd I listened to all Christmas Eve.
She's the best.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I leave you with this video I made with a gift I got yesterday. Enjoy!

What'd you do to celebrate?

17 things to do before I turn 18.

2011-12-20T19:27:00.005-05:00

I was inspired by Lina's post.

1. ~~Get accepted into college.~~ (12/13/11)
2. Graduate high school with honors.
3. Open an etsy shop.
4. Earn my AICE diploma.
5. Go on a date.
6. Try new foods.
7. Lose weight/be healthier.
8. Acquire my driver's license.
9. ~~Complete my 2011 reading challenge.~~ (technically yes, 12/31/11)
10. Save more money for a trip to Scotland.
11. Become a better tennis player.
12. Pass my AP Calc A/B exam.
13. Watch An Education.
14. Edit HD videos I film.
15. Visit Islands of Adventures with friends.
16. Practice my Spanish so I am more fluent.
17. Move away from home.

Tears of joy.

2011-12-15T17:51:00.005-05:00

Up until today I knew I'd be a nervous wreck. And I knew for the longest time my friends would get their Florida State University decisions before I heard back for my early decision. Still, the anticipation mounted and it consumed my thoughts. I had gotten the mail Tuesday evening prior to everyone logging online then posting to Facebook a variation of "I got accepted to FSU!" Confirming there was no big envelope with my name on it, I dismissed the mail onto my mom's bed and studied diligently. I started getting ready for bed when my mom called me into her room. The way she said my name sounded like she'd seen a roach or something. I walked calmly in as she held up a 5 x 7 envelope, asking how I did not see it. My hands began to shake as I opened it. I read the first line and grinned wider than I knew possible. I sat down to read futher, feeling as though my future was literally in my hands. And then I started bawling. Not out of sadness, but out of pure and unadulterated joy. I immediately relayed the news to my brothers and dad. I deliberately have kept this private, telling a select few people everyday. It's not because I'm unhappy, oh dear no, I just want to keep reveling in this (relatively) alone as long as possible.
In other news, I have my AICE English Literature exam tomorrow, but I'd be lying if I said I was worried about it. Aside from AICE Psychology (and Economics Honors, which I almost forgot to count it is so easy) it has been my easiest class. For the past two weeks I've essentially been given time in class to read Mansfield Park while everyone else struggled to finish their reading logs for Nervous Conditions. I really can't complain.

My group finished the math parody we filmed for our AP Calc exam! Tomorrow we're going to watch everyone's videos and probably die from laughter at our collective stupidity. That's the beauty of it.

As the end of the semester quickly approaches, I am letting myself get more excited about winter break. I hope mine is filled with hot chocolate, good books, beautiful photographs and magnificent adventures. That's all I'm asking.

Tomorrow I'm sending out my secret Santa package! In case I don't say it enough, the blogger family is awesome. I love you, guys.

The pier.

2011-12-11T19:20:00.000-05:00

Despite overcast skies, my friends and I spent the Saturday afternoon at the pier. We were there to film part of our math parody music video, which we did...but only after a solid thirty minutes of dance practice in the parking lot. The final version was pretty good as a result, even if none of us will be auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance? anytime soon.
After that we headed to a beach house and filmed another scene. Once it was all over, though, I had a terrible headache (kind of like I do now) and just wanted to be home. I almost feel like I got sun poisoning.

Today has been the epitome of a lazy Sunday. I wish I wasn't so tired so I could finish things, like my secret Santa package. I watched Life in a Day and was fairy underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, yet somehow utterly pointless.

Now there's this.

My semester exams start on Thursday. Oh, boy.

On my ipod.

2011-12-04T16:04:00.001-05:00

With the recent inheritance of my brother's old iPod touch, I've been listening to more music. For a while I sustained myself on Maggie's, Natalie's, and Nicola's mixes (which are all FABULOUS, by the way) but these other tunes have been stuck in my head:

What have you been listening to?

Don't look at me that way.

2011-12-02T22:43:00.005-05:00

Honestly, I'm not sure how time has slipped by. But since it means I have less than six months left of high school and a mere two weeks until I learn if I got into my first choice college, I can't complain.

Clearly blogging has taken a backseat. What you'll never see on here, though, are the conversations the blogger family (yeah, the blogger family) has on a daily basis. We keep up with each other lives more instantly thanks to Facebook. That isn't to say we've given up blogging entirely. No, not at all. I think we'll always be here.

Thanksgiving break was quite relaxing. Both my brothers came home from college; there was ratatouille instead of turkey. It certainly made for a different kind of celebration. I did not participate in Black Friday shopping. I'm trying to save money when I can. I mean, visiting Seattle this summer would be surreal.

In regards to my 365 project, I'm nearing halfway, though I can't say I've improved much. Often I have to resort to taking a random photo of an object on my desk. It's pretty lame.

Besides busting out an awesome English paper, tomorrow I'm taking a trip to Hobby Lobby to stock up on Christmas and art supplies. I feel like I'm never as efficient in putting together a package as say, Shelby, but I try.

My tennis team went bowling last Tuesday. Here's a super quick stop motion I made from photos I took.

Right in front of you.

2011-11-19T19:56:00.002-05:00

Last night I had my "directorial debut," as I've been calling it. Basically a few weeks ago my psychology teacher told me about a local Potluck Film Showcase and suggested I enter. I wasn't sure my claymation was the kind of short film the gallery was looking for, but I finally worked up the courage and submitted it. They graciously took it and even gave it the first slot.
Besides my work being shown to 30 something people in the community, which was really awesome by itself, I got to watch other amazing films, too. One was called 35 minutes and it was about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. If you have about 15 minutes to sit down and watch, I highly recommend it. Being there, listening to the directors/actors, was an invaluable experience. I can only imagine going to these types of places in the Twin Cities. I am now more inspired than ever to get a MacBook Pro and start editing HD videos.
My friend Brianna came to support me! She and I will probably go get tea or coffee tomorrow and talk about Franny & Zooey. You know, adventures and photos await.
Today I went to the library with group mates to finish writing lyrics for my calculus semester exam. Every year students are asked to record a parody music video, rewriting the song to be about some math concept. My group has picked "I'm Sexy and I Know It" and has changed it to "I'm Tangent and I Know It." It's bound to be hilarious.

Lastly, I went to pick up the photos I had taken at Homecoming only to realize the photo of mine and Patricia's dress never took. This is why I should've woman-ed up and brought Cammy (my Canon T3) but I think I should also invest in a slim, yet affordable, digital camera. Any suggestions?

P.S. I am extraordinarily excited for the Blogger Family Secret Santa 2011!

Under the weather.

2011-11-14T18:56:00.005-05:00

I am currently sick with a nasty cold and therefore am suffering from bouts of grumpiness and intense nose-blowing, often simultaneously. I don't care if mucus is a natural part of my immune response, it's gross. My friends have already adopted to calling me snot rag. Oh no, they really haven't. At least not to my face. They're not that snotty.

Karen suggested I blog about the adventures of my tissue box. I took a picture of it in all of its sitting-on-my-desk glory.

I spy a copy of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron!

I'm putting the finishing touches on my essays, but otherwise I'm ready to send in my Common App/Macalester application tonight! Hopefully this is the only one I have to do. (Granted I already submitted University of Florida's two weeks ago.) I'm taking a gamble applying Early Decision even though I know I really want to go there. Wish me luck?

Alright, time to force myself to study calculus.

I am a blur.

2011-10-29T15:50:00.002-04:00

I am a blur.
I don't know where I'll stop nor where I've begun.
I seamlessly blend amid the continuum.
I am s t r e t c h i n g far and beyond the imaginable.
Inscrutable though I've become,
I wouldn't have it any other way.

Things I meant to say: part two.

2011-10-27T21:12:00.002-04:00

It seems like months since my trip to the Twin Cities when actually it's only been three weeks since I visited the metropolises and my top choice college, which translates roughly to several blogging years. We've all been incredibly busy, though, and apologizing for my absence is kinda silly. It's not as if I'm otherwise planning the next four years of my life or anything.

Everything was beautiful in St. Paul, Minnesota. The leaves were vibrant oranges and deep reds, forming a scene I can only attempt to recreate through acrylics or capture well on my camera. I find it's never as overwhelmingly breathtaking after the fact, and that makes me sad.

I keep telling myself I'll write more about the details of the trip. I don't know why I delude myself. The chances that I am able to fully express all that I experienced are low anyway. My laziness compels me to copy and paste the Facebook status I wrote about it: "[I] had a great time visiting Macalester today! I met some awesome people, ate good food at the Mac, and learned so much more about campus and classes. Seriously, today was super fun and enlightening!"

Since pictures don't lie, I figure I'll just post those:
(I've tried to load more but it says 'bad request'. Poo.)

Things I meant to say: part one.

2011-10-18T21:42:00.004-04:00

It's already been a few weeks since, but I never mentioned how much I enjoyed Spirit Week. I figured I had to make it count, being my last one and all. Kaitlin and I dressed up as Neon Trees for Neon Day. Hey, I thought it was clever. Fun fact: I painted my face so green people thought I was a goblin. Plus, we made matching iron-on t-shirts to explain our joke. No regretz.

The man lurking behind us is our physics teacher.

For Celebrity day, Aryn dressed up as Lady Gaga. She wasn't the only one, though (see: person in background to the right.)

I fell in love with Swanny's sunglasses then I fell in love with this picture of Swanny's sunglasses.

It was Extreme Twin day, so naturally Garrett showed up to school like this.

For era day, seniors were Roman/Greek and juniors were prehistoric. The caveman (fourth from the left) is the infamous Chem Boy I mention on twitter.

Spirit Day meant a s'mores party in AICE Chem.

Puja, Aniesa and I at our last high school homecoming pep rally. Good times, good times.

I didn't go to the Homecoming game that Friday because I had SAT Subject Tests the next morning. Yet, as my luck would have it, it ended up a truly remarkable victory for us in double overtime. I wish I could've gone; if nothing else to see the super tall, super cute quarterback in action. Funny story, I actually know him and he defies the stereotypical airhead jock. I'm not kidding, he watches 30 Rock and writes insightful comments on English papers -- or so my junior informants tell me. It's just not fair that he and I didn't become best friends in Spanish class last year.

I went to Homecoming in a sparkly, gold, sequin dress. I thought that, besides Patricia who wore her Ariel dress, I was by far the classiest. It's as if girls lose all self-respect that night and find it necessary to show off everything. Still, I got to see Zack for the first time since he left for college and generally had an alright time. My expectations were low to begin with, of course. I was too afraid to bring my DSLR to the event and thus the only photos I took are on my disposable camera. That reminds me, I need to get that developed soon.

As the title suggests, there will be a part two. Stay tuned.

I'm not scared to admit I've changed.

2011-10-16T15:28:00.000-04:00

I just finished re-reading Paper Towns and, sweet molasses, that book is good. It definitely spoke to me more now than it did sophomore year, which is only a testament to how much I've changed. Obviously nothing was different about the story itself: same beginning, same middle, same end.

“As paralyzing and upsetting as all the never agains were, the final leaving felt perfect. Pure. The most distilled form of liberation.. It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.”
-- John Green, Paper Towns

I'd write more, but I'm not finding the words.

Have a good rest of your weekend, everyone.

Houdini.

