I so should not be posting right now....I should be in bed, sleeping, or doing homework. But you all know me, so of course, I'm not doing any of those things. Plus, as it's the first week, I don't have much homework. Homework. I'm a college girl! It's pretty exciting. I was surprised, to say the least, by my first couple of days on campus. I've talked to some people about college, and about their experiences...so I came expecting the worst. I loaded down my backpack in self-defense, just in case Jimmy, at 6 foot and barely 15, wouldn't do the trick.(My backpack is now lethal. Be afraid, be very afraid.) I steeled myself to meet the druggies and thieves I knew would be lurking around every corner; fully expecting the campus to be crawling with creepy, bug-eyed creatures complete with horns and tails.
Boy, was I ever dissapointed! These people were normal! And nice! Well, some of them were, the ones who'd learned to mind their manners and their language. What a relief to discover that a shred of moral decency still existed within the hearts and minds of these young people! No monsters OR aliens. (If you don't count a certain someone in a black hooded sweatshirt with some questionable items on his person.) Anyway, I was pleased.
My algebra professor is really great. She's a plump lady in her late thirties, the mother hen type, and she knows her stuff. This is going to sound awful, but it's great fun for us when she yells at students for being late. Jimmy and I sit at our desks puffing out our chests with pride, because we're never late. (At least, we haven't been the last two times.) She hates tardy kids. "If you're tardy twice, I will drop you. If you're absent once, I will drop you. If you're extremely tardy, I will count that as an absense and drop you." This one kid showed up today right after everyone had sat down. Like, right after. She had barely begun talking when she saw him and stopped. "If you're late like this one more time *insert whatshisface name's here*, I will drop you. Go find a seat." I like her. :)We're going to get along great, I can feel it.
Volleyball. Me loves it! The first day of class was interesting. Jonathan Stevens had suggested I enroll in the Intermediate/Advanced class as opposed to the Begginer class. From what he saw, the begginers were pretty awful. He thought I would probably do better in something more advanced. From now on I'm going to take Jonathan's good advice with a grain (or 5) of salt. These kids were good. Scary good. A couple of the guys even played as well as Jonathan. (I'll stop saying your name now, Jonathan. Ok, done.) I mean, I was confused. "Janette, pass!" The ball swoops through the air in a perfect arc. "Andy, set! You got it man!" He sends the ball high, but not too high, the perfect distance from the net. "It's all yours, Chad! Spiiiiike!" POW! We score. I was like, Woah! I'm slightly out of my league here. I learned real quick not to ask too many dumb questions, either.(What do you use to spike the ball, your whole hand, or just your palm?) Our volleyball coach was quick to inform me that this here was not picnic volleyball, and basically told me that little girls should go to the begginers sandbox to learn how to play. I wasn't having any of it.
"Look, ma'am, I'd like to try and stay in this class. If I try and I'm not good enough, then please, by all means kick me out." She gave me a whole little spiel about not wanting to kick anybody off the team, but I still felt a little discouraged. Anyway, I went back to playing, and in the end I had a lot of fun. (Even when I messed up, which was often, my team mates didn't get mad. I've never received so many high-fives in one day.) So I talked to her afterwards, and she saw I was sweating, and I told her that even though I hadn't actually "played" before, I thought I could do well. She just looked at me. "All right kid, it looks like you've worked hard, so I'll give you a shot. Good hustle." I got a pat on the back and a spot in the class for my efforts. Someone cue that "Remember the Titans" theme song. I guess you-know-who was right after all. In any case, playing real volleyball is a lot more fun than tossing the ball around in a circle on the kiddie side of the fence. :-)
I'm starting to like this whole college thing. I'd appreciate your prayers for me, that I would be a godly example to the people who get to know me, and a diligent, responsible student. Starting right now, as I'm going to go hit the sack. Thank you everyone for your support!
"Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven, for His mercy endures forever."
~Psalm 136:26
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
TAG...
I'm it!!!
Soooo, I got tagged, by Kayla...to do this.
Seven Things You Might Not Know About Me
1. I like shoes. Heh heh...Psych! No, really, this is hard. There's not a lot people don't know about me. *think* *think* I absolutely love climbing trees. It's embarrassing how much I like it. The harder the tree is to climb, the more I enjoy it.
2. I've always dreamed about opening up a restaurant..or a cafe...next to a local highschool or college. Most likely it'll never happen, but it'd be so much fun if that would work out. I love cooking and baking. :D
3. I'm not nearly as clever as I look.
4. If given the opportunity, I would seriously go skydiving, or bunjee jumping, or something really extreme.
5. When I was younger, my heart's desire was to have curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. I hated my name, and was forever bemoaning the fact that my parents didn't call me something like Emma, or Hannah, or Madison. Aren't you glad that wishes don't always come true?
6. My record for journaling is 1 week straight, if that. I have a journal graveyard in one of my cubbyholes. It's hilarious. Almost every single one of my entries begins with me apoligizing to "Betsy" or "Anne" about not writing sooner. (My Aunt taught me to name my journals...)
7. I have a teeny, tiny mole (junctional nevus) on the outside corner of my left eye.
Part II of Tag Duties
1. Have you ever ridden an elephant? Well, shockingly, we don't have many elephants wandering the streets of SoCal. That would be a no.
2. Have you ever eaten squid? Yeah, it's great. Once you get past the tentacles and the rubbery texture, it has a surprisingly robust flavor.
