Holidays.
A time for fun, games, food, and... poor health?!
Yes, poor health indeed.
Around the holidays, it is cold.
Cold weather means we, as humans, are more susceptible to disease,
resulting in colds, sore throats, runny noses, et cetera.
Also, we tend to eat a bit too many sweets,
and indulge in fatty foods- and large amounts of them.
This all results in a gain of weight, high blood pressure/cholesterol, et cetera.
People over 21 may also tend to drink more than usual-
leading to ill-judgment, which can result in injury,
or they can be wasted the next day.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is,
enjoy the holidays, but be sensible!
You can certainly have fun one day without destroying the next.
As to diseases, well, they may not be entirely unavoidable,
but you can wash your hands more, especially before and after eating and petting animals.
Eat only a small amount of each food, and never eat until your stomach hurt.
Only eat a few cookies and fatty things,
and supplement the craving with fruit.
Drinking lots of water can help, too-
many people don't drink nearly enough in winter,
since it's not hot out and your body doesn't really urge you to.
But lots of the time, when you think you're hungry and begin to snack,
all you actually need is a drink of water!
So by drinking water, you're "hunger" is filled,
and you won't end up gaining extra weight.
Water also helps you blood pressure out, as well,
and can help prevent blot clots and many other problems.
As to the alcohol problem of the holidays,
well, I'm not gonna say don't drink,
but I will say to watch out how much you drink.
If you want to get drunk, so be it-
just don't overdo it,
and don't drive or do much afterwards.
Of course, not getting drunk would prevent hangovers,
and a number of other incidents and things.
Anyway, have fun and be safe this holiday season!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Perfect World?
By any means, the world we live in isn't perfect.
But let's imaging for a second what it would be like if it was.
Of course, the number one thing would be no war, right?
No genocide, mass murdering, violence in general.
That's one of the typical things people would like to be different.
Of course, realistically, that could probably never happen.
It's human nature to fight. We are animals, after all.
But that doesn't mean we can't prevent some of it.
The first step to a utopia would be to overcome the violence of human nature.
Yes, it does make a good story to have violence.
Let's keep it in the stories. Only in the stories.
But eliminate the stories that have senseless violence that encourages a violent nature.
eliminate the war and kill-all-people video games.
Instead, we should limit violence in media only to instructive things.
Stories where violence brings tragedy, showing us how horrible it is.
If everyone knew how it hurts others,
and everyone worked to stop it,
then maybe this world could become much nicer.
Another thing that needs eliminating is disease.
Actually, we may be able to completely eliminate it someday.
Currently, many diseases can be prevented with shots and such.
New medicines and cures are found every day.
Eventually, we will have the technology to wipe out almost all diseases,
or at least cure them within a day,
including things like cancer and STDs.
I'm sure that by 2100 this idealism will occur.
What else?
Ah, right.
An ideal world will have better schools.
But let's imaging for a second what it would be like if it was.
Of course, the number one thing would be no war, right?
No genocide, mass murdering, violence in general.
That's one of the typical things people would like to be different.
Of course, realistically, that could probably never happen.
It's human nature to fight. We are animals, after all.
But that doesn't mean we can't prevent some of it.
The first step to a utopia would be to overcome the violence of human nature.
Yes, it does make a good story to have violence.
Let's keep it in the stories. Only in the stories.
But eliminate the stories that have senseless violence that encourages a violent nature.
eliminate the war and kill-all-people video games.
Instead, we should limit violence in media only to instructive things.
Stories where violence brings tragedy, showing us how horrible it is.
If everyone knew how it hurts others,
and everyone worked to stop it,
then maybe this world could become much nicer.
Another thing that needs eliminating is disease.
Actually, we may be able to completely eliminate it someday.
Currently, many diseases can be prevented with shots and such.
New medicines and cures are found every day.
Eventually, we will have the technology to wipe out almost all diseases,
or at least cure them within a day,
including things like cancer and STDs.
I'm sure that by 2100 this idealism will occur.
What else?
Ah, right.
An ideal world will have better schools.
I love school, but I do think it needs changing.
School will last a maximum of five hours.
the only outside of school schoolwork will be projects.
That way, we're not stuck with overloads of work.
Also, there won't be as many mandatory classes:
You'll instead be allowed to focus on the area of study you enjoy in high school.
That way, you will learn a lot more, and have fun learning it.
Wouldn't that be great?
Yeah, a perfect world...
Of course, there are many other things I'd want in mine.