2011-10-09T22:44:00.006-04:00

My life is wholesomely good. I like that there aren't any artificial sweeteners stirred in, even though that means dealing with the bitterness left behind. And so I pucker up my lips and let the tears streak down. Down until my sob becomes a cataclysm of emotion I cannot reconcile. I go to the bathroom to splash water on my face yet it makes no difference. Nothing can wake me from this daze.
Thoughts have been consuming me lately and I've become entangled in my own head. I want to express myself -- probably more so than I have in forever -- but I also want to selfishly revel in my revelations. I can't spend a whole lunch around my friends anymore. I was found, but now I'm lost.

These past few weeks have been extraordinarily busy and I haven't had time to complete everything on my to-do list. Especially writing letters to Natalie, Amy and Maggie. Believe me, I feel like a terrible person. I'm a constant whirlwind of worry, preoccupied with what I haven't done. School work has reached an all time high and I've just about had enough.

And now I am way too tired to write...

P.S. Tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday. Send me things or don't send me things. Either way is fine.

People couldn't believe what I'd become.

2011-09-16T22:28:00.003-04:00

I've had a really crappy week. And since it was only technically four days with a student holiday on Monday, that's truly remarkable.

Before I go any further, I think it's important to mention my current physical condition. As of now, my jaw is slightly unaligned. My lips don't match up and it's frankly terrifying. The pain, however, has been intermittent so I was hesitant to make it into a bigger deal than it might be; I wasn't going to cry and drop everything. Besides, I half-figured it'd fix itself. I've 'popped' my jaw before, experienced mild pain, and then days later have been perfectly okay. I don't know what happened differently this time! My mom said it may be Temporomandibular joint disorder TMJD, but I have to wait until tomorrow morning to call the pediatrics office and ask for an appointment to be sure. I need this resolved for my sanity.

That said, I've had to battle an insanely draining, demanding slew of work the past four days. Not only did I have two Chemistry tests (that's not a typo; I seriously had two), I had an English paper to write, a psych paper, a psych test, a physics quiz, a Spanish test and an AP calc quiz. That's not even mentioning all the stress over college applications and running the math tutoring organization. It continues to amaze me how I'm not zombie. Oh wait, I sort of am right now.

Most embarrassingly, all my stress and feelings of inadequacy erupted into tears during sixth and seventh periods today. There were twenty minutes left until I could go home when I was called to the front office. I assumed my mom had somehow scheduled an appointment for my jaw. Well, no. Not the case at all. I walk in and it was none other than my best friend is sitting there and it was just so surreal that I started crying. She doesn't go to my school so to see here there, and coincidentally when I needed her most was amazing. She gave me a purse (pictured below) she's been meaning to give to me for a while. I decided not go back to class so we talked, hugged and caught up instead. It was perfect.
Excuse me while I continue to lovingly watch the Coldplay live stream from Austin City Lights.

Never forget.

2011-09-11T18:34:00.004-04:00

I just watched the 102 Minutes that Changed America and, to tell you the truth, I am a little numb. It's as if the shock and horror of 9/11 has only deeply impacted me now. Somehow only now I am old enough to understand all the horrific events that occurred this day ten years ago.

I was a mere first grader in elementary school when it happened. Most of my worries consisted of getting along with classmates and completing the inane assignments. And when I was home, I rarely watched TV and even more rarely watched the news. Thus, no live images of the disaster have been imprinted on my mind. I was not deeply traumatized. Only after the fact did I ever learn about the absolute terror that ensued and what its implications were.

Fast-forward a year to when I'm sitting in my third grade class. (I skipped second grade.) My teacher had gathered us around a map hanging on the wall. She calmly points to a small country between Europe and Asia and says, "This is Iraq. We are at war here now." With this conflict so far away, I honestly thought little about it. And frankly, I didn't know why I even should.

For the remainder of my elementary school days, I focused more on myself. The biggest events that impacted me were hurricanes, especially Katrina. I recall for a couple of weeks we had a new student from Louisiana join our class. She talked about how she had to move because her neighborhood and whole entire city was flooded. She left our school before the year was out and we never kept in touch.

But the point is, I thought little about 9/11. Sure, as I started reading the paper more and comprehending national and global politics, the bigger picture became clearer. I began realizing exactly why it was a big deal.

During 7th grade, I participated in a model United Nations conference at my school. I represented Libya of all countries. My basis for choosing such a place wasn't because I was that interested, but because the flag was all green and thus would be no trouble sewing. (At least at that point. I believe it has since changed.) I'm glad I chose it though, since for the project as a whole, I conducted plenty of research into the nation. This meant I learned about Qaddafi and the country's politics. I started seeing more parallels between history and modern day, as seriously frightening as it was.

But I still thought little about 9/11. It was always about what was done to somehow avenge the tragedy: the war on terrorism.

All this reflection, though important, does not change what happened. This ten year anniversary can only honor those heroic citizens, fireman and policemen that responded in a time of utter uncertainty and crisis. More importantly, we can honor those loved ones and friends that died in the attacks. They're gone, yet not forgotten.

As a citizen of the United States, I wanted a way to pay my respects and this is it. I urge you to please take a moment of silence after reading this post to remember those affected.

Thank you.

It's hard to know that you still care.

2011-09-04T14:22:00.001-04:00

Brianna and I went exploring beneath a bridge and through the local village yesterday. We discussed our lives within a quaint bakery, shared our mutual desires to get out of Florida, and she gave me some much needed photography tips. I can't thank her enough for a splendid Saturday afternoon.
Oh, and during the adventure I filmed my first HD video!!

A tearful good-bye.

2011-08-31T20:04:00.005-04:00

Since I’m ending BEDA today, I probably won’t be posting on here too often anymore. As most of you lovely readers know, I’m on twitter more frequently.

Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, in the near future I will be creating quality videos! I’m already planning collaborations with friends that should be awesome.

My 365 project on Flickr is sort of disappointing, but I'm working on changing that too. You can expect better quality, more conceptual photos in the next few weeks. That's a pinky promise.

Okay, college applications will now consume my life.

Have a nice day.

"O Jesus, make it stop!"

2011-08-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

My title is a direct quote from the poem Attack by Sigfried Sassoon. It also become my English teacher's mantra while grading out latest essays. Apparently they were that tragic. I was very pleased with my grade, though.

Uh. Uh. UH. I don't know what else to write! My day was alright, even if was incredibly tired by 5th period. This is probably an indication I need to get more sleep...that I will promptly ignore.

I totally beasted my math test with a 95. GET AT ME, AP CALC. GET AT ME. Frustratingly, in haste, I forgot that the graph of -sin2x would still start at 0. I am such a nerd.

Latest English Lit essay grade: 95.

What were you thinking?

2011-08-28T23:02:00.004-04:00

I'll spare you guys the boring details of my day and just hit the highlights.

I think I did well on my English poetry analysis. I mean, I sure hope I interpreted the meaning correctly. It's embarrassing when our teacher reads aloud from papers and says, "DON'T DO THIS" or "THIS IS TOTALLY WRONG" and you worry it's yours. We're writing in-class papers/essays on a weekly basis, which sounds intimidating (and it is), but is entirely necessary to pass A-level. He's dropping our lowest grade this nine weeks, though, so I technically have a 100 in the class still. I'm a beast.

Meanwhile, I got a 71 on my physics test. Not so impressive, if you ask me. Fortunately there's time to improve!

The only other thing remotely exciting was my 100 on my psych test! I have a 100 in the class overall, too. Noticing a trend?

Calculus studying, here I come.

All was well.

2011-08-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows today.
Perhaps now I can actually go see Part 2...

Cathedrals in my heart.

2011-08-27T17:23:00.002-04:00

My to-do list is long (and incomplete thus far) today; but since writing my 27th BEDA post is included, I technically am being productive right now. Loopholes, ftw.

It's no secret that I've always been boyfriend-less. Crushes have come and gone, but none matured into romantic relationships. You would've probably read about them. I realized, however, that I was instead granted good friend status with said guys and that was and continues to be fine with me. I kinda treat them like honorary brothers. That said, you may be surprised I liked one college guy for the majority of last year because I rarely blogged about him. I felt like if I could keep my feelings under wraps he'd eventually see a future with me and we'd happily date. Life is never that simple, though.

After a year long, arguably unhealthy manifestation of feelings, I finally came clean to the guy a few weeks ago. This time was no different. His polite rejection and request of friendship, while trite, was sincere, so I graciously accepted it. I know it was for the greater good. It's let me properly move on.

During my first day experiences video, I mentioned a cute guy in my AICE Chemistry class. He's a junior and has pretty eyes. He runs cross country and track. He's a part of Academic Team and Mu Alpha Theta, two clubs I lead as co-captain and President respectively. Plus, he's in two of my seven classes! I think interaction will be inevitable now. I can't claim any real attraction towards him yet because we've exchanged probably fewer than 100 words, but this may change. Muhahaha.

Okay. Enough about that.

I desperately want a class 6 SD card so I can start filming HD videos. I also desperately crave adventure and photoshoots with friends. I'm tired of taking relatively boring pictures for my 365!

I've now had three driving lessons. The last one involved driving on a major road outside my neighborhood with actual cars. I feel accomplished even if I'm truly not.

Currently my grades reveal that my strengths are with languages and social sciences and not so much math and hard sciences. I think this serves as a good reminder to myself of what I'm good at. As of late, I've considered being a director/cinematographer. Just one more reason I am eager to start filming quality videos.

Que me quedas tu.

2011-08-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

We listened to this song in Spanish class today. I was honestly surprised by how much I liked it.

I wish I had the energy to write an amazing awesome post, but --you guessed it-- I don't. I really, really should be getting to bed soon so let's stop typing now.

Wait. WAIT. I wanted to express my deepest apologies that Hurricane Irene is headed up the eastern US coast and not straight across Florida as they do. To my blogger friends that may be affected (Strawberry, Natalie, etc.) please be safe. As a veteran of "hunkering down," I urge you to stock up on books, lights, healthy yet delicious foods, water now. Also, the humidity sucks. Did I mention that I was sorry?

P.S. Things keep looking up. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

On the verge of revelation.

2011-08-25T20:21:00.005-04:00

I suspect that my internet has chosen once more not to cooperate. It's probably being affected by weather (read: Hurricane Irene's outer bands).

Consider this post more complete.

Time to try to alleviate my anxieties by watching Frasier.

I'll see you cool cats later.

Eighty-six.

2011-08-24T16:46:00.007-04:00

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words yesterday. I appreciate the support and empathy. I really do.

Today elicited a much more positive outlook from me. Not only was the weather pleasant, but most of my classes were subdued. I hardly have any homework tonight save studying for a physics test.

I have to cut this short because it's my grandfather's birthday and my family is going to visit him in the nursing home, like, now.

Oh, and I got an 86 on my Chemistry test!

What you know.

2011-08-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

The honeymoon period with school is officially over for me. Shizwits just got serious.

I had my first AICE Chemistry test today. I made the clever observation that the intense stormy weather reflected how the class felt about this test: doom! Even though it was fairly easy, I don't think I earned an A. Which is sad. I think I'm too good at over-thinking questions or not thinking enough. If only there was a class for that!

Sadly, I already know I got a 90 on my AP Calc quiz. Now my overall grade is an exact middle-of-the-road B average. Is it weird that I am slightly disgusted? If it is, then perhaps I pride myself too much on academic achievements. But isn't trying to earn straight A's an integral part of living in a highly competitive world nowadays? I feel like sometimes one's best is not the best. So how does one cope?

I think I aced my AICE Psychology test, though! Plus my paper was awesomely written and I just think it's an A effort.

To counteract my increasingly apathetic mood, I'm drinking strawberry kiwi Juicy Juice. It's only semi-effective. I'm don't think physics homework will be a good antidote either.

Latest English Lit essay grade: 85.

Wear sunscreen.