3. What is something crazy you have done with your friend? Ha ha...just ONE? Well, this girl I didn't like very much and her boyfriend were walking down the street...being all lovebirdy. My friends and I were at the church playground when they sat down right next to the fence that separated the playground from the sidewalk. The nerve! I couldn't take it anymore...especially when they started whispering and giggling together like...like...two people giggling and whispering to each other. (Creativity sometimes reaches an impasse.) Anyway, I suggested we all start throwing sand at them. So we did, and it worked very well. I wouldn't reccomend it, but in case of a dire emergency, it's a useful trick to have up your sleeve. Do yourself a favor and don't use this if your sister is courting. (Jimmy, Johnny, Marky...you have been warned.)
4. Have you ever held an alligator? What do you think?
5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? Ehm, WHY would I do that?? Why? Gross. No.
6. What is your first and foremost dream in life? Well, in death I don't want to regret my life. That's one of my biggest fears.
When I die, I don't want to meet my Savior face to face, and tell Him that I've accomplished nothing with the life He gave me.
7. What is your dream vacation? Going horseback riding in New Zealand. I'd throw dirt clods at all the sheep around there while the farmers yell at me in their funny accents. Hey, it ain't called a "dream" vacation for nuthin'.
8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? It's a toss up between The Philadelphia Story and My Favorite Wife.
9. What is your favorite song? "Short people...ain't got no reason to live."
10. If you could change the world in just one way, what would you do? I'd make sugary food good for you. (I'm feeling guilty, because I just had a huge piece of leftover pie...so much for my diet.)
(Do this if you like, if not...'so 'kay.)
Soooo, I got tagged, by Kayla...to do this.
Seven Things You Might Not Know About Me
1. I like shoes. Heh heh...Psych! No, really, this is hard. There's not a lot people don't know about me. *think* *think* I absolutely love climbing trees. It's embarrassing how much I like it. The harder the tree is to climb, the more I enjoy it.
2. I've always dreamed about opening up a restaurant..or a cafe...next to a local highschool or college. Most likely it'll never happen, but it'd be so much fun if that would work out. I love cooking and baking. :D
3. I'm not nearly as clever as I look.
4. If given the opportunity, I would seriously go skydiving, or bunjee jumping, or something really extreme.
5. When I was younger, my heart's desire was to have curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. I hated my name, and was forever bemoaning the fact that my parents didn't call me something like Emma, or Hannah, or Madison. Aren't you glad that wishes don't always come true?
6. My record for journaling is 1 week straight, if that. I have a journal graveyard in one of my cubbyholes. It's hilarious. Almost every single one of my entries begins with me apoligizing to "Betsy" or "Anne" about not writing sooner. (My Aunt taught me to name my journals...)
7. I have a teeny, tiny mole (junctional nevus) on the outside corner of my left eye.
Part II of Tag Duties
1. Have you ever ridden an elephant? Well, shockingly, we don't have many elephants wandering the streets of SoCal. That would be a no.
2. Have you ever eaten squid? Yeah, it's great. Once you get past the tentacles and the rubbery texture, it has a surprisingly robust flavor.
3. What is something crazy you have done with your friend? Ha ha...just ONE? Well, this girl I didn't like very much and her boyfriend were walking down the street...being all lovebirdy. My friends and I were at the church playground when they sat down right next to the fence that separated the playground from the sidewalk. The nerve! I couldn't take it anymore...especially when they started whispering and giggling together like...like...two people giggling and whispering to each other. (Creativity sometimes reaches an impasse.) Anyway, I suggested we all start throwing sand at them. So we did, and it worked very well. I wouldn't reccomend it, but in case of a dire emergency, it's a useful trick to have up your sleeve. Do yourself a favor and don't use this if your sister is courting. (Jimmy, Johnny, Marky...you have been warned.)
4. Have you ever held an alligator? What do you think?
5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? Ehm, WHY would I do that?? Why? Gross. No.
6. What is your first and foremost dream in life? Well, in death I don't want to regret my life. That's one of my biggest fears.
When I die, I don't want to meet my Savior face to face, and tell Him that I've accomplished nothing with the life He gave me.
7. What is your dream vacation? Going horseback riding in New Zealand. I'd throw dirt clods at all the sheep around there while the farmers yell at me in their funny accents. Hey, it ain't called a "dream" vacation for nuthin'.
8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? It's a toss up between The Philadelphia Story and My Favorite Wife.
9. What is your favorite song? "Short people...ain't got no reason to live."
10. If you could change the world in just one way, what would you do? I'd make sugary food good for you. (I'm feeling guilty, because I just had a huge piece of leftover pie...so much for my diet.)
(Do this if you like, if not...'so 'kay.)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Of Straightjackets and Lifeguarding
Well, here I am again, and this post is going to be all about me...because the others usually aren't. ...Wow, that was fast.
Ah, there you are.
You do realize that when you enter my blog, you're going to read my posts, which, unfortunately for you, are about me. And hasn't your mother ever taught you that it's rude and inconsiderate to leave someone abruptly at the start of a conversation? Shocking. As I was saying...
...The dreaded CHSPE. Have you ever been so nervous you've felt like you've swallowed a brick? Welcome to my world. A lot is banking on my passing the CHSPE; so much so, that my sweet mother has threatened to disinherit me if my results are less than satisfactory. (i.e. I fail.) Some days, I go to bed absolutely knowing that I've failed. And other days, I wake up with a song, a skip, and a spring in my step with the intuition that I've passed. Yesterday, I felt like someone had rammed a brick down my throat, and added a bowling ball for good measure. It was nearly 5:00. If you're a seasoned CHSPE veteran, like myself, you'd know that a month after one takes the CHSPE, his or her results are posted online. Yesterday's results could either free me from my mental anguish, or propel me over the cliff of uncertainty into the depths of despair. And, just as I hit "enter" my computer crashed.