But I think that in any world, there are pluses and minuses.
So, if it can be good for everyone, despite little discomforts,
than that is truly the ideal world.
the only outside of school schoolwork will be projects.
That way, we're not stuck with overloads of work.
Also, there won't be as many mandatory classes:
You'll instead be allowed to focus on the area of study you enjoy in high school.
That way, you will learn a lot more, and have fun learning it.
Wouldn't that be great?
Yeah, a perfect world...
Of course, there are many other things I'd want in mine.
But I think that in any world, there are pluses and minuses.
So, if it can be good for everyone, despite little discomforts,
than that is truly the ideal world.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Procrastinator
The Holidays are coming...
And so's the load of work. @____@
I can't take it anymore.
I have to now sacrifice work of other classes to get work done.
So, I never get to read for English or do German work,
since I focus on History, Creative Writing, and...
huh, I don't have that much work, do I?
So why's it not getting done?!
I guess I've been too distracted with games and art and stuff.
Huh. Guess I should actually put that stuff on hold to do work...
but... they're just so much fun...
Well, that's the life of a procrastinator for you!
Not that I enjoy it, but...
It's just so hard to stop and work for once. ;__;
And so's the load of work. @____@
I can't take it anymore.
I have to now sacrifice work of other classes to get work done.
So, I never get to read for English or do German work,
since I focus on History, Creative Writing, and...
huh, I don't have that much work, do I?
So why's it not getting done?!
I guess I've been too distracted with games and art and stuff.
Huh. Guess I should actually put that stuff on hold to do work...
but... they're just so much fun...
Well, that's the life of a procrastinator for you!
Not that I enjoy it, but...
It's just so hard to stop and work for once. ;__;
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Devil's Son
Well, in Creative Writing, we had to make an interesting Character.
We doing a drama unit, so it's in play format.
My character is the Devil's Son, as you can infer from the title.
This first piece is a monologue, sorta.
I added some dialogue before an after it.
SEBASTIAN, Devil's son. Lives among humans, and has developed a liking to them. Does not agree with father on many things, but expected to follow in his footsteps.
5'6", 110 lbs, 13 years old- mature for his age. Red-brown hair and eyes, Caucasian, upper class.
SAMANTHA, Sebastian's best friend. Just learned that her friend wasn't human.
5'2", 100 lbs, 12 years old, dark brown hair, green eyes, Caucasian, middle class.
SAMANTHA: You know, I've just realized something. You always come to my house. I've known you for three years, and I've never been to your house. In fact, I've never even met your parents!
SEBASTIAN: Trust me, you don't want to meet my dad.
SAMANTHA: Why not? He can't be that bad.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, he can be. I suppose it's about time I tell you…My dad's the Devil.
SAMANTHA: (laughing hysterically) You can't be serious. I'm sure he's not that bad. You're just overreacting.
SEBASTIAN: But I am serious! Here, I'll show you. (Red and black bat wings sprout from his back, a red tail with a spike on the end appears, and he sprouts two twisted red horns with black stripes.) This is the real me.
SAMANTHA: (eyes get wide) Y-you're serious!
SEBASTIAN: Yeah…
SAMANTHA: (panicking) Oh… oh my god….
SEBASTIAN: Okay, calm down! Let me explain things. I'm not my dad at all. Well, you should know that already. I'm not evil.
SAMANTHA: (calming down) Y… yeah… that's true. I guess it would make sense, with how you barely talk about him, and never want to go home, and keep half your things here… um, why don't you explain things. I promise I won't tell anyone.