2011-08-22T17:19:00.001-04:00

This photo was partially inspired by this awesome poem.

I recorded The Glee Project season finale and watched it this morning. While I'm gleeful (see what I did there?) all four of them get story-arcs, I think doing so diminishes the show's integrity. I mean, won't future contestants start to think 4th place is just as good as 1st? Or is that just me and my crazy thinking? Now, of course, I'm incredibly curious how their characters will be written into the series.

Yesterday I had my first official driving lesson. I found it strangely exhilarating. And I didn't do a bad job! That said, I basically just drove in an oval and practiced parking so, success is relative. I am not gonna lie, I am envious of friends that drive and have been driving already. I'll get there in a year.

My priority after my school work is college applications. Don't be surprised if in this last week and a day of BEDA I end up just spouting nonsense. My brain is getting quite the workout, I must say. For example, I have two tests tomorrow and a quiz. (Thank goodness physics was moved to Thursdays.)

I can't wait to get my disposable camera photos back from the drugstore! Cool story, bro.

Happy Monday!

Look ugly in a photograph.

2011-08-21T12:08:00.004-04:00

"The more you see, the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart day-glow eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They're advertising in the skies
For people like us

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Don't look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can't see

I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Time...time...time...time...time
Won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel... luckily"

"City of Blinding Lights" -- U2.

Swimming through sick lullabies.

2011-08-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure everyone has at least one guilty pleasure. Mine is watching Degrassi. It's so stupid and yet so good. That said, I thought I would blog my reactions to two of the past four episodes. Here we go.

Title: Mr. Brightside, pt 1 (The Killers, eh? Reputable choice.)

Description: Drew's ultimate fighting training is the only thing keeping him together -- and it's barely doing that. If he loses that... what else will he lose? (Everything, perhaps?)

I'll be honest and don't care for this plot line. Kid's addicted to fighting. He's going to sustain injuries.

Meanwhile, this whole Ali/Dave relationship is cute. Oh, dang, Dave has to meet the parents. Wait, I seem to recall something similar happening with Ali's brother Sav. Yes, that's right. He invited Anya over "as a friend," she didn't like that, they dated anyway, she had a pregnancy scare, decided he wasn't worth it, crushed on her mom's cancer doctor, got rejected by him and the only college she applied to, started dating a chauvinistic pig, and, to top it all off, got addicted to cocaine. But I'm sure Ali/Dave's experience will be different.

LOL, Mrs. Bhandari "never misses The Mentalist."

Drew: "From who?" From who? FROM WHO? IT'S FROM WHOM. WITH AN M. IT'S CALLED GRAMMAR, DEGRASSI. USE IT. Okay, okay, yeah. I see what you did there. You're showing how fighting can decrease brain cells.

Drew: "Don't touch me." Yeah, he clearly does not have issues.

Aww, Ali might've ruined her chances with Dave. Sad face.

Next episode.

Title: Mr. Brightside, pt 2

Description: Alli's tired of sneaking around. And if anyone deserves her parents' blessing, it's Dave. Can she finally break down the Bhandari barrier? (Probably not.)

Drew looks like a young Rocky Balboa.

WHOA, they have inside sanctuary-type place within the school? Neat.

Hey, African-American kid whose name I don't know, chess club can be a lot of fun. If you were really Drew's friend you'd support his decision!

Holly J: "Kidney...kidney...kidney."
Holly J's birth mom: I can't just give you mine.
Holly J: Let's talk about prom instead.
Holly J's birth mom: Prom was one of the best nights of my life.

Yay, Dave/Ali are officially friend boy and friend girl! Wait...what?

Holly J got her birth mom to donate her kidney, Fiona got the perfect prom dress. Life is swell.

Katie and Drew, sitting in a tree, k-i-tae-kwon-do-ing?

Okay, that's enough. Homework won't do itself.

I am (not) Nicki Minaj.

2011-08-19T23:36:00.000-04:00

Emilia brought me back yummy gummies from her summer trip to Germany! She is too sweet.

Most importantly, and as I tweeted, I got a 100 on my English Lit paper! To say I was shocked is an understatement. I suppose I mentally prepared myself for the worst -- a D if it was that atrocious -- and thus now doubt the 100 is true. Teachers make mistakes imputing into Edline quite frequently, so maybe this is one of those times? I'm also paranoid that it was intentional, and that when I get to class on Monday, he will openly humiliate me and announce I got the lowest grade instead. I wouldn't put it past him, honestly. If all is well, though, this is a MAJOR confidence boost.

Today was my senior class assembly. In past years, for whatever reason, my class assemblies have erupted into fights. Oh, and we also got kicked out once for being talkative and disrespectful. I'm pleased to say we've come a long way. We -- peacefully -- discussed various important dates such as Homecoming, Field Day, and, of course, graduation. Since there's exactly nine more months until the big day, I think I'm going to refer to senior year as my baby. Man, it is going to be one awfully long and painful pregnancy...

In other news, I learned that Zack and Kyle are finally situated in their on-campus apartment. I'm really happy for them and perhaps one day I'll visit! Their classes start soon so I'm sure they'll be busy, busy, busy. Or at least pretending to be. They were sure quick to mention their surround sound and entertainment system.

Thanks to Zumba tonight with Emilia, I have "Super Bass" stuck in my head.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Cognitive dissonance.

2011-08-18T20:25:00.000-04:00

Since Em asked what I'm learning in my AICE Psychology class, I figured I'd share the study we've covered thus far.

During the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram devised an experiment to test the Germans Are Different Hypothesis (GADH). Essentially, he wanted to see if Americans would obey a legitimate authority figure. The results were fairly disturbing. I could easily go into more detail, but I think watching this video below will be more stimulating. I'd love to hear what you think, or if you've studied this in some other context.

Now I get to go do the homework I've been -- shamefully -- neglecting.

Needs.

2011-08-17T23:00:00.002-04:00

Here is a list of needs (because I'm too lazy to write about anything else):

sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep

I'm so clever.

As predicted, I am more able to regularly check and update my twitter and my flickr. Don't fret! I will keep BEDA alive, but I can't promise much after that. At least until I have more college stuff completed, y'know?

Senior year, y u no easy?

The title says it all.

2011-08-16T17:36:00.004-04:00

Happiness Makes Up in Height for What It Lacks in Length
by Robert Frost

Oh, stormy stormy world,
The days you were not swirled
Around with mist and cloud,
Or wrapped as in a shroud,
And the sun's brilliant ball
Was not in part or all
Obscured from mortal view—
Were days so very few
I can but wonder whence
I get the lasting sense
Of so much warmth and light.
If my mistrust is right
It may be altogether
From one day's perfect weather,
When starting clear at dawn,
The day swept clearly on
To finish clear at eve.
I verily believe
My fair impression may
Be all from that one day
No shadow crossed but ours
As through its blazing flowers
We went from house to wood
For change of solitude.

Life and death.

2011-08-15T22:34:00.002-04:00

(Insert meaningful and profound statement about this photo and how the two flowers represent life and death.)

Today was an okay day.

We were assigned a research essay for English about a topic related to India. We are encouraged to work with partners so my friend Christina and I teamed up. Additionally, we were given poems to analyze (individually) during class and we're writing a paper tomorrow. Despite this onslaught of work, it's necessary if I want to pass A level. I think it helps that I don't mind the teacher. He had a 95% pass rate last year so I think he knows what he's doing.

"Books change your life." -- Wise words from my Economics teacher. He has a ponytail.

I am really enjoying AICE psychology. I think it will become one of my favorite classes --so lon as I can put up with the overwhelming number of (obnoxious) juniors.

Good night and good luck.

I am in misery.

2011-08-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

The guy on the left is my friend David, and on the right is Travis. (Coincidentally, this, and a picture of David's milk is all I took to document this morning.)

Today I indeed got together with friends at Cracker Barrel, but I ended up regretting it. Now I am $7 poorer and more depressed.

It made realize that while I'll be sad when they're gone, they can be inconsiderate jerks. It's true; I never said they couldn't invite other people and I never said they had to be there exactly at 11. I just expected them to the decency to tell me before hand and show up on time. I guess I held my expectations too high and now I'm disappointed.

Since this morning, I've napped and listened to this several times. Even so, I still feel like a grump in a slump.

Tell me friends, what helps you cheer up?

Sleepy eyes.

2011-08-13T18:28:00.001-04:00

I'm afraid my tiredness will once again result in a lame post. Remind me why I decided to do BEDA again?

Reorganizing my room aside, I haven't done much today. Well, I guess I did my physics homework, studied polyatomic ions for Chemistry and wrote a paragraph in Spanish. You know, three days in and I already have assignments. I just love being back in school!

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my 2011 senior boys, Emilia and Kenzie at Cracker Barrel and it should be a good time. I refuse to accept my boys will be off at college by the end of this month. Lies!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Roses are red.

2011-08-12T23:27:00.000-04:00

Sadly, I'm a tad too tired to properly write. I hope these photos will suffice for today.

Shirt -- JC Penney
Shorts -- Delia*s
Necklace -- F21
Watch -- Kohl's
Headband -- gift from the incredibly lovely Nicola

I got so many compliments on this headband today. I truly can't thank you enough, Nicola! Not just for this, but for everything you sent me this summer. I love it all! I'm really looking forward to our next package swap!

Another growth opportunity.

2011-08-11T22:58:00.000-04:00

Today all Cambridge/AICE students got their exam scores. For the current seniors and the recently graduated class, these are a huge deal. If you pass AICE courses (generally taken junior and senior year) you earn credit towards your AICE diploma. An AICE diploma not only lets colleges know you're a serious student, it also helps you qualify for something called a Bright Futures scholarship in Florida. Like I said, it's a huge deal.

Natalie had asked me yesterday what the difference was between AICE and AP and I'll do my best to answer that. AP classes were replaced at my high school by AICE classes as part of the Cambridge Program. AICE courses are designed around the pre-requisite curriculum at the University of Cambridge. In other words, if you were to pass your A-level exams, you can apply that credit to college-entry level courses. Class out, so to speak. Typically, though, you only take the AS level which is close to what you'd experience as a college freshman.

The curriculum is structured differently from AP. For instance, math is not so cut and dry. You could be learning about trigonometry one day and still applying calculus in the same class, same course. Also, the histories are less regurgitation of facts, more analytical essays.

The final exams are actually sent from Cambridge University in Cambridge, England and then sent back there to be graded. Hence why it takes three months from May/June to get results back. This obviously creates a great deal of tension when you do finally see them.

For pre-AICE (9th and 10th grade), the passing scale goes from A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Yes, G is considered passing. For AICE (11th and 12th), the scale shrinks to only A* to E. Ungraded means you did not pass.

My exam results:
AICE English Language -- B
AICE Math -- E
AICE Biology -- Ungraded
AICE Europeon History -- D
pre-AICE Physics -- D

While I'm embarrassed not to have passed Biology, it's not the end of the world. (Oh, don't worry, my eyes are still sore from crying until I threw up. D:) I am thrilled that I passed math, though. That test was INSANE.

I hope that answers your question. If not, I'd be happy to chat more about it another time when I'm my eyelids aren't so heavy.

P.S. My English teacher is quickly turning into one of my favorites.

This is the good life.

2011-08-10T22:08:00.001-04:00

Today was my last first day of school. Cue the obligatory (unflattering) photos taken outside, backpack in tow.
Did I resent having to get up at the crack of dawn to go to school? Absolutely.
Was I upset my physics teacher wasn't there and instead we had a sub? Definitely.
Do I miss my class of 2009, 2010, and 2011 friends? Dearly.
Am I happy to be a senior? OH GOD YES.