Haha....just kidding. You should have seen the look on your face. But I digress...
I've a good mind to sue the government, for gross procrastination concerning this matter, and/or whoever is in charge of, or responsible for, correcting the CHSPE and distributing the results. I'm charging the defendant with causing prolonged emotional distress, mental pain and anguish, and intentionally inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on a minor.
Really, the test in and of itself is not that difficult. If you study hard and do your level best, I'd say you've got an excellent chance of passing it. So, you make a few mistakes here and there...not bad, you'll still make it. Or so you think!!!
A week after the test.
You've developed a curious habit of biting your nails and sneaking covert looks over your shoulder. Surely you'd remembered the formula for quadratic equations. It's got a negative 'b' in there somewhere. You're positive...sort of.
3 weeks after the test.
You've chewed your nails down to the nail bed and have taken to shouting random equations at innocent pedestrians. Sleep is a thing of the past as every night you analyze every math problem you'd taken, and curse the fact that you didn't study more analytic geometry. You've lost about ten or fifteen pounds because you refuse to eat anything, claiming you feel like you've swallowed a brick.
2 days before your online results are available.
Your parents find you under a blanket in the fetal position blubbering and shaking uncontrollably in the early morning hours. You've finally fallen into a restless sleep as you mumble over and over "two plus two is..." They try and shake you awake, to no avail. At around six o'clock in the morning you jump out of bed and run around the neighborhood screaming "Two plus two is THREE!" at the top of your lungs. Your eyes are bloodshot. At this point, you could have passed your CHSPE with flying colors and received a letter from the governor commending your superior academic prowess and it wouldn't have mattered. Some lovely people driving a white van come up and put a white sweater on you. They nod and speak calmly and soothingly to you as they sew you up. You have gone stark, raving mad.
It's the waiting period afterwards that really gets to you. But, hey, guess what...I'm home free. I passed. :) Good luck to the rest of you taking the test in 2010. Heh, heh... "Two plus two is THREEE!"
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
SCUBA diving is super fun. We've come to the part of the program where they teach us how to swim...properly. There are three programs we can choose from. In Community Water Safety, they teach you basic strokes. Or, if you are a fairly good swimmer, you can take the Swimming Instructor course. (To become a swimming instructor, duh.) Jimmy, Dad, and I are doing Lifeguarding. Well, Jimmy and I are. We've at least got a shot at it. :-P The only reason Dad is still in the class is because Scott(one of our instructors...he's awesome) is a nice guy and wanted to keep the family together.
On Monday Scott tested our stamina, and our swimming strokes, neither of which were much to boast of. We did 500 yards of the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and the sidestroke. We're all in such horrible shape, that it took us (20 students) about an hour to swim 500 yards. And we were real proud of ourselves, too. Of course, Scott had to burst our bubble. He told us that competitive swimmers swim 5000 (FIVE-THOUSAND)yards every single morning. That's nearly 3 MILES!!! And then, they DO IT AGAIN!!! At night. Another 5000 yards....nearly 6 miles every single day. Wow. We've got a lot of work ahead of us.
The funnest(I've taken the liberty of adding this word to the dictionary) part about Monday night was watching everyone swim. More specifically, watching everyone swim the butterfly. There are few things more entertaining than watching people who have never swam the butterfly flounder around pathetically in the water nearly drowning themselves trying to execute it perfectly. It's hysterical. Just when you think you're about to pass out from laughing....it's your turn. Scott gave me a big, fat 'E' for Effort. He was being generous. Judges invented the butterfly because it got boring sitting in a chair for hours on end, and they needed some entertainment.
There was this one girl, though, Ashley. My word, she was a machine. She swam competitively, and played water polo. Not only did she do every stroke perfectly, but during the entire 500 yards, she didn't touch the wall. She treaded water for an hour and a half. This was after her three hour practice earlier that day. *cough* *cough* She was so good, we were like, "Scott, please, no, don't look this way...no, not the Butterfly!" He finally put us out of our misery, telling us that in his entire life he had never seen such a nauseating, abominable excuse for a butterfly stroke, and that if we had any pity for him at all, we would just stop trying. Overall, it was a blast, even though I drowned my brick. In one exercise you have to swim to the end of the pool, dive down, pick up a 10 pound brick, and swim back using only your legs and keeping the brick above the water. So, yeah...I was kinda tired and I drowned my brick. R.I.P. Bricky.
Anyhow, that's all for now, faithful reader(s) :) Have a wonderful day, and remember to be a blessing!
Ah, there you are.
You do realize that when you enter my blog, you're going to read my posts, which, unfortunately for you, are about me. And hasn't your mother ever taught you that it's rude and inconsiderate to leave someone abruptly at the start of a conversation? Shocking. As I was saying...
...The dreaded CHSPE. Have you ever been so nervous you've felt like you've swallowed a brick? Welcome to my world. A lot is banking on my passing the CHSPE; so much so, that my sweet mother has threatened to disinherit me if my results are less than satisfactory. (i.e. I fail.) Some days, I go to bed absolutely knowing that I've failed. And other days, I wake up with a song, a skip, and a spring in my step with the intuition that I've passed. Yesterday, I felt like someone had rammed a brick down my throat, and added a bowling ball for good measure. It was nearly 5:00. If you're a seasoned CHSPE veteran, like myself, you'd know that a month after one takes the CHSPE, his or her results are posted online. Yesterday's results could either free me from my mental anguish, or propel me over the cliff of uncertainty into the depths of despair. And, just as I hit "enter" my computer crashed.