SEBASTIAN: I know you'll never tell. Well, I guess I'll just go over my life. Ever since I learned to walk, my dad's been trying to get me to "follow in his footsteps." I am his only son, after all. He sent me to a human school to learn firsthand about their so-called "natural evil." He wants me to terrorize humans and punish them, like he does. But… I'm not like him…. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to be bad. Dad buys me violent pets, like dragons, gargoyles, and chimeras. But I've always loved cats, which is why I hide Mr. Kibbles at your house. I've kept my passion for cute, nice things a secret from my dad. I hate being at home… it's all dark and has this musty smell, and there's fields outside where dad tortures people who have sinned. Of course, he believes all humans are intrinsically evil, so half of them don't even deserve to be there. It's horrible. I've kept you a secret from dad, too. If he knew that I befriended you… he'd be outraged. He already has seen some of my art, which he disproves of greatly. He thinks I should be drawing violent war scenes and stuff like that. But that's not me- I prefer to take photos of animals and paint pictures of sun sets. You've seen my art. You know what I mean. He does approve of me skateboarding, though he'd really prefer that I play football or hockey. You know, violent sports. Same with the video games. I keep most of them here because my Dad won't approve. He's always buying me M-rated bloody games. So I usually trade them in for better ones… of course, if my dad found out… (sighs) I really wish I had been born into a different family. True, Dad gives me as much money as I want. But, what's the use if he only cares about me being as violent and evil as I can possible be? That's just not me! (shakes head back and forth) I don't know what to do… There are so many possibilities I've considered, but they're all pretty much no good. I can't just tell my father that I hate being his son. His magic is much stronger than mine, plus he's a whole lot bigger. Getting him mad won't do anything to help me- and he will get mad, no matter how I say it to him. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this better life of mine secret for the next ten years, until after college. Then I should be a lot stronger, and may have a chance. It seems that's the only possible option. Well, I think I've covered everything you need to know for now… I'll just tell you the things I've forgotten as they come up, okay?
SAMANTHA: Okay. Wow… That's sure a lot to take in! The Devil's son… wow…
SEBASTIAN: Please promise you won't tell anyone. If my dad finds out that anyone knows who I am…
SAMANTHA: Don't worry, I won't tell. Plus, even if I did, I don't think anyone would believe me! (smiles)
This second one is very interesting.
We had to owrk with a partner, and have out characters meet.
My partner was Lizz [Elizabeth].
Her character's, Susan's monologue was about how she was in love with a dentist.
I think it made a very interesting act...
SEBASTIAN, 13, mature for his age. Devil’s son, lives among humans. Argues with father on many things. 5’6”, 110lbs.
SUSAN, 24. Very emotional, romantic, and excitable. In love with all her doctors. Seemingly average height and weight.
SEBASTIAN: (on cell phone: wings and stuff visible: very angry) I told you not to go in there!
SUSAN: (walks in and sees him that way) Gasp!
SEBASTIAN: …No! Hey, you can’t burn my stuff! Dad- (notices Susan) gotta go! (Turns off phone, realizes wings are out, and quickly hides them)
SUSAN: What the… did you… what the…
SEBASTIAN: (pretends to be confused) what are you saying, lady?
SUSAN: You… the horns… wings… pointy tail…
SEBASTIAN: I have no idea what you’re saying.
SUSAN: (shakes her head, getting her sense back) you were yelling and screaming into your phone, jumping up and down, and you had horns and bat wings and a tail!
SEBASTIAN: Wings? Tail? You’re crazy.
SUSAN: I am not crazy! I know what I saw!
SEBASTIAN: Right. Well, if you saw wings on me, then where are they now?
SUSAN: I dunno! Maybe you can hide them! Come here.
SEBASTIAN: (walks over, skeptical expression on face)
SUSAN: (starts checking for holes on back of Sebastian’s shirt)
SEBASTIAN: What are you doing?!
SUSAN: Th... There should be holes! You had wings!
SEBASTIAN: Is this some sort of strange joke?
SUSAN: No… I did see it, I did… (More to herself) didn’t I? You were some sort of devil!
SEBASTIAN: (crosses arms) Maybe you ought to see a psychiatrist.
SUSAN: (starts feeling head for horns)
SEBASTIAN: Hey, hey, get off! What the heck?
SUSAN: You definitely had horns!
SEBASTIAN: Look, lady. If I really am a devil, would you really want to be getting me mad?
SUSAN: Aha! A confession!
SEBASTIAN: No, no! Jeez… (Pushes her away, too hard)
SUSAN: Aaah! (Hits wall- sits on floor, dazzled)
SEBASTIAN: Oops.
DOCTOR: (at door) Susan Luna?
SUSAN: Susan who?
DOCTOR: Is Susan here?
SEBASTIAN: Oh, you must mean this lunatic. Here. (Pulls her up and over to the doctor)
SUSAN: (falls into doctor’s arms, looks up at him) ooh, you’re cute! (Leaves with doctor)
SEBASTIAN: Phew, that was close…
We doing a drama unit, so it's in play format.
My character is the Devil's Son, as you can infer from the title.
This first piece is a monologue, sorta.
I added some dialogue before an after it.
SEBASTIAN, Devil's son. Lives among humans, and has developed a liking to them. Does not agree with father on many things, but expected to follow in his footsteps.
5'6", 110 lbs, 13 years old- mature for his age. Red-brown hair and eyes, Caucasian, upper class.