My outfit:

Dress -- F21
Sandals -- Zappos.com
Ring -- F21
Necklace -- F21

All in all, I had a pretty good day. I hope everyone's summer is still awesome!

P.S. This is my 300th post. Milestone, baby!

One.

2011-08-09T17:30:00.001-04:00

Oww, I feel like I'm getting carpel tunnel. Thanks, wrist. You always know how to brighten my day.

On a completely unrelated note, HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE I START SCHOOL TOMORROW. Sorry, you're probably tired of me saying stuff to that effect; believe me, so am I. However, I have taken solace in the fact that I'll still have weekends and that this first week is a short one. Even my physics teacher wouldn't be so mean as to schedule a test for Friday. (Great. Now I'm going to be a paranoid parrot for the next three days.)

I wish I could tell you guys I've had a grand adventure my last day of summer, but I've basically sat in front of the computer, tired and cold. Also, there were thunderstorms earlier and I should've taken a nap. Missed opportunies like that are what hurt the most.

Here's the video I said I'd post. I love school supplies like...like, Benny loves Joon. (My simile-making skillz must scare you.)

Anyone who cares probably already knows, but I'm on twitter now.

Two, but more like one.

2011-08-08T23:04:00.006-04:00

Can I just say how crappy Windows Movie Maker is? Seriously. I need new video editing software, pronto. Alas, the school supplies video will be posted tomorrow instead.

The good news? I have only two more days until school starts. But since today is almost over, it's more like one. There. I changed the title. Now it's official.

-- Segue. --

I've contemplated getting a Twitter account. Before you either leap down my throat or scream with glee, ('cause who wouldn't want to know my mundane thoughts?) please hear me out. I'm on the verge of entering arguably the most stressful year of high school and time will not be on my side. Junior year will have been so, so, so, so, so, so much easier. At least for me, anyway. I hate to be punished for wanting to challenge myself, yet that's what it feels like minus, any, y'know, physical bruises. Yet. (Fight Club is still on my list of books to read.) What if I could keep up with you all, just under 180 characters or less? My other option is queuing posts. That seems to only work with tumblr, though; especially if you don't mind missing real time events.
I figure twitter solves that problem? Maybe?

I could also access it via my phone, saving me the hassle of turning on my now dinosaur of a laptop (I've had it since I wrote my first blogger entry...in 2008) and getting it to cooperate. Maybe it isn't just Windows Movie Maker after all...

If I decide not to get a twitter, however, my content on here ~~may~~ probably will become a secondary photostream.

I really don't know. My future feels so uncertain.

While I go contemplate my life's meaning, here's a picture I took of homemade pizza.
You're welcome.

Three.

2011-08-07T15:52:00.006-04:00

I love the compulsion you experience while reading certain books. You probably know what I'm talking about. The "oh, I'll just read one more chapter" mentality until you've swallowed the book whole in less than a day.

Well, I felt this way about Girl In Translation. Sadly, I don't think I would've picked up this novel if it wasn't on the Florida Teens List. And I would've missed out on tremendous read. I was genuinely moved to tears.

Here are a few quotes that really spoke to me.

"One day close to Christmas as the factory, I saw Matt working with his mother, and I rubbed the pandas's forehead in my pocket with my finger. I walked over and said, "Joyful Christmas." Then I swiftly pulled out the panda and offered it to him. I had thought about this. Much as I liked Tyrone at school, I had never really spoken to him. I was grateful to Matt and he was my only friend who knew what my life was really like; he shared it. I wanted to give him a present even more than I wanted to keep the panda for myself, because it was the only thing I had."

"When Tyrone shyly handed his to me, I saw that on the page before mine someone had written: "You are the King of the Brains." I thought a moment and wrote in Chinese: You are a very special person and may the gods protect you. Then I signed my name in English.
"Wow," he said. "What does it say?"
"Good luck," I said.
He stared at the page. "That's a lot of words for 'good luck.'"
"It take a long time to say something in my Chinese."
In my book, he wrote, "Wish I had known you better.""

"But that night, as I bent over my books, I could still smell the lingering perfume on my clothes and wrists, and I felt surrounded by the warmth of Annette's friendship, by her confidence in me. I wondered if that had been her plan all along."

"He looked at me. "You don't care about superficial things, do you?"
"Like what?"
"Money, clothing."
I had to laugh. "Yes, I do. I need to."
"No, you don't, not really. I've been watching you--you don't even notice what the other girls are doing."
"You think that because my clothing is different from theirs. It is actually only because I do not understand what they are doing." It felt good to admit this to someone. "I wish I could be like them!" An image of the lovely Vivian flashed across my mind. "But I don't know how."
"Because you don't really care. Even if you could, tell me you would really spend your free time in front of a mirror trying to make your eyelashes look longer.
I was silent.
He continued. "You'd be too busy inventing something to save the world."
"Just because I'm better at math than you are does make me into a paragon of virtue."
"That what I mean."
"What?"
"Where did you learn that -- I mean, did you hear someone say 'paragon of virtue' at home or something?"
I paused. "I memorized it from a book."
"See?""

I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend!

Four.

2011-08-06T21:20:00.003-04:00

Dear Nikon P90,

While I'm sorry it has to end like this, just know that I'll always remember you.

We've had a lot of good times, you and I. I honestly can't recall many fights.

You graciously helped me document my life during sophomore and junior years. A lot of sh*t went down then, so that is invaluable to me. Although you have seen me change a lot, you stayed true. You also tolerated me taking countless self-portraits and you must think I'm entirely vain. I don't blame you, really. On top of all that, you withstood the extreme heat and extreme cold during photoshoots I've had. You truly are amazing.

From Miami to Providence, you've been there for me. You helped me capture memories of those places I was fortunate enough to visit. I wish you could've gone to D.C with me, but that was a summer before I met you. Perhaps we'll go back someday.

Thank you for putting up with others using you. I'm sure that wasn't fun. You we're out of good hands for long, though.

I feel like I knew you too well and that's why I needed to end this. Why I needed to move on.

I hope you don't hate me.

Love always,
Your owner,
Lizzie

(In case that wasn't obvious, I took the above picture with my Canon T3!!)

For the third installment in my back-to-school video series, I filmed five outfit ideas. Obviously I am not, nor claim to be, a fashion expert, but I thought this would be fun. Plus, if nothing else, it's a good way to remember things I could wear when I'm getting ready at the crack of dawn. I'm saving my favorite topic, school supplies, for Monday. If anyone is interested, I would also consider talking about my first day experiences on Wednesday. Let me know!

Five.

2011-08-05T23:30:00.002-04:00

Okay, this time I did almost forget about BEDA. Forgive me, I've had a busy day. I've taken three separate trips to the mailbox!

No, really, I was out of the house for a few hours. I got to register for school two three days early! Seniors are supposed go on Monday, but my mom had to volunteer so I came along, figuring I could at least pick out good lockers. Apparently SOUL (Students of Undying Leadership) kids were volunteering too so Patricia was there. She informed me I could register today no hassle so I did. I wonder if any freshman or sophomores thought I was one of them. Ha, fat chance! I EXUDE SENIORITY. Well, sort of.

I'm estactic about my schedule. I got the teacher I wanted for Economics Honors. Everyone says he's a lunatic, but I don't think that's true. I have lunch right before AP Calc so I can foresee some intense study sessions.

Apparently there's a tropical storm moving towards the east coast of Florida. I think I can expect some rain tomorrow.

Have a good weekend!

Six, and not a second to spare.

2011-08-04T22:20:00.004-04:00

I didn't forget about BEDA, I've just had a long day.

I had to have two fillings done in the morning, but I'm worried one has already broken. Such is my life. I suppose this means I'll be back at the dentist's office tomorrow so they can fix it. Yay, my favorite thing to do.

I got my hair cut. It looks no different besides short bangs. Oh, and I suppose she professionally straightened it.

Fortunately, there is a pot a gold at the end of the rainbow: I got my actual permit! Driving lessons, here I come! And since I know my 21-year-old brother reads my blog, I'll be sure to add I'm most looking forward to lessons with him.

Now I'll leave you guys with the second video in my back-to-school series. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Seven.

2011-08-03T17:01:00.002-04:00

I decided I would do BEDA -- except it's August, not April --again. I mean, it's not as if I'm starting my senior year in a week and will be swallowed by the stress monster. What ever gave you that idea?

Today I reached a milestone, friends. I finally took and passed the permit exam! All I need to do now is show up to the DMV office, look pretty, sign forms, and I leave with an actual permit. I'm stoked. Now I know how all newly 15 and 16-year-olds must feel!

Which reminds me, I'm also stoked about being 17 in a week and two months. Having skipped a grade back in the day, most of my friends and classmates will be turning 18 instead. That's okay, though. If it means I have more of an excuse to act childish, fine by me.

On a recent trip to Kohl's, I got these really cute floral heels for $10 that were originally $50. They're slightly too big on me, but that's an easy fix.

On a completely different note, I cannot wait to start learning how to use my Canon Rebel T3! Any suggestions for what I should name it?

I hope everyone's having a good week!

Eight.

2011-08-02T17:15:00.002-04:00

I decided I would start a Back-to-School series of videos. Over the course of the next seven days I'll be recording videos for: tips + organization, school supplies, outfit ideas and hair styles. I've already filmed my make-up tutorial for the perfect back-to-school look. Enjoy!

Nine.

2011-08-01T15:12:00.002-04:00

(My titles henceforth will act as a countdown of days until my senior year. Wait. Who says 'henceforth'? Apparently I do...)

I wanted to share my thoughts on the books I read this past year for AICE English Language. When I made a video previewing these books last summer, I didn’t quite know what the class was all about. Now I know that we read these American classics chronologically, in order to analyze “the author’s use of language,” a skill we then use while sitting our AICE exam in May. (My results are due back in the next week or so.)

The Scarlet Letter was a necessary evil. I talked more about in the first video.

The Crucible was fine. I have a new understanding of the Salem Witch craft trials/the McCarthy trials at least. We watched the 1970s movie version and thanks to that, I had an enjoyable two-day infatuation with Daniel Day Lewis.

The Red Badge of Courage? One word: unbearable.

Their Eyes Were Watching God was one of my least favorites. I could appreciate the language/use of dialect, but was overall unimpressed with the story. We didn’t technically finish it and instead watched the movie for it. Frankly, I learned more about the author Zora Neale Hurston.

The Awakening was a delicious read. The author, Kate Chopin, often used the word delicious to describe something pleasant, not just food, and I loved that. Also, I can still remember a few quotes and some specific imagery that I genuinely feel impacted me. In the least pretentious way possible, I want to say this book changed me and my disposition.

The Great Gatsby was absolutely stellar. I am happy that Nerdfighters are reading it along with John Green. It’s well worth your time.

Even though I had trouble passing quizzes we had on Invisible Man, I did like it. It’s easily one of the most complex novels I’ve read to date. The symbolism was so prevalent that almost every item had another meaning.

Since it was the last book we read for class, As I Lay Dying and its English-class analysis is freshest in my mind. I listened to the audio book -- which helped me tremendously -- and, tedious though it was, I would highlight certain phrases often repeated. I would also cringe at the dark humor and yeah, that’s about it. Faulkner does not intrigue me.

I had to read The Glass Menagerie and Death of a Salesman earlier this summer and I had read A Raisin in the Sun the previous summer. We did not have time, nor have I made time to read Catch-22.

Relapse.

2011-07-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

In the famous words of Slim Shady: I'm back, back again.