Haha....just kidding. You should have seen the look on your face. But I digress...
I've a good mind to sue the government, for gross procrastination concerning this matter, and/or whoever is in charge of, or responsible for, correcting the CHSPE and distributing the results. I'm charging the defendant with causing prolonged emotional distress, mental pain and anguish, and intentionally inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on a minor.
Really, the test in and of itself is not that difficult. If you study hard and do your level best, I'd say you've got an excellent chance of passing it. So, you make a few mistakes here and there...not bad, you'll still make it. Or so you think!!!
A week after the test.
You've developed a curious habit of biting your nails and sneaking covert looks over your shoulder. Surely you'd remembered the formula for quadratic equations. It's got a negative 'b' in there somewhere. You're positive...sort of.
3 weeks after the test.
You've chewed your nails down to the nail bed and have taken to shouting random equations at innocent pedestrians. Sleep is a thing of the past as every night you analyze every math problem you'd taken, and curse the fact that you didn't study more analytic geometry. You've lost about ten or fifteen pounds because you refuse to eat anything, claiming you feel like you've swallowed a brick.
2 days before your online results are available.
Your parents find you under a blanket in the fetal position blubbering and shaking uncontrollably in the early morning hours. You've finally fallen into a restless sleep as you mumble over and over "two plus two is..." They try and shake you awake, to no avail. At around six o'clock in the morning you jump out of bed and run around the neighborhood screaming "Two plus two is THREE!" at the top of your lungs. Your eyes are bloodshot. At this point, you could have passed your CHSPE with flying colors and received a letter from the governor commending your superior academic prowess and it wouldn't have mattered. Some lovely people driving a white van come up and put a white sweater on you. They nod and speak calmly and soothingly to you as they sew you up. You have gone stark, raving mad.
It's the waiting period afterwards that really gets to you. But, hey, guess what...I'm home free. I passed. :) Good luck to the rest of you taking the test in 2010. Heh, heh... "Two plus two is THREEE!"
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
SCUBA diving is super fun. We've come to the part of the program where they teach us how to swim...properly. There are three programs we can choose from. In Community Water Safety, they teach you basic strokes. Or, if you are a fairly good swimmer, you can take the Swimming Instructor course. (To become a swimming instructor, duh.) Jimmy, Dad, and I are doing Lifeguarding. Well, Jimmy and I are. We've at least got a shot at it. :-P The only reason Dad is still in the class is because Scott(one of our instructors...he's awesome) is a nice guy and wanted to keep the family together.
On Monday Scott tested our stamina, and our swimming strokes, neither of which were much to boast of. We did 500 yards of the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and the sidestroke. We're all in such horrible shape, that it took us (20 students) about an hour to swim 500 yards. And we were real proud of ourselves, too. Of course, Scott had to burst our bubble. He told us that competitive swimmers swim 5000 (FIVE-THOUSAND)yards every single morning. That's nearly 3 MILES!!! And then, they DO IT AGAIN!!! At night. Another 5000 yards....nearly 6 miles every single day. Wow. We've got a lot of work ahead of us.
The funnest(I've taken the liberty of adding this word to the dictionary) part about Monday night was watching everyone swim. More specifically, watching everyone swim the butterfly. There are few things more entertaining than watching people who have never swam the butterfly flounder around pathetically in the water nearly drowning themselves trying to execute it perfectly. It's hysterical. Just when you think you're about to pass out from laughing....it's your turn. Scott gave me a big, fat 'E' for Effort. He was being generous. Judges invented the butterfly because it got boring sitting in a chair for hours on end, and they needed some entertainment.
There was this one girl, though, Ashley. My word, she was a machine. She swam competitively, and played water polo. Not only did she do every stroke perfectly, but during the entire 500 yards, she didn't touch the wall. She treaded water for an hour and a half. This was after her three hour practice earlier that day. *cough* *cough* She was so good, we were like, "Scott, please, no, don't look this way...no, not the Butterfly!" He finally put us out of our misery, telling us that in his entire life he had never seen such a nauseating, abominable excuse for a butterfly stroke, and that if we had any pity for him at all, we would just stop trying. Overall, it was a blast, even though I drowned my brick. In one exercise you have to swim to the end of the pool, dive down, pick up a 10 pound brick, and swim back using only your legs and keeping the brick above the water. So, yeah...I was kinda tired and I drowned my brick. R.I.P. Bricky.
Anyhow, that's all for now, faithful reader(s) :) Have a wonderful day, and remember to be a blessing!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I'm still alive....barely.
**sobs hysterically**
Life is so terribly cruel and unfair! Oh, why me?! I'm in the depths of despair. "I shall never love again..."(no, wait, that doesn't apply.) Dad and Jimmy are leaving tonight for San Francisco, where they will visit our good friends the Frone family, play volleyball, go ice skating, and enjoy all manner of wholesome entertainment....and I'm not coming! *sniffles* It's all because I still have to pass my CHSPE...the math section. Ugh. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. tonight until 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning, I will be throwing myself a pity party. Please come, as I would appreciate your support through this very difficult time.
In other not-so-tragic news...