SAMANTHA, Sebastian's best friend. Just learned that her friend wasn't human.
5'2", 100 lbs, 12 years old, dark brown hair, green eyes, Caucasian, middle class.
SAMANTHA: You know, I've just realized something. You always come to my house. I've known you for three years, and I've never been to your house. In fact, I've never even met your parents!
SEBASTIAN: Trust me, you don't want to meet my dad.
SAMANTHA: Why not? He can't be that bad.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, he can be. I suppose it's about time I tell you…My dad's the Devil.
SAMANTHA: (laughing hysterically) You can't be serious. I'm sure he's not that bad. You're just overreacting.
SEBASTIAN: But I am serious! Here, I'll show you. (Red and black bat wings sprout from his back, a red tail with a spike on the end appears, and he sprouts two twisted red horns with black stripes.) This is the real me.
SAMANTHA: (eyes get wide) Y-you're serious!
SEBASTIAN: Yeah…
SAMANTHA: (panicking) Oh… oh my god….
SEBASTIAN: Okay, calm down! Let me explain things. I'm not my dad at all. Well, you should know that already. I'm not evil.
SAMANTHA: (calming down) Y… yeah… that's true. I guess it would make sense, with how you barely talk about him, and never want to go home, and keep half your things here… um, why don't you explain things. I promise I won't tell anyone.
SEBASTIAN: I know you'll never tell. Well, I guess I'll just go over my life. Ever since I learned to walk, my dad's been trying to get me to "follow in his footsteps." I am his only son, after all. He sent me to a human school to learn firsthand about their so-called "natural evil." He wants me to terrorize humans and punish them, like he does. But… I'm not like him…. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to be bad. Dad buys me violent pets, like dragons, gargoyles, and chimeras. But I've always loved cats, which is why I hide Mr. Kibbles at your house. I've kept my passion for cute, nice things a secret from my dad. I hate being at home… it's all dark and has this musty smell, and there's fields outside where dad tortures people who have sinned. Of course, he believes all humans are intrinsically evil, so half of them don't even deserve to be there. It's horrible. I've kept you a secret from dad, too. If he knew that I befriended you… he'd be outraged. He already has seen some of my art, which he disproves of greatly. He thinks I should be drawing violent war scenes and stuff like that. But that's not me- I prefer to take photos of animals and paint pictures of sun sets. You've seen my art. You know what I mean. He does approve of me skateboarding, though he'd really prefer that I play football or hockey. You know, violent sports. Same with the video games. I keep most of them here because my Dad won't approve. He's always buying me M-rated bloody games. So I usually trade them in for better ones… of course, if my dad found out… (sighs) I really wish I had been born into a different family. True, Dad gives me as much money as I want. But, what's the use if he only cares about me being as violent and evil as I can possible be? That's just not me! (shakes head back and forth) I don't know what to do… There are so many possibilities I've considered, but they're all pretty much no good. I can't just tell my father that I hate being his son. His magic is much stronger than mine, plus he's a whole lot bigger. Getting him mad won't do anything to help me- and he will get mad, no matter how I say it to him. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this better life of mine secret for the next ten years, until after college. Then I should be a lot stronger, and may have a chance. It seems that's the only possible option. Well, I think I've covered everything you need to know for now… I'll just tell you the things I've forgotten as they come up, okay?
SAMANTHA: Okay. Wow… That's sure a lot to take in! The Devil's son… wow…
SEBASTIAN: Please promise you won't tell anyone. If my dad finds out that anyone knows who I am…
SAMANTHA: Don't worry, I won't tell. Plus, even if I did, I don't think anyone would believe me! (smiles)
This second one is very interesting.
We had to owrk with a partner, and have out characters meet.
My partner was Lizz [Elizabeth].
Her character's, Susan's monologue was about how she was in love with a dentist.
I think it made a very interesting act...
SEBASTIAN, 13, mature for his age. Devil’s son, lives among humans. Argues with father on many things. 5’6”, 110lbs.
SUSAN, 24. Very emotional, romantic, and excitable. In love with all her doctors. Seemingly average height and weight.
SEBASTIAN: (on cell phone: wings and stuff visible: very angry) I told you not to go in there!
SUSAN: (walks in and sees him that way) Gasp!
SEBASTIAN: …No! Hey, you can’t burn my stuff! Dad- (notices Susan) gotta go! (Turns off phone, realizes wings are out, and quickly hides them)
SUSAN: What the… did you… what the…
SEBASTIAN: (pretends to be confused) what are you saying, lady?