As I write this, I am sitting outside in the shade listening to an army of crickets chirp, eating banana nut cheerios straight out of the box and drinking the ever-healthy mountain dew. Try not to be too envious.

During the past 17 days, in no particular order, I've...

Started and maintained a 365 project. Cleaned my room considerably. Gotten on the mailing list for 20 different colleges. Pre-ordered The Fault in Our Stars. Sent my package to Nicola and received her package to me. Played and beat the video game Silent Hill 2 with Zack and Kyle. Seen Winnie the Pooh (for $4!) with Kai. Learned to ride the public bus. Sent letters to Amy and Natalie. Stressed out over college and senior year. Finished reading Order of the Phoenix and started The Half Blood Prince in an effort to finish the book series before I see Deathly Hallows Part 2. Thanks to a blogger friend on turntable the other night, had this song stuck in my head. Gossiped, played Apples to Apples, watched Rubber and laughed until I cried at Regina's 17th birthday party. Ordered, but have not been allowed to open*, my first DSLR camera (a Canon EOS Rebel T3!) Gone school supplies shopping. And, last but not least, considered opening an etsy shop.

I have less than two weeks before school starts again, which means that I have less than two weeks to get my permit. In case you forgot, you can get your permit at 15 in Florida...and I turn 17 in approximately two months.

*I struck a deal with my mom. Completed college applications in exchange for the camera. Ooh, she's clever. (A few minutes ago) *door bell rings* "OH MY GOD! I THINK THAT'S MY CAMERA!!"

So, what have you been up to, friends?

We never change, do we?

2011-07-12T18:10:00.003-04:00

I watched the last space shuttle launch ever on July 8th. Its profoundness was lessened, however, when the clouds obscured any view of it. Only two days later, when my dad returned from visiting family in New Hampshire, did I receive a space shuttle chocolate pop (pictured above) and could pretend like it was the real deal. Like I hadn't missed witnessing history firsthand and like I hadn't had to resort to a live broadcast on the television, viewable to all.

I feel like that day was the closest I will ever come to understanding the emotion that everyone in the Harry Potter fandom will experience July 15th. Believe it or not, ten years of my life have ended too.

I know no one really cares about my "fandom", though.

And why should you?

It just feels strange; strange to be, in part, alienated from a community, the Internet, that I turned to when I was feeling alienated from my real life. That said, I don't begrudge the fervent love for Harry Potter nor do I expect anyone to downplay the significance of this final movie release. It's a big 'effin deal. As a result, I'm just choosing to spend less time on the computer and more time reading, purging and creating. At least until things have calmed down.

So is this my elaborate way of saying I'm taking a hiatus from the Internet?

Well, no. Not exactly.

Because like any addiction, you can't just quit cold turkey and be successful. Instead, it's going to be a gradual departure from all the various sites I love dear. I will probably still post and actively check Facebook for the next week. My progress will be slow at first. I know this.

Please don't think the Harry Potter craziness was the only reason for this decision. And please don't think I'm just using it as an excuse to leave. I love all my blogging friends so much, which is why this is gonna be hard.

My decision is based mainly on the fact that I have less than a month until school starts again. Yes, less than a month! This means I have less time to complete college applications like I promised I would, less free time to go on adventures and less time to relax.

I'm simply running out of time.

So for now my priorities are to finish Nicola's package, to finally update my Moleskine and to read the books on my AICE English Lit list.

See you on the flip side.

The Red Hen and the Bald Eagle.

2011-07-09T19:30:00.001-04:00

Unless you know a little background about my grandparents, this claymation will seem very bizarre. The main characters are my grandfather and grandmother as the bald eagle and the red hen respectively. These are nicknames they've given themselves, mind you. Instead of just grampy, or grammy, they will sign cards with their bird persona. It's just clever, cute and fitting since my grandfather is bald, and my grandmother has red hair. It's also helpful to know that my grampy loves the red sox and my grammy loves knitting, hence, well, you'll see. Plus, they refer to their home as the Thimble Cottage. Hopefully this clears up any confusion you may have.

While the quality is not where I'd want it to be at, this is the first claymation I've ever done, and I'm eager to do another. Enjoy!

Crap in disguise.

2011-07-06T23:15:00.007-04:00

To celebrate Puja's 17th birthday, Puja, Regina, and I went to see Transformers 3. My honest opinion about the movie? IT SUCKED. Sure, I enjoyed the company of the people I saw it with, but the movie really annoyed me. Especially its errors in continuity. For example, in the major battle scenes Carly's shoes keep changing from heels to ballet flats to heels again. Perhaps I was expecting too much from a film franchise that had already proved to just be tolerable at best. Still, I wanted to walk away with a little shred of dignity, y'know? Instead, I sat for two hours to watch robots battle inexplicably, women be exploited sexually, and actors act terribly. Seriously, I would demand my money back if it wasn't already on Puja's dime.
/end rant

Afterwards (at what appears to be midnight according to the pictures) we gave Puja her presents. I wish I could've topped my gift from last year...
Today I had my senior pictures taken. Fortunately, there was little hassle and I think they'll turn out nice, or at least nice enough. I've come to terms with the fact that, no matter how hard I try, professional pictures will probably never portray the way I perceive myself in the mirror. I know; I'm strange.

This rainy weather has given me a headache.

Have a good rest of your week, everyone!

I'm gonna give all my secrets away.

2011-07-03T15:47:00.001-04:00

After accepting I may never get my final junior year report card, I went to get it last week. I made all A's for the last quarter and all A's for the second semester! I am insanely pleased with my efforts to excel during my rigorous junior year in addition to being uber involved and playing varsity tennis. I learned my FCAT science scores too. I passed at "above grade level" and honestly that test makes no difference to me, it's all about the school's prestige.

Coverage of the infamous Casey Anthony trial significantly hindered my ability to watch Wimbledon. Luckily, I tuned in right at championship point between Nadal and Djokovic. I'm sure it was a very compelling match from the start.

The rain has hindered my chances of hanging out with friends/leaving the house too. Fortunately, and as my status as a blogger would suggest, I could successfully occupy myself with indoor activities. The one day I did manage to escape, however, I got my hair cut and went to the grocery store. Oh, boy. The grocery store. Well, is it everyday you see this? I've debated setting up a collective fun to buy it for either Regina and Puja whose birthdays are both this month. I'm pretty sure both would die of happiness, eat it, then die of happiness again. Especially given the date. (12 DAYS.)
I also realized just how wide a selection of orange juice there is. I mean, that's almost the length of an entire slanted wall. #floridianproblems
All that aside, I've spent the past few days working diligently on a claymation to celebrate my grandparents' 30th anniversary and my grandmother's 70th birthday! The final version will make its debut at a surprise party on the 5th so I won't share it with the internet just yet.

I almost completely forgot that tomorrow's Independence Day. What are your plans, fellow Americans? I'm not sure I'm doing anything special.

Have a great week, everyone!

Movies I want to see.

2011-06-29T14:08:00.004-04:00

I've been compiling a list of movies I want to see. This is what I have so far:

1.) Transformers 3. While I will acknowledge that every movie in this franchise has gotten progressively worse, seeing these movies in the cinema with my best friend has become a tradition. And you don't mess with tradition. Or is that Texas?

2.) One Day. One word: Scotland. I'm not sure how I feel about Jane Hathaway's Scottish accent, but since I still re-watch Becoming Jane and don't seem to mind her English accent, to not see it for that reason would be highly hypocritical, right? Besides, a cute guy (I always want to call him Jude Law because he played a Jude in Across the Universe, but it is most definitely Jim Sturgess) in the male lead role. Now I really can't complain, can I?

3.) 50/50. Unlike the other two aforementioned movies, I'm not sure this has gotten any buzz. However, thanks to my ~~creepy~~ expert skills with using IMdB.com, I learned about this project almost a year ago when my man James McAvoy was cast to play the lead. Obviously if you watch the trailer, though, you'll realize someone else took his spot; and, like me, you may not be too upset.

4.) The Art of Getting By. I've probably watched this trailer more times than I care to admit, and thus am a little put off by it. That said, I'm less inclined to take a trip to the theater and would much rather enjoy it on DVD. I'm not trying to say it will be terrible, I just think my money could be better spent.

5.) Beginners. If we can forget about Aaron Carter, Ewan McGregor was my first celebrity crush. (Obi-Wan Kenobi, ftw!) I think this movie looks well-made, has beautiful cinematography, and contains a sentimental story. In other words, it's not another Adam Sandler movie or any other unoriginal Hollywood "summer movie."

6.) Drive. I stumbled across the trailer for this and decided it would probably be a good thriller. Ryan Gosling probably gives a believable performance and yeah. I don't have any other preconceived notions. Really, I don't.

7.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two. Oh my god; I originally forgot to include this until Strawberry mentioned it! Probably because in my mind it's not just a movie, it is an international event. Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while knows I'm not a huge fan, but I appreciate the well-deserved craze surrounding these brilliant books and movies. On top of that, my friends will undoubtedly ask me to go and I'd be crazy to say no.

I'm curious, what movies do you want to see?

What you waiting for?

2011-06-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

I think I'm fulfilling the prophecy I made: that summer 2011 will be what spring 2011 was not. What can I say? I love adventures.

This past Tuesday Emilia and I went bowling. Both she and I had coupons for two free games so that made the trip all the more worthwhile. After we bowled perfect 300s, (ha ha ha) we talked for a bit and decided that we need to go to the beach pronto. It's summer and I haven't been once. Sad face.

On Wednesday I met up with an old friend at Starbucks. We discussed how our lives had changed over the past three years and how our lives will continue to change. Kelly has a kindred soul and serves as a reminder that there are like-minded people in the world. I needn't feel so alone. She and I will probably have a photoshoot before the summer is over.

I've thought a great deal about investing in a DSLR camera. At the moment, though, many things are much more important, like studying for A Level Biology and applying to college. I may also sign up for a photography class at the community college before I spend the $600+ on something I may not understand fully how to use. Being able to sell some prints of photos I've already taken would be icing on the cake.

I've still been going to tennis practice in addition to everything else. I am usually the only girl and only senior there. Oh well, playing against the guys has its advantages. For instance, I'm learning how to be a more aggressive player. Don't worry, they said the beard I'm growing is just a side effect for all the testosterone coursing through my body.

I think that's it. Have a spectacular week, everyone!

We watch things on VCRs.

2011-06-20T15:01:00.002-04:00

My life is awesome.

Have you ever met someone and instantly became friends with them? Well, that's what happened with my friend Simaya and I. We exchanged fewer than 20 words before we followed each other on Tumblr, added each other on Facebook and said hi in the halls. We had never hung out outside the realm of school before so we went to the mall on Friday. Our conversation flowed effortlessly as we wandered around. I introduced her to John Green, insisting she read his novels. Two hours sped by and I was sad to say goodbye. Fortunately, that was only the first of our many adventures to come.

I documented my outfit of the day as well.

tank -- Target, cardigan -- Goodwill, skirt -- F21, shoes -- art teacher, necklace -- F21, rings -- F21, watch -- Kohl's.

Saturday morning I had tennis practice. I can feel my muscles tightening again after a few months of inactivity. Plus my serves are improving. I cannot complain.

Saturday afternoon I went to a matinee showing of Super 8 with my brother and a bunch of friends. If I had to classify them, they're my class of 2010 friends (no pun intended). Thanks to Academic Team and various other venues, I've grown to know them; so while they're still my brother's friends, I fit in just fine and I love that. The movie had its moments. It made me laugh a fair amount, the acting was good, but that doesn't mean I'd see it again. I'll be finishing a proper review of it on mix tape when I'm done writing this.