Em and I spent the day together last Saturday, and we got a little bored. What better way to pass the time than to take some romantic, victorianesque portraits? I'm no good behind the camera, but Em seemed to think that I had some potential in front of it. WARNING: If you are not particularly partial to romantic, victorianesque portrait pictures... don't keep reading. It's for your own good. :) I shan't be held responsible for convulsions, acute upper airway obstruction, headaches, nausea, or any other unpleasentries that might occur when some people view sappy, girly pictures without first mentally preparing themselves for the trauma ahead.
Now that I've gotten rid of most of the gentlemen readers, if not all, ladies you may proceed. Thanks, Em, for all of these lovely shots.
I love the lighting, it was gorgeous. Look at me go! I managed to look pensive.
Em told me to play with my hair...so I did. I like it. :) (Not my hair, silly, the picture.)
Yes, I'm TOTALLY thinking about something with chocolate. Or cheesecake. Or both.
Just sitting. It was such a beautiful windy day. :)
Em managed to get me looking kind of melancholic. I normally don't suffer from melancholy...hyperactivity, yes...but not melancholy.
Don't mess with me. ..." I'll do you in, I'll do your family in, I'll do your whole lineage in...your whole race! Wait, no, scratch that...that's too many people. " lol. I forget where that's from.
Ah yes. And here we come to...the pout. You've no idea how many spankings I've gotten myself out of, and into, with this face. Dad's an old softie...but Mom's tough as nails. :P
It took forever to get my hair out of my face. "Quick! Take a picture! The wind's not blowing it all over my lip gloss!!!"
This picture is hysterical... Em probably told me to do something dramatic...
Life is so terribly cruel and unfair! Oh, why me?! I'm in the depths of despair. "I shall never love again..."(no, wait, that doesn't apply.) Dad and Jimmy are leaving tonight for San Francisco, where they will visit our good friends the Frone family, play volleyball, go ice skating, and enjoy all manner of wholesome entertainment....and I'm not coming! *sniffles* It's all because I still have to pass my CHSPE...the math section. Ugh. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. tonight until 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning, I will be throwing myself a pity party. Please come, as I would appreciate your support through this very difficult time.
In other not-so-tragic news...
Em and I spent the day together last Saturday, and we got a little bored. What better way to pass the time than to take some romantic, victorianesque portraits? I'm no good behind the camera, but Em seemed to think that I had some potential in front of it. WARNING: If you are not particularly partial to romantic, victorianesque portrait pictures... don't keep reading. It's for your own good. :) I shan't be held responsible for convulsions, acute upper airway obstruction, headaches, nausea, or any other unpleasentries that might occur when some people view sappy, girly pictures without first mentally preparing themselves for the trauma ahead.
Now that I've gotten rid of most of the gentlemen readers, if not all, ladies you may proceed. Thanks, Em, for all of these lovely shots.
I love the lighting, it was gorgeous. Look at me go! I managed to look pensive.
Em told me to play with my hair...so I did. I like it. :) (Not my hair, silly, the picture.)
Yes, I'm TOTALLY thinking about something with chocolate. Or cheesecake. Or both.
Just sitting. It was such a beautiful windy day. :)
Em managed to get me looking kind of melancholic. I normally don't suffer from melancholy...hyperactivity, yes...but not melancholy.
Don't mess with me. ..." I'll do you in, I'll do your family in, I'll do your whole lineage in...your whole race! Wait, no, scratch that...that's too many people. " lol. I forget where that's from.
Ah yes. And here we come to...the pout. You've no idea how many spankings I've gotten myself out of, and into, with this face. Dad's an old softie...but Mom's tough as nails. :P
It took forever to get my hair out of my face. "Quick! Take a picture! The wind's not blowing it all over my lip gloss!!!"
This picture is hysterical... Em probably told me to do something dramatic...
Me: "What? No way!" And, before I could arrange my features into something less dorky, she snapped this picture.
This is all the posing I can do...plop my chin into my palm. For the life of me I can't understand those pictures where the girl is smelling a rose and getting that faraway look in her eyes, as if the mists of time have suddenly parted; the fragrance helping her remember someone long forgotten. PUH-LEASE! There's a reason those photos aren't popular anymore. Even girls started feeling nauseous...to say nothing of all the guys in the ICU. All that sap is quite unnecessary. Penny for my thoughts.
My pout...again. I'm telling you I've been working on perfecting this for years. *cough* Needs more work.
And this is a picture of...wait...Jimmy and RICKY?! How did th-- Oh, yes...Ricky and Jimmy had nothing better to do, so they came around to our little corner of the park, and proceeded to become insufferably annoying versions of their exceedingly annoying selves. Photographic art does not thrive under the scrutiny of two..eh..."punks" who can't appreciate it.
Heehee...I'm such a dork. :)
Ahh....the wind blowing through my hair, the sun shining...how incredibly egotistic of me to post all these great pictures of me on my blog.
I had to do a couple of silly ones...there's only so much emotion a girl can muster up before having a nervous breakdown. The reason I don't have my glasses on, is because they transition. Apparently, Victorian dresses and sunglasses don't go together all that well.
I asked Em a question....and she answered with some funny response that I didn't quite believe...and then I made the above "real" face. I have trouble smiling genuinely in pictures. Normally, I look like I'm suffering from severe indigestion. Em's great. Hire her...she can make anyone look good. ~My ever loving brother voices his opinion~ "But Lo, you DO look like you have indigestion!" *He giggle-snorts out of the room*
Ooh....dramatic. I like that angle...notice how it looks like I don't have a double chin? Em's a genius.