SUSAN: You… the horns… wings… pointy tail…
SEBASTIAN: I have no idea what you’re saying.
SUSAN: (shakes her head, getting her sense back) you were yelling and screaming into your phone, jumping up and down, and you had horns and bat wings and a tail!
SEBASTIAN: Wings? Tail? You’re crazy.
SUSAN: I am not crazy! I know what I saw!
SEBASTIAN: Right. Well, if you saw wings on me, then where are they now?
SUSAN: I dunno! Maybe you can hide them! Come here.
SEBASTIAN: (walks over, skeptical expression on face)
SUSAN: (starts checking for holes on back of Sebastian’s shirt)
SEBASTIAN: What are you doing?!
SUSAN: Th... There should be holes! You had wings!
SEBASTIAN: Is this some sort of strange joke?
SUSAN: No… I did see it, I did… (More to herself) didn’t I? You were some sort of devil!
SEBASTIAN: (crosses arms) Maybe you ought to see a psychiatrist.
SUSAN: (starts feeling head for horns)
SEBASTIAN: Hey, hey, get off! What the heck?
SUSAN: You definitely had horns!
SEBASTIAN: Look, lady. If I really am a devil, would you really want to be getting me mad?
SUSAN: Aha! A confession!
SEBASTIAN: No, no! Jeez… (Pushes her away, too hard)
SUSAN: Aaah! (Hits wall- sits on floor, dazzled)
SEBASTIAN: Oops.
DOCTOR: (at door) Susan Luna?
SUSAN: Susan who?
DOCTOR: Is Susan here?
SEBASTIAN: Oh, you must mean this lunatic. Here. (Pulls her up and over to the doctor)
SUSAN: (falls into doctor’s arms, looks up at him) ooh, you’re cute! (Leaves with doctor)
SEBASTIAN: Phew, that was close…
Scrapbook Story
So, we had to make stories in Creative Writing about characters derived from scrapbooks.
We each made a scrapbook, but didn't put our names or pictures anywhere.
That way, we could create characters entirely from the scrapbook clues,
and wouldn't be biased about stuff from how they act in class.
At the end, we found out who our books were from: I had Chrissy's.
Though, I knew it all along: she is obsessed with horses. <_<
We each made a scrapbook, but didn't put our names or pictures anywhere.
That way, we could create characters entirely from the scrapbook clues,
and wouldn't be biased about stuff from how they act in class.
At the end, we found out who our books were from: I had Chrissy's.
Though, I knew it all along: she is obsessed with horses. <_<
"Katie Hubsch," the announcer called.
"Hey, your turn!" I grinned down at her. She was quite small for her age.
She smiled back, but uneasily, and rocked backed and forth.
Not good. "Don't worry, you'll do fine!" I promised, reaching over to her and giving her a quick hug. "Now, get out there and win!"
"You're right. I guess I can do it." Her voice was a bit more confident. Good.
"Katie Hubsch," the announcer called again.
"Oh! I better go!"
"Yep. Good luck!"
I watched Katie walk cautiously over to her horse, chest out, attempting to appear brave. Her skin looked especially pale in this light; she probably had stopped eating vegetables again.
She hopped onto her large brown mustang, Skeeter, as easily as if she were sitting in a chair. She made one last adjustment to her black helmet, crossed herself, and then she was off! Her brown-blonde chin-length hair, or what was still visible of it, bounced up and down, with the rest of her body, yet always managed to fall back into place. Her bright amber eyes shimmered with excitement. I smiled, knowing that her confidence had returned as soon as she had hopped onto Skeeter. It always did. She and the horse moved as if they were one body. She would win, I was sure of it.
The course consisted of a series of runs and jumps. It certainly wasn't as complicated as an Olympic ring, but it still looked pretty tough. Quite a few jumps were double the size of your average horse jump, in height and length. There was also a few hairpin turns. But I knew Katie could do his kind of course in her sleep; after all, she did plan to participate in the Olympics in eight years, when she turned twenty.
Suddenly, I realized that I had been paying so much attention to Katie and her horse, that I hadn't even noticed that she had nearly completed the course! She was nearing the last jump. Knowing she'd ask me how she'd done, I made sure to pay extra attention to this one.
She came up fast; perhaps a little too fast. I held my breath: would she make it? This was one of the more difficult jumps… The horse leapt up at the last second, his hooves barely missing the top of the bar. Phew. He came down on the other side, a perfect landing.