After the movie we goofed off in Books-A-Million. We looked at various board games and eventually settled into palm reading where hilarity ensued. I opted to just listening to what all the lines signified and photographing the event.
Afterwards we headed over to Moe's southwest grill. I ate these yummy vegetarian nachos as we engaged in amusing conversation.

I told everyone to smile so naturally 4/5 purposefully didn't.

Father's Day was relaxing. I spent most of the day completing a Nancy Drew computer game with my brother, 'cause I'm cool like that.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Grape is not my flavor.

2011-06-17T12:50:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure why I decided to make this video, but I did.
Do you like Skittles?
If so, what kind (sour, regular, etc.) is your favorite?
Your favorite flavor?

It's more a question of feeling.

2011-06-15T16:05:00.001-04:00

I was inspired by Julia to share what's in my bag. So here goes nothing.

F21 Messenger style bag, my Motorola droid (cell phone), Blistex 'external analgesic' (which sounds so wrong), cherry softlips lip protectant, panda compact, F21 floral sunglasses case, white F21 sunglasses, Belk floral wallet and Office Depot zippered pencil case (it unzips completely!)
Not pictured: My camera. Hmm...I wonder why?

Up until this year I never used to carry a purse. They were always too much of a hassle! But since I actually go out more nowadays, the need for one arose. And I caved. And I made this post. What's in your bag?

Now I'm going to go play Nancy Drew with my brother. Don't hate.

No reason.

2011-06-13T13:12:00.001-04:00

This past week was magnificent.

Monday I had a final biology study session with Puja. Since I was already at the library, I couldn't resist checking out books, namely Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. I can't wait to read it after Water For Elephants. What good books have you read lately?

Afterwards, Emilia and I went "thrifting" at a collectibles/antique type shop. Thrifting is in quotation marks because we essentially just started pointing out absurd items, laughing and taking pictures of them. Here are a few that really made us laugh.

On the other side of this doll was a woman.

The creepiest figurine.

A trophy that allowed you to change what it was for; Emilia just wanted to be Coolest Cat.

I started summer tennis conditioning Monday evening. That particular night I played a set against an incoming freshman who, despite her age, is quite good. Plus, she's super nice and is enrolling in the Cambridge program. I'm looking forward to the season already.

Tuesday I took my last AICE exam for the year. Now I'm officially, officially a senior! I thought I did really well except that I messed up one question about malaria and cholera. I should've gone with my gut answer, dangit. Regardless, as a celebration, that afternoon I went and saw X-Men: First Class again with Puja, Regina, Aniesa and Andrea. If you haven't seen this movie, I suggest you read my review of it and decide to go, 'cause it's a solid summer blockbuster. To top the day off, I savored a delicious strawberry ice cream, complete with real strawberries, from Coldstone.

Why must the heat melt ice cream?
Also, this is actually the ticket stub from when I went with Nikki. Whoop-sie-daisy.

My week was off to a great start so Wednesday was no exception. I attended Bad Movie Day, an event hosted by my brother's best friend. We watched Rubber, The Creeping Terror and Plan 9 From Outer Space. The latter two were only enjoyable because the versions we saw contained hilarious commentary. Otherwise, we probably could've never sat through such torture.

The past four days have been relatively busy. I've gone on bike rides (hence the two videos I shared,) organized my room better, planned future adventures, played more tennis and read.

These are from my trip to the park on Thursday.

Regina remarked about wanting new photos so I happily volunteered to have a photoshoot with her on Saturday. We wandered around trails near a park and randomly stopped so she could pose. I always appreciate feedback on my photography so feel free to leave it.
I hope everyone has a lovely week.

Astronaut.

2011-06-11T11:38:00.004-04:00

Let's take a bike ride.

2011-06-09T21:35:00.005-04:00

I essentially copied Issac and made a video of me biking to a nearby park.
I apologize if you get motion sickness.
I tried my best not to make it wobble, I promise.

I hope everyone is having a superb summer or acing their finals.

I want you back.

2011-06-05T22:05:00.001-04:00

While I have the review power points for biology open, it remains a neglected box on my computer's toolbox. If only it were the thought that counted. Instead, I have successfully squandered the few measly hours I've been conscious today by unnecessarily editing photo albums on Facebook, checking Flickr obsessively for new stunning photographs taken by my friend Karen, and randomly following my brother around the house whenever he emerges from the abyss of his room.

Today definitely pales in comparison to yesterday, though.

After not being able to fall asleep Friday night, I awoke Saturday morning in a frenzy because I was worried I had slept through my alarm. It was a rash theory easily disproven by the fact that I just leaped like a gazelle to silence its obnoxious "EHHH-EHHH-EHHH" noise that, for me, is comparable to nails on chalkboards. My fear wasn't irrational, I've have had instances where I did, in fact, fail to set my alarm properly. Namely this past December when I slept through my Physics midterm and swore like an inebriated sailor all the way to the attendance office.

Potential crisis averted, I went to take the SAT. My particular testing site was unorganized, to say the least. We started the test at 9:00 instead of 8:00, much to the chagrin of almost everyone there. I'm eternally grateful I wore a watch; there was not a clock in sight. Perhaps it meant nothing to her, or she's some supersmart genius, but the girl to my left was always done before time was called. I know, I know. That is one of those things I shouldn't be paying attention to while I'm still working.

Easily the best part of the whole otherwise miserable experience was seeing my best friend. She attends a different high school than I and we are both license-less making it difficult to hangout.

Five hours later, we went to go see X-Men: First Class at the theater and it was absolutely fantastic. I loved the movie and its cast. I predict the red-haired Banshee will have a long career ahead of him, not just as a Rupert Grint lookalike. Of course I thought James McAvoy was brilliant and audibly gasped and physically flailed my arms when *spoiler, but not really* his character got shot. I thought the effects were pretty cool and all, even if I generally do not enjoy the summer blockbuster genre. And perhaps I'm a complete psycho for doing so, but I took home my popcorn bag and cup because they double as souvenirs. That's not weird, is it?

You see that old lady on her cell phone in the background?
I bet she's a spy.

With my heart incredibly full of love and adventure, I braved babysitting. I've grown to know this certain family for four years now, so in a lot of ways I'm like an older sister to the aging boys. Familiarity, however, has arguably made my job both easier and more difficult. For example, the addition of a dog to the household in the past year has definitely complicated matters. I think the dog causes more mayhem then the boys combined! This "puppy" can open unlocked doors and trash compactors and will wait to do so when I have to be reading a good night story to the kids. A dubious one, she is.

Yesterday night was like normal and once they drifted off to sleep, I got comfortable on the couch. I found X-Men 2 on TV and, bemused, I began watching the final ten minutes of it and then X-Men: The Last Stand came on and I watched that until I literally passed out.

All that considered, it was a very sweetawesome day.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time I go get lost in a young Pierce Brosnan's dreamy, piercing blue eyes (pun intended).

Living in the summer sun.

2011-05-30T10:44:00.000-04:00

My summer has been pretty good so far.

For whatever reason, the last day of school didn't feel like the last. Puja drove me home early from our exam. Then I went to Unleashed, aka this huge party put on at Aniesa's church, with my friends. We played Starburst wars and sumo wresting twister. I left, got a free smoothie and then went to go play tennis with Kyle and three other friends of mine that are back from their first year of college. It definitely reminded me of last summer.

I finished reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close the other day. I'll admit, I bawled my eyes out throughout almost the entire book. Since I'm terribly behind on my 2011 Reading Challenge, I spent this past week reading The Glass Menagerie and Death of a Salesman. I think I should get in a better habit of writing reviews on my Goodreads account, but it will suffice to say neither were my favorite.

I took a trip to Barnes & Noble and bought copies of Looking for Alaska, The Catcher in the Rye, and To Kill a Mockingbird, three books I love dearly. I'm not sure what to make of the expanding teen fiction and vampire teen fiction sections I saw, though. I mean, I'm all for teens reading more, but when will they realize what they're reading -- for the most part -- is garbage and smut? Amongst the books available at B&N, I recommend City of Bones, Ender's Game and The Hunger Games trilogy to anyone who hasn't read 'em. (Disclaimer: The fourth in the City of Bones series was kind of lame, i.e. a 'filler' between the remaining two.) If you're looking for book recommendations, Natalie has written quite a few on mix tape.

Yesterday I ate Chinese buffet and went bowling with Emilia, David and Chris. We laughed at our pitiful scores and talked about Justin Bieber dolls. Yes, as scary as it sounds, they exist. I plan to add my fortune to my Moleskine, which is in the process of becoming a "hip" scrapbook of mine.

During the past week I saw Gnomeo & Juliet and Megamind on DVD. Both were endearing yet only mildly entertaining hence their rented status. I bought a copy of Atonement and The Last Station to add to my James McAvoy film ~~shrine~~ collection, though.

Today my older brother comes home from college. I've missed him. A lot.

Now my time should be devoted to studying for SAT and my one last remaining Cambridge exam because both are incredibly important.

I'll catch you guys on the flipside.

Studying for Spanish is overrated.

2011-05-22T19:06:00.001-04:00

Cambridge Banquet:

Cake. Howls of laughter. Embarrassing elementary school photos of the seniors. A good hug from Kyle. Smiles. Silly awards. Thunderous applause.

School:
Studying. Reviewing. Exams. Speculation about miscalculations. Outbreak. Cleaned out lockers. Senior last will and testaments. Yearbooks. Final classes.

Adventure:
Car rides with Puja and Regina. Slurpees. Dove dark chocolate. Early release. Chilling out.

Graduation:
Congratulations. Fireworks. Hugs. Taking photos.

1. Zack high-fiving Brittany during the processional.
2. Class of 2011 waiting to officially graduate.
3. Kimmai giving her Salutatorian speech.
4.Lucas giving his Valedictorian speech.
5. Caps being thrown into the air.
6. Fireworks concluding the ceremony.
7. Zack and I.

I can't wait until summer.

You wish you were one-two!

2011-05-18T18:26:00.011-04:00

Class of 2011 graduates tomorrow.
Which means today was my last day as a junior.
And it felt absolutely amazing.
Pseudo senior status on Monday.
Then summer, summer, summer!
SO.
EXCITED.

Guess what?

2011-05-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

I don't have to think about AICE Math ever again. It is such a relief. While I liked the class itself, those exams were brutal. Mr. Junior Class Math Student of the Year sat next to me for both tests and after the one today he turned to me and declared, "that was hard," which immediately raises red flags in my head. Should I not have found it easy? Does this mean I did all the math wrong? I certainly hope not.

Tomorrow I have one of my hardest exams. Unlike AP, which probably everyone reading this is familiar with, there are no multiple choice questions for history! It's three hours to write four essays that answer questions about the various topics I've learned. The source based question (SBQ) is always about the Causes of the WWI and then you can pick three of the other subjects. I'd be curious to know if anyone else has studied Imperialism in the late 19th century, the Russian Revolution, Years between the Wars/Totalitarianism, Napoleon and the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution.

I really should be studying...

As a result, the rest of this post is just going to be a lot of photos I've taken and not shared. A massive photo dump, if you will.blouse -- Charlotte Russe, high waisted shorts -- Forever 21, shoes -- my art class, watch -- Kohl's, ring -- J.C. Penney's

tee -- Kohl's, floral skirt-- Forever 21, sandals -- madden girl, watch -- Kohl's, ring -- Forever 21, neckalce -- Forever 21

cardigan -- Forever 21, t-shirt -- J.C. Penney's, shorts -- J.C. Penney, watch -- Kohl's, shoes -- Forever 21

I am almost a senior in high school and I still play with playdough.