This is all the posing I can do...plop my chin into my palm. For the life of me I can't understand those pictures where the girl is smelling a rose and getting that faraway look in her eyes, as if the mists of time have suddenly parted; the fragrance helping her remember someone long forgotten. PUH-LEASE! There's a reason those photos aren't popular anymore. Even girls started feeling nauseous...to say nothing of all the guys in the ICU. All that sap is quite unnecessary. Penny for my thoughts.
My pout...again. I'm telling you I've been working on perfecting this for years. *cough* Needs more work.
And this is a picture of...wait...Jimmy and RICKY?! How did th-- Oh, yes...Ricky and Jimmy had nothing better to do, so they came around to our little corner of the park, and proceeded to become insufferably annoying versions of their exceedingly annoying selves. Photographic art does not thrive under the scrutiny of two..eh..."punks" who can't appreciate it.
Heehee...I'm such a dork. :)
Ahh....the wind blowing through my hair, the sun shining...how incredibly egotistic of me to post all these great pictures of me on my blog.
I had to do a couple of silly ones...there's only so much emotion a girl can muster up before having a nervous breakdown. The reason I don't have my glasses on, is because they transition. Apparently, Victorian dresses and sunglasses don't go together all that well.
I asked Em a question....and she answered with some funny response that I didn't quite believe...and then I made the above "real" face. I have trouble smiling genuinely in pictures. Normally, I look like I'm suffering from severe indigestion. Em's great. Hire her...she can make anyone look good. ~My ever loving brother voices his opinion~ "But Lo, you DO look like you have indigestion!" *He giggle-snorts out of the room*
Ooh....dramatic. I like that angle...notice how it looks like I don't have a double chin? Em's a genius. So that was Saturday...and I've run out of things to say. And, of course, I'm still devastated over the fact that can't go see my friends.
~a pause of about 5 minutes ensues as Lois throws a hissy fit over the injustice of it all~
*blows nose hard*
I'll get over it...maybe. Just *sniffs* come to my party.
Friday, September 4, 2009
A day in the life of a jean-yus.
Oh, I know. I'm good, I'm really good.
I woke up today, at the ungodly hour of 8:00 in the morning. A good half hour before I usually wake up. Still in my jammies, I made sure to greet Jimmy with an especially breathy good morning as we sat down to breakfast. He gagged his way over to the other side of the table. Mom had made hot dogs, and I added a few onions to mine because my breath needed some freshening up. Mom and the kidders were already hard at work in the office. They had started their day an hour before, and were already done with several subjects. I stifled the wave of guilt that suddenly welled up. After all, if one's family is given to diligence, one can hardly blame oneself for their faults. I heard Katie enthusiastically answer one of Mom's questions. It was obvious she had been applying herself. I shook my head. Where had I gone wrong? After breakfast, I brushed my teeth. Jimmy nearly fell over himself with relief and gratitude. And on to History. Today's topic: " The Colonization of New France. " Or, if you prefer, " The Frenchies take over the Midwest while the Brits have their backs turned ."(Hmm, people who find this humour offensive could sue me, since I'm neither French nor British.) I pretended to be interested in the exploits of a certain Monsieur Jacques Cartier. He prided himself in leading the expedition that led to the discovery of the St. Lawrence River. It was hardly much of an accomplishment, in my opinion. The Indians around there knew the area like the back of their hands and yet some pompous french popinjay comes along and is given full credit for stumbling across a body of water. Why, everybody would have discovered it eventually! They didn't have to make such a fuss about him. Anyway, moving on...history depresses me.
I've always intensely disliked math, but just recently I've discovered why. It's because we've always done Abeka Math. Whatever they pay those guys to come up with Abeka curriculum it's too much. They twist their words to throw you off, and make up ridiculous equations, basically doing their level best to make the lesson as confusing as mathematically possible; so that if, by some miracle, you happen to understand their explanation, you would never be able to practically apply it to the lesson. One of Mom's friends gave us a book that has been a total breath of fresh air. I don't think I've ever loved algebra as much as I do now. The instructions are clear, concise, and accurate. And, when I plug in the equation...it works! Who'd 'a thunk it? We've started chemistry this year. One of the first things I've learned is that in modern scientific usage weight and mass are fundamentally different. Weight measures how strongly gravity pulls on matter. Mass is an intrinsic part of matter. Although really, the weight and mass of objects that are close to the earth's surface are pretty much the same.
Still awake? Good, good. I had chicken salad for lunch. We make ours with celery, bell peppers, cayenne, and sometimes homemade mayo. I think its better than yours. :-P And we even had cookies for dessert. Jealous much? I thought so. In literature we usually read a poem. They're tragic. Tragically written. I have very little respect for poetry. I mean, yeah, some poetry can be really good... but for the most part its just nonsense that leaves some poor soul grasping at thin air for a small semblance of meaning or logic. Observe:
"Thou Fancy! who hast ruled me through Infancy's days,
Young offspring of fancy, 'tis time we should part; Then rise on the gale this last of my lays, "-- I'm sorry...this is too painful. I can't continue. And some people actually read this on purpose! Supposedly this Lord Byron dude is very popular... *cough* Was...
Sometimes, if I'm feeling creatively inclined, I'll work on one of the stories that I have to send my writing instructor. My last assignment was a little late. I thought he took it rather well.