"Wahoo!" I cheered, as she conquered it flawlessly.
Katie led Skeeter back to his stall, and trotted over to me. "How'd I do?" she asked, flushed.
"Perfect," I told her. I hoped that guess was right.
She loooked down. "No, it wasn't… I messed up on that first jump. The landing was off."
"Yes, but the rest was flawless!" I consoled her.
"Mmhmm." She picked up a book, and began to read.
"Hey," I teased her, taking the book from her. "Should you be reading all these Teen Romance stories? Aren't you a bit young for that?"
"Nuh-uh," she said, grabbing it back. "You'll understand when you're older."
"What? I'm a year older than you!"
"Yeah, but girls mature faster than guys."
"That's true… hey!"
She giggled.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer boomed. "It's time to announce the winners!" Everyone became silent. "Fifth Place- Brandon Macentire!" The crowd across the way cheered. "Fourth place- Kimmy Appleberry!" A group of people next to us cheered, hugged each other, cried- went all out. It wasn't that big of a deal, in my opinion. "Third Place- Tyler Spinner!" Three or four people cheered. I supposed he and his family had gone home. His club leader came to collect his prize for him. "And- oh? Well, folks, look at that! We seem to have a tie for first place!" The crowd waited with baited breath. I squeezed Katie's hand. She looked completely frozen, the anticipation killing her. Couldn't the announcer just say the names?
Finally, he revealed them. "The tie's between Katrina Kayda and Katie Hubsch!"
Katie let out her breath. Behind us, her family cheered for her. Well, her mom cheered. Her dad was at work, and her sisters weren't even paying much attention. Kailee was young, and looked around in wide-eyed wonder at every little thing, ignoring everything else around her. Her older sister, Rebekka, was flirting with some boy. Typical.
"Oh my god!" I proclaimed, in awe. "You're tied with Katrina!" Katrina was Katie's best friend and horse rival.
"Oh my goodness," she corrected me, with a smile. I rolled my eyes. That strict religious fervor was her only fault. Because of it, she had to stop and pray before eating every little thing, and crossed herself twenty times a day. Plus every little swear she had to correct. It was the only thing about her that irked me.
"Whatever. Well, go get her, this time! You can do it."
"You think so?" she beamed.
"No. I know so." Yeah, it was corny. I winced as soon as I'd said it. I prided myself in my creative way with words, yet these things always seemed to slip out.
"Kay. I better go!"
"Good luck," I kissed her lightly on the cheek. She blushed, crossing herself before leaving to get her horse.
A few minutes later, Katie and Katrina were atop their horses, ready to ride. The heat of competition was thick in the air; or maybe it was just the humidity, I couldn't really tell.
The tie-breaking stage was similar to the first one, but only half the size. Some of the easier jumps had been removed, only leaving the double-sized ones. It looked tough, especially since this time they were being judged on time as well.
Katrina's show was flawless, but a bit slow. All Katie had to do was complete the course a bit faster, and first prize would be hers.
Once again, it all came down to that last leap of faith. The horse, once again, ran up to it awfully fast, and slightly scraped the bar as he went by; but it didn't fall. However, the second bar of the jump, she wasn't as lucky on. It wiggled a bit, and then toppled down as she landed.
Katie trotted up to the judge and accepted her second place medallion. When she had stabled Skeeter, she returned to the stadium. Oh boy. I could tell she was disappointed; I knew she would be. She had such a fierce love of competition, yet hated to lose.
"Aww, it's okay," I consoled her, as she strolled over and toppled onto me. I held her close for a moment, and then brought her to face me. "Second place is still fantastic." I told her, straightforward.
Her mouth formed into a pout. "It's still not first."
"Well, you can't win everything. You know that. At least ten kids here didn't get anything at all. Come-on; just be happy! Hey, I'd sure be glad to get second place!"
"I guess," she mumbled.
"Hey, guys!" Katrina called, jogging up to us. "Good game," she told Katie, holding her hand out for a high-five. Katie just stared at it.
I jabbed her in the side with my elbow.
She jerked out of her stupor. "Oh, right. Good game." She smiled at Katrina and hi-fived her.
Katrina smiled knowingly. Katie's disappointment after losing wasn't new to her. "Hey, you two want to come over my house?"
"Yeah. That'd be great," I told her. I grabbed Katie's hand. "You okay with that?"
"Sure," she said, holding her medal in her other hand. "And you're right, Brian... Second place is better than nothing