2011-05-13T17:52:00.005-04:00

Today I signed my good friend Zack's yearbook. I managed to mess up twice in the first sentence and had to awkwardly correct it/pretend it did not exist. I really had to think about what to write; I've known the guy for five years and we've been through a lot. Believe it or not, he is the person I can thank for providing the name of this blog. (If you ever wondered, it's a song lyric from "Junesong Provision" by Coheed and Cambria. Yeah, fun fact to fool your friends with.) I am going to miss him oodles next year. But that's all I'm going to say because I know he doesn't like people sharing too personal of things on blogs, and I respect that.

Of course, instead of writing this entry, I should be studying diligently for my exams. I'm not trying to lull myself into a state of complacency, but I feel like I'm going to do well. I've scheduled one last math study session with Puja tomorrow.

Nine more exams, and six more days (not including weekends) until I'm a SENIOR! :D

I want to learn Russian.

2011-05-09T17:42:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday was hectic.

I made an appearance at the Florida Solar Energy Center to cheer on the Science Bowl's hydrogen and solar cars. I bailed at 10:30 to go to the library to study math with Puja. We completed yet another practice paper (can you say extra credit?) and tried to boost our confidence about the exam we had today. I checked out two books -- Be More Chill and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- and am almost done with the former. I swear, there's something about exam time that makes me an avid reader. I distinctly remember this time last year I read a lot. But I'm not complaining.

Okay, back on track. From the library, Puja and I went to the tennis awards/end of year party at the school. We arrived just in time to receive our letters, pins and I was specially awarded the School Pride Coaches Award. The trophy is pretty awesome looking. You'll just have to take my word for it, though. Taking a picture and uploading it would be too much work.

I went home and rested for an hour or so and then went to baby$it.

Sunday I inevitably rested and mentally prepared for exams. I had both my AICE English Language Composition and my AICE Math Paper 1 today. The English was fine; I know I passed, but I only did okay with math. Thank goodness there's another component that should help me balance it out. I'm not a expecting an A* (the best paper in the world), but a C would be splendid. (Obviously the grading scale/rubric is not the traditional American one where C is average.)

I have a AICE Biology lab practical exam tomorrow. Is it weird to say I'm excited for it? I guess I'm just ready to beast* it.

Have an awesome week, everyone!

*I overuse this a verb way too much.

Coming to the end.

2011-05-06T22:02:00.005-04:00

I have no homework for the rest of the school year! Sadly, everything else from here on on out is revision for my 11 AICE exams. Why yes, the next two weeks will be pure chaos and stress.

Actually, I'm trying to be chill about it all. Getting worked up over it just wastes time and instead I'll spend the time I can to study.

I am going to do my best. I am going to let everything I know pour out of my head and onto the paper. I am going to write two successful compositions (each three pages). I am going to follow all other directions. I am going to not let math scare me. I am going to check my math for stupid errors. I am going to read my biology lab carefully. I am going to check off steps in the procedure as I complete them. I am going to pass.

Sorry that turned into a self-confidence boosting speech about this coming week, but I definitely needed it.

Have a good weekend!

P.S. Lizzi and Natalie: I'm sure you both kicked the APUSH exam's butt! :D

I wish we could open our eyes.

2011-05-01T20:39:00.004-04:00

Just when you thought my daily posting was over, I post again!* Monday and Tuesday of this next week will entail finishing final chapters (in Biology and Euro, namely) and then from then on out it's straight up revision for finals. My first two exams are in eight days. EIGHT DAYS, FOLKS.

Here's a video response I made to this.

*It's just because I'm trying to pass this off as productive while I've spent almost my entire day in front of the computer.

Have a good day/week/month!

What you've all been waiting for.

2011-04-30T14:35:00.006-04:00

I just recently got back from a study session with Puja. We managed to complete two practice math exams and work on our biology worksheet. She and I probably could've accomplished even more if I hadn't kept making stupid arithmetic errors. Besides that, I think I'm going to do well on my AICE Math exam!

Today marks the last day of BEDA 2011 and -- probably -- the last post you'll read from me in a while. I have contemplated essentially 'queuing' or scheduling posts for May. Obviously they would not pertain to specific events, but rather be about movie and book releases I'm looking forward to, songs I've been listening to or pre-recorded vlogs. I'm not sure, though. What do you think?

Last, but not least, here's the stop motion I created of my friends Emilia and Zack! I would love feedback. (I love this Noah and the Whale song, so I flipped out when Shelby had decided to use it for her stop motion to her boyfriend.)

Catch you on the flipside.

Dali was eccentric.

2011-04-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

I'm finding it hard to translate my entire Dali museum experience into words. Surreal would be a good description, both literally and figuratively, but it's hard to confess how much it moved me. Visually assaulting, I think the phrase our tour guided used was. I stayed completely awed by the scale and immense detail that he achieved in each piece. I have a fresher appreciation of art now. At the gift shop I bought a few postcards, a magnet, a bookmark* and a temporary Dali mustache tattoo. 'Cause I'm cool like that.
After the museum we traveled to Ybor City to eat at Columbia Restaurant, the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in the United States. The food was delicious, the conversation between friends enjoyable and the decorum breathtaking.
*My mom specifically requested one.

I can hardly believe that April, and thus BEDA, is almost over.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

The Dali Museum was surreal.

2011-04-28T22:03:00.001-04:00

My morning bus ride to the museum was not nearly as productive as I'd have hoped. Unless you count playing cards as productive, in which case I was very productive.

We arrived in St. Petersburg, Florida around 9:30 a.m.. After a relatively short wait outside, we physically entered the Dali museum, found our docent and began our tour. Once we entered the collection galleries I wasn't allowed to take pictures. Fortunately, there's this thing called the internet which allows you to search and find images of the pieces.

**Okay, I spent way to much time getting distracted and chatting with friends. Here are some pictures from the day and I suppose I'll post more about what I felt and experienced tomorrow.

Titles are for squares.

2011-04-27T20:33:00.002-04:00

I'm getting quite excited for my Spanish field trip to the Dali Museum tomorrow. When possible, I'll try to take pictures. It's all the way across the state so the bus ride is about two and half hours both ways. And if it's like my Biology field trip, everyone will be sleeping on the ride over in the morning. In other words, it's the perfect time to work on history booknotes I've neglected! That and draw silly faces on people. Nah, I wouldn't do that...

Okay, can I also just mention how frustrating it is how when I don't procrastinate, yet the teacher does? Our final As I Lay test on Monday was pushed back to Friday and while everyone else is super friggin' excited because they couldn't find time earlier to read the sparknotes and now they can, I've already finished reading the actual book and am probably forgetting what's happened. Le sigh.

The ACT today was not too difficult; I feel confidant I did pretty good. Scores are available in 5 to 8 weeks so I'm forgetting about it until then. I shall instead focus on AICE exams that I want to ace.*

I've been working on the stop motion and am almost done! You can probably expect to see it Friday or Saturday, depending when I have time.

Talk to you tomorrow. I give you far warning, though, it may be posted from my phone so pretend that things are capitalized and what not.

*Fine, even I will admit that was pretty lame.

Why?

2011-04-26T21:43:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow I take the ACT*. I'm not nervous, just incredibly superstitious. For instance, I worry if I go to bed earlier my body will not be used to it. I think that I will end up more tired in the morning versus the afternoon, which is bad for the test. Is there any logic to this notion? Probably not. That's what I mean: superstition. Sadly, I can't even help it. It's like an unhealthy mental disease.

Thursday is my Spanish field trip to the Salvidor Dali museum and Friday there are 80 kajllion** tests and quizzes to take. I'm encouraged to finish this quarter out strong, though. My interim report has all A's, including a 106% in Biology. I'm starting to think making those extra credit pamphlets on infectious diseases was one of the best decisions of my life.

*AND I get out of school early.
**Spell check refuses to recognize thisas a word, which is absurd. Even more absurd, it recommends I replace it with pavilion. Who do you think you are, spell check?***
**Let me iterate: unhealthy mental disease.

C'mon, grab your friends.

2011-04-25T20:57:00.005-04:00

I had a lovely time hanging with and taking photos of Zack and Emilia yesterday. The two have been dating for a little over a year now and I swear, they are just too adorable! Both play ukulele so I asked them to bring 'em and I crawled around in the grass snapping shots. I took 233 photos in total; most of which are going to be used in the stop motion video I'm going to make. I seriously can't think of better way to spend my Sunday afternoon.
(More photos -- plus stop motion -- to come in later posts, I promise.)

See you on the flip side.

P.S. Tonight in J.C. Penney's I overheard a conversation where the lady said, "I hope it's not scrubbed" and I think it's neat how I knew exactly what she was talking about -- the shuttle launch might be delayed. I think anyone not living near the Space Center, though, would have a hard time understanding that localized jargon. Are there any phrases or terms specific to your region, town, state, etc.?

Dinosaur picture.

2011-04-24T23:21:00.004-04:00

Like Strawberry, I have a terrible headache and I am not up to blogging about my day.

So I'll turn the tables: How'd you spend your Easter, readers?

I just haven't met you yet.

2011-04-23T21:06:00.008-04:00

My day was ripe with adventure!

Following my study session with Puja at her house in the morning, we drove to the movie theater where we met up with Jackie and Aniesa. We decided to see Hanna. I must say, the cinematography was stunning and the music electrifying, which I guess in part makes up for the lack of a comprehensive plot. The self-proclaimed pansies of the group, Puja and Aniesa, jumped at the "scary" parts and the four of us shared laughs at somewhat inappropriate moments. It's gory and violent so it's not one for the kiddies, but among friends it was amusing and entertaining in a strange way.

Afterwards we trekked to the frozen yogurt shop. It was my first time there and it was divine. I snapped some photos though Jackie refused to be in them.

I went back to Puja's for another study session and then came home. I really should've done history glossary, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Heck, I still can't.

Earlier this evening my mom and went and saw the Yale Whiffenpoofs perform. They interspersed the songs they sang with hysterical comedic bits, including one where they took turns introducing themselves and this one said he was Ron Weasley and double majoring in Transfiguration and Hermione Granger. They performed this, joking about how it was the song that got them eliminated from The Sing Off. They're so, so talented!

Seriously, I've had such an awesome day! I hope everyone is having a great weekend as well.

Instead.

2011-04-22T16:16:00.003-04:00

I had an idea for a different kind of post today but I was too much of a lazy bum to execute it. Next time, friends.

Instead I watched the season finale of Parenthood. It made me bawl my eyes out like a two-year-old. The writers of the show do a good job of making characters genuine and human.

Instead I read a few chapters of As I Lay Dying because I need to finish the book by Tuesday. A lot of assignments for my classes are due Tuesday and then for the rest of the school year it's revision for our AICE exams. My first one is May 9th? May 7th? One of the two. In other words, sooner than I would like nor imagine.

Instead I planned a study session for tomorrow with Puja and talked to Emilia about Sunday.

Instead I started to read The Mortal Instruments 4: City of Fallen Angels. Thoughts so far: too much description!

Instead I said I'd babysit tonight.

I'll catch you cool cats tomorrow.

Happy birthday, James McAvoy!

2011-04-21T23:11:00.002-04:00

Where has the week gone? (I can say this because I have tomorrow off from school. Three day weekends are the best.)

We're watching the movie Dead Poets Society in English class. I figured if you'd never heard of it, you should watch the trailer, but then I realized it was essentially an ad for Robin Williams and recommend you just read this instead. I like the movie so far.

I was nominated and elected to be President of Mu Alpha Theta (math tutoring organization) next year. I'm a nerd and thus excited by the prospect of this.

I was tagged by the always hilarious Natalie to take this quiz.

What did you do 10 years ago?
Dressed barbies, annoyed my older brothers, and played rec soccer generally.

What did you do one year ago?
This. (Now I'm glad I did BEDA last year too.)

Five snacks that you like?
Goldfish, strawberries, popcorn, salad (does that count?) and Sun Chips.

Five songs which you know the whole lyrics to?
Maybe I'm Just Tired -- As Tall As Lions, Your Ex-Lover Is Dead -- Stars, Read My Mind -- The Killers, Awkward Kisser -- Telekinesis!, and Little Secrets -- Passion Pit.

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire?
Travel to Scotland. Set aside money for my parents. Donate to UNICEF. Visit all the art museums in the world. Save.

Five bad habits?
Saying sorry when it's unnecessary. Correcting others publicly. Putting off homework to the morning. Wasting time on Facebook. Never finishing certain art projects.

Five things you like to do?
Meet people. Write. Read. Create something artistic/creative. Watch movies and TV.

Five things you would never dress in or buy?
Heels (unless my life absolutely depended on it). Short shorts. Bangles. Tube tops. Earrings.

Five favorite toys?
Phone. Wii. Computer. Camera. Can't think of a fifth toy.

Five people I'd like to see taking this quiz?
Anyone that says they will. Don't make me choose just five!

My outfit today:

Dress -- Forever 21, sandals -- Zappos

Have a good weekend!

"He's obviously not in AP. He probably can't even spell AP.''

2011-04-20T20:06:00.005-04:00

April is an incredibly busy month. It certainly makes blogging every day difficult, but I hope that I've produced reasonably quality blogs given the circumstances. Kayley does have a good point. Isn't this process stifling my creativity? More importantly, though, I've put pressure on you readers to comment every single day and I'm sorry if this has ever turned into a chore. I've done my best to keep the content interesting and comment worthy. If it wasn't either of the two, that's fine; if there's nothing to say, then there's nothing say.

Regardless, I promise to lay off while I'm testing during May. Seriously, I probably won't even touch a computer for the entire month except to watch Biology videos or plan study groups via Facebook. And if I do blog, it will all read as stress because that's what I'll feel. This year the exams I take are important -- they're worth college credit if I pass -- and I am determined to have made it worth my while.

On another note, I received 2nd place and $30 in an Arbor Day art contest! I won third last year for my bottle cap tree. This year, I hand carved the artwork out of dry wall, painted it and added tissue paper for more effect.

Total blegh nevermore.

2011-04-19T22:57:00.004-04:00

today was a long day and i have had no time to write this on a computer. as i said in my vlog i had to take science fcat today. thankfully i never have to take any fcat again. ever. the test itself was easy and our proctor was amusing. he is a serious health enthusiast (read: hippie) complete with long hair in a ponytail, an acoustic guitar in his room and a ying yang banner hanging in the corner. i hope i have him as a teacher for econ and american gov next year. he seems just as crazy as i am. obviously friends of mine do not want to put up with his antics, but frankly i do not mind if he does stretches in the middle of class. oh, and he's not unattractive. ;)

i should go to bed now.

Hear my voice.

2011-04-18T22:55:00.000-04:00

Don't wake me up.

2011-04-17T22:19:00.005-04:00

I finished my glass mosaic of pandas today.
Whatcha think?

This weekend went by WAY too quickly.

What if you could see my heart?

2011-04-16T22:12:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day. I woke up around eight and then spent time planning a photoshoot with Zack and Emilia. I suggested also creating a stop motion video and hopefully that can be managed. I'm inspired by my friend Karen's beautiful stop motion of Kyle and his girlfriend Mackenzie, but I haven't decided on a song to use. While I like "Oh No, I Tried" by Right Away, Great Captain it may not have the right tempo nor convey the emotions I want. Any ideas?

I went shopping with my mom but otherwise my day has been a cycle of: lazing around, doing homework, repeat. Hurray for weekends!

P.S. I think I'm going to save my full review of The Conspirator for April 25th on Mix Tape so be sure to check that out if you're interested!

Magenta.

2011-04-15T22:56:00.001-04:00

I just got back from seeing The Conspirator with my mom. It was intensely good! Definitely worth my time, money, and wait. Oh, let's just say I've known that James McAvoy was involved with it for at least a year, maybe two.

I wish I felt coherent enough to write more. Alas, I'm tired beyond wits end. Tomorrow is another day.

Here's some pictures instead.

Wednesday's outfit:
Hair clip -- Forever 21, shirt -- Kohl's, necklace -- Forever 21, skirt -- Forever 21, tights -- Target, shoes -- Wal-Mart, ring -- Forever 21, nail polish -- Forever 21

Today's outfit:

Hair clip -- Forever 21, Sunglasses -- ModCloth, shirt -- Forever 21, tank -- Target, shorts -- Forever 21, shoes -- Shoe Carnival, nail polish -- Forever 21

I don't recall a single care.

2011-04-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

Squeaky swings and tall grass

The longest shadows ever cast
The water's warm and children swim
And we frolicked about in our summer skin

I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and humid air
Then Labor day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin

On the night you left I came over
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
And I knew your heart I couldn't win
Cause the season's change was a conduit
And we'd left our love in our summer skin

"Summer Skin" by Death Cab for Cutie.
Such a beautiful song.

I'm a mathematical genius!

2011-04-13T19:45:00.001-04:00

I'd write a better blog post, but I know I should be focusing on this. If you click on the video and see it's calculus and run screaming from room, come back! At least fast forward to 2:35 and listen for the next few seconds. It's hard to explain, but it made me LOL.

I've noticed a trend of getting lower A's or high B's on all my tests, regardless of subject. I'm not sure why. Is the work getting harder? Am I studying less?

And I am officially boring.

Garageinline.

2011-04-12T20:53:00.004-04:00

Today was another incredibly relaxed day at school. I spent half my extended art period studying for my AICE Biology exam and the other half trying to finish my glass mosaic. Which reminds me, I submitted a photograph of my mixed media homeless man turned veteran homeless man for a patriotic art contest and won third!

What else happened today? Well, we watched a video about bullfighting in Spanish, reminisced about the 90s in Biology, and, most notably, played Scrabble in physics. 'Twas super fun; mainly because we beat our teacher and upset him, as clearly seen below.
My friend Kaitlin drew these potatoes on the board. The one on the left is Sailor Moon and the one on the right is a panda. It's an elaborate inside joke, but let's just say potatoes, (well, especially mashed), are beloved in our physics class.
Towards the end, rather than just admit defeat, our teacher came up with the word Garageinline, defining it as when you have a garage and your neighbor has a garage and they are both in line. Oh, he's so clever.

"It's levi-ooh-sa, not levi-o-saa."

2011-04-11T18:56:00.002-04:00

Today my physics class was extended until lunch. It sounds awful, but it was truly sweetawesome. We made delicious s'mores using Bunsen burners then watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I fell in love with Oilver Wood again, Regina quoted practically the entire thing and Puja and I made plans to go to Wizarding World after our last AICE exam in June.

In English, I took a quiz then joined the seven other kids in the class and watched Toy Story 3, adding to my already pretty awesome day. In math we learned a chapter yet enough time was left towards the end of class so we watched Stephen Colbert's rendition of "Friday".

History was boring because I had to write an essay, and art we just sat in the auditorium talking. I've decided riding the bus is completely unbearable without my iPod.

My goals for this week? Not to procrastinate on my history glossary and to ace both my math tests. Ha, yeah, I'll let you know how that goes.

Talk to you tomorrow!

In rainbows.

2011-04-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

I could seriously watch this video hundreds of times and never get tired of it.

Well, now that tennis season is over I can better stay involved in my other extra curricular activities. I haven't been to chess club at all this semester! I bet my Senior Guys will pretend they don't know who I am when I show up. That is if we have it this Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday are technically half days because the underclassmen take total blegh (FCAT) and the upperclassmen find any reason not to be at school. And, after this Tuesday, there are hardly any Tuesdays left in the school year. I'm not ready to give my senior friends parting hugs at graduation! Fortunately a lot are attending in-state universities so it won't be too heart-wrenching. Let's be honest, I didn't cry when either of my brothers graduated. At least not that I recall.

Have a good week!

On to the next one.

2011-04-09T21:42:00.004-04:00

I've picked out a few important dates in the future I thought I'd share. Hey, it's better than me talking for paragraphs about my Saturday spent eating too much junk food and watching Parenthood.

This movie coming out in seven days. (It may be a film where only a history buff will enjoy it, but I don't mind. Perhaps then I'll even go see it with Patricia!)
April 27th, the day I take the ACT.
May 23rd, my last day as a junior in high school.

I still want to rent Black Swan and various other movies now being released to DVD. It's a shame the nearest Blockbuster shut down. As a result I've tried to convince my mom it's time to switch to Netflix yet she continues to stay her ground. One day I will win.

Florals for spring.

2011-04-08T23:08:00.001-04:00

Is it obvious I love these floral shorts I bought from Forever 21?

As my junior year has gone on, I've become increasingly more aware of fashion. This is not a bad thing, except for perhaps my wallet. I used to not put much effort into what I wore, but in my mind it's become important to look my best to feel my best. I still don't wear make-up mainly because it seems like such an unneeded burden. Also, and I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this, that once you wear make-up you can't go back without looking different, and well, not put together? Does that make any sense?

This past week goes in the running for one of the craziest. Monday did not feel like a Monday and then Tuesday and Wednesday for the district tennis tournament could've been the weekend. I wrote about winning my #4 singles quarterfinal match (6-0, 6-3) on Tuesday and that was certainly a high point. When I started my semifinal match at 9:30 at night, however, I wasn't too surprised to lose (1-6, 0-6). Since I lost to the girl who ended up winning 1st in the position of #4 singles, I think I am 3rd overall? It's cliche, but it doesn't really matter to me if I won or not. I didn't cry nor forfeit a match. (Our #1 singles player forfeited her quarterfinal after throwing her racket. Ordinarily it's just a one point penalty but she ran off the court.) It was all about the experience. There's always next year.

My toothpick bridge was a partial success! It held 1,000 grams which awarded me 22 points. This was only one event of several that are a part of something called fizicks phollies in physics class. For instance, I also made paper airplanes, a spool toule, a balloon racer and a container for an egg drop. Depending on your finish in each of the events, you are given a certain number of points. If the teacher takes the best four scores to make a test grade, you ideally want 25 in each event to get a 100. I managed an 89 and I am extremely proud. I put in a lot of hardwork these past few days. Still, I should've done more over spring break. It would've saved me a lot of hassle.

Have a stupendous weekend!

Time is fleeting.

2011-04-07T22:33:00.004-04:00

I only have a matter of minutes to write this. Surprise, surprise. But, look! I'm on a computer. Tomorrow --thankfully -- is Saturday, and I may have some time to, y'know, breathe. I've had to redo my toothpick bridge (the glue is drying as I write) because my first attempt was terrible. Of course I, the talented person I am, managed to get gorilla glue on my hands, arms, and legs(!?) last night while slaving over it so I am shedding skin like a snake. We need not even mention the nose sunburn from Wednesday. I look like that one camp counselor from Holes. What's his name? Not Mr. Sir, but the other guy whose skinny and spineless. Yeah, him.

Anyway, thank you everyone for continuing to comment and give me encouraging words. Oh, and thanks also for tracking down my lost entry! I done goofed.