"Dear Lois,
Of course I understand the lateness of this assignment, but be careful. I've hired a motorcycle gang to harass any of my students who turn in their assignments late, and they don't understand much of anything. They're all midgets, so they aren't really a motorcycle gang--they're more of a motor scooter gang--and it's true that being so short means that they can't do a lot of damage, but if the next assignment is late, one night you're going to be awakened by a rapping on your door, and your house is going to look like a two-foot tornado went through. You're going to have bruises on your knees for weeks.
These guys are mean; they're ugly--Vito and the vertically challenged Vipers, they're called.
You've been warned."
Funny guy, huh?
Anyway, I'll leave you with my verse from Proverbs for today. Verse 26.
"Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. "
I woke up today, at the ungodly hour of 8:00 in the morning. A good half hour before I usually wake up. Still in my jammies, I made sure to greet Jimmy with an especially breathy good morning as we sat down to breakfast. He gagged his way over to the other side of the table. Mom had made hot dogs, and I added a few onions to mine because my breath needed some freshening up. Mom and the kidders were already hard at work in the office. They had started their day an hour before, and were already done with several subjects. I stifled the wave of guilt that suddenly welled up. After all, if one's family is given to diligence, one can hardly blame oneself for their faults. I heard Katie enthusiastically answer one of Mom's questions. It was obvious she had been applying herself. I shook my head. Where had I gone wrong? After breakfast, I brushed my teeth. Jimmy nearly fell over himself with relief and gratitude. And on to History. Today's topic: " The Colonization of New France. " Or, if you prefer, " The Frenchies take over the Midwest while the Brits have their backs turned ."(Hmm, people who find this humour offensive could sue me, since I'm neither French nor British.) I pretended to be interested in the exploits of a certain Monsieur Jacques Cartier. He prided himself in leading the expedition that led to the discovery of the St. Lawrence River. It was hardly much of an accomplishment, in my opinion. The Indians around there knew the area like the back of their hands and yet some pompous french popinjay comes along and is given full credit for stumbling across a body of water. Why, everybody would have discovered it eventually! They didn't have to make such a fuss about him. Anyway, moving on...history depresses me.
I've always intensely disliked math, but just recently I've discovered why. It's because we've always done Abeka Math. Whatever they pay those guys to come up with Abeka curriculum it's too much. They twist their words to throw you off, and make up ridiculous equations, basically doing their level best to make the lesson as confusing as mathematically possible; so that if, by some miracle, you happen to understand their explanation, you would never be able to practically apply it to the lesson. One of Mom's friends gave us a book that has been a total breath of fresh air. I don't think I've ever loved algebra as much as I do now. The instructions are clear, concise, and accurate. And, when I plug in the equation...it works! Who'd 'a thunk it? We've started chemistry this year. One of the first things I've learned is that in modern scientific usage weight and mass are fundamentally different. Weight measures how strongly gravity pulls on matter. Mass is an intrinsic part of matter. Although really, the weight and mass of objects that are close to the earth's surface are pretty much the same.
Still awake? Good, good. I had chicken salad for lunch. We make ours with celery, bell peppers, cayenne, and sometimes homemade mayo. I think its better than yours. :-P And we even had cookies for dessert. Jealous much? I thought so. In literature we usually read a poem. They're tragic. Tragically written. I have very little respect for poetry. I mean, yeah, some poetry can be really good... but for the most part its just nonsense that leaves some poor soul grasping at thin air for a small semblance of meaning or logic. Observe:
"Thou Fancy! who hast ruled me through Infancy's days,
Young offspring of fancy, 'tis time we should part; Then rise on the gale this last of my lays, "-- I'm sorry...this is too painful. I can't continue. And some people actually read this on purpose! Supposedly this Lord Byron dude is very popular... *cough* Was...
Sometimes, if I'm feeling creatively inclined, I'll work on one of the stories that I have to send my writing instructor. My last assignment was a little late. I thought he took it rather well.
"Dear Lois,
Of course I understand the lateness of this assignment, but be careful. I've hired a motorcycle gang to harass any of my students who turn in their assignments late, and they don't understand much of anything. They're all midgets, so they aren't really a motorcycle gang--they're more of a motor scooter gang--and it's true that being so short means that they can't do a lot of damage, but if the next assignment is late, one night you're going to be awakened by a rapping on your door, and your house is going to look like a two-foot tornado went through. You're going to have bruises on your knees for weeks.
These guys are mean; they're ugly--Vito and the vertically challenged Vipers, they're called.
You've been warned."
Funny guy, huh?
Anyway, I'll leave you with my verse from Proverbs for today. Verse 26.
"Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. "
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Fishes
I. Love. This. Picture. It's hilarious. Look at Dad's face. If you've been anywhere near my Dad, you'd know what his life's passion is. Fishing. And, of course, giving a detailed account of his knowledgeable prowess in all matters concerning cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates of the superclass Pisces. My father, fisherman extraordinaire. Hahahaha! The expression on Jonathan's face. And Mr. Iorga, ever the stoic. :-PDontcha just love ice cream socials?
Ice cream brings out the best in everybody.
P.S. Oh, hey look in the back...Jonathan S. seems to be describing some kind of aquatic animal as well. Fascinating.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I'm bored, therefore I post.
Although, really, I don't know why I bother. :)
The McIntires had me over last weekend. It was a total blast, and I would post more about it, except Sarah hasn't gotten the pictures up yet. *COUGH* (Isn't it wonderful when you can blame your laziness on other people?) Apparently, Jonathan and I had the same bright(I use the word loosely) ideas as kids that got us into tons of trouble. Perhaps this stems from that fact that both Jonathan and I are ENTP's and are the first-born. Our childhood was eerily similar, although Jonathon had more toned down versions of my ideas. Do I care to elaborate? Not particularly. Suffice it to say that it had something to do with bell peppers, mud, flinging, a fence, and neighbors yards. Feel free to ask me about it sometime when I'm at my leisure.
Anyway it was the most fun I've had for a while....and that's saying something. BTW, all of you doubters out there (you know who you are) I went to Target...and didn't buy anything!!! Not one solitary thing! And I even had a gift card. So there! (It's my blog. I reserve the right to occasionally post things that make me feel good about myself...however few and far between they are. If you don't like it you can leave. :) )
I'm not looking forward to starting harder math problems. Yuck.
I am looking forward to driving. Hello freedom! (Well, as much freedom as can be attained with a responsible adult riding shotgun.) It's a crying shame I don't know any irresponsible adults.
Laugh, twas a joke. Or don't laugh, it's not like I can hear you anyway. My, my, Lois...where's all this cynicism coming from?? I dunno. Don't you ever get like that for no reason, and then start randomly babbling away on your very public blog? Oops. Good thing it's my blog...and not yours.
I suppose it has something to do with the fact that Summer is rapidly drawing to a close and I have a whole 'nother 9 months of responsibility, accountability, and punctuality to look forward to. Torture. Yes, I know I need to grow up, but Jonathon said people like us are the "fun type" anyway, and NOTHING is fun about school. Except for, maybe, those moments when you've been studying hard and you have a light bulb moment as suddenly you figure out how to solve the problem. Otherwise, it's not fun. :-)
Oh, yes, I may as well mention that I'm more than a teeny bit jealous that my "cousins" are up visiting my aunt and uncle in Big Sky Montana, and quite possibly riding horses, while I am not. I am, however, happy that they got to go. That's as much christian spirit and brotherly love as I can wring out tonight, in my present mood.
Come to think of it, the Lord knows how I'm feeling about everything, and He knows that the best possible situation that I could be in, is the one He's placed me in now. Oh, how often we aren't thankful, content, and happy. It really is something I need to work on. To be content. And really, after such a blessed, fantastic weekend, what am I complaining about. Really, I'm ashamed of myself for moping for no reason. Thank you, Lord, for family, friends, and wonderful weekends to remind us of how your love constantly surrounds us, even when we're thankless and don't deserve it.
Oh, and Daddy would really appreciate your prayers...despite his best efforts, he's caught the flu. We don't know if its from us, or from somewhere else, but he's sick. We're all praying that he gets over it very soon.
The McIntires had me over last weekend. It was a total blast, and I would post more about it, except Sarah hasn't gotten the pictures up yet. *COUGH* (Isn't it wonderful when you can blame your laziness on other people?) Apparently, Jonathan and I had the same bright(I use the word loosely) ideas as kids that got us into tons of trouble. Perhaps this stems from that fact that both Jonathan and I are ENTP's and are the first-born. Our childhood was eerily similar, although Jonathon had more toned down versions of my ideas. Do I care to elaborate? Not particularly. Suffice it to say that it had something to do with bell peppers, mud, flinging, a fence, and neighbors yards. Feel free to ask me about it sometime when I'm at my leisure.
Anyway it was the most fun I've had for a while....and that's saying something. BTW, all of you doubters out there (you know who you are) I went to Target...and didn't buy anything!!! Not one solitary thing! And I even had a gift card. So there! (It's my blog. I reserve the right to occasionally post things that make me feel good about myself...however few and far between they are. If you don't like it you can leave. :) )
I'm not looking forward to starting harder math problems. Yuck.
I am looking forward to driving. Hello freedom! (Well, as much freedom as can be attained with a responsible adult riding shotgun.) It's a crying shame I don't know any irresponsible adults.
Laugh, twas a joke. Or don't laugh, it's not like I can hear you anyway. My, my, Lois...where's all this cynicism coming from?? I dunno. Don't you ever get like that for no reason, and then start randomly babbling away on your very public blog? Oops. Good thing it's my blog...and not yours.
I suppose it has something to do with the fact that Summer is rapidly drawing to a close and I have a whole 'nother 9 months of responsibility, accountability, and punctuality to look forward to. Torture. Yes, I know I need to grow up, but Jonathon said people like us are the "fun type" anyway, and NOTHING is fun about school. Except for, maybe, those moments when you've been studying hard and you have a light bulb moment as suddenly you figure out how to solve the problem. Otherwise, it's not fun. :-)
Oh, yes, I may as well mention that I'm more than a teeny bit jealous that my "cousins" are up visiting my aunt and uncle in Big Sky Montana, and quite possibly riding horses, while I am not. I am, however, happy that they got to go. That's as much christian spirit and brotherly love as I can wring out tonight, in my present mood.
Come to think of it, the Lord knows how I'm feeling about everything, and He knows that the best possible situation that I could be in, is the one He's placed me in now. Oh, how often we aren't thankful, content, and happy. It really is something I need to work on. To be content. And really, after such a blessed, fantastic weekend, what am I complaining about. Really, I'm ashamed of myself for moping for no reason. Thank you, Lord, for family, friends, and wonderful weekends to remind us of how your love constantly surrounds us, even when we're thankless and don't deserve it.
Oh, and Daddy would really appreciate your prayers...despite his best efforts, he's caught the flu. We don't know if its from us, or from somewhere else, but he's sick. We're all praying that he gets over it very soon.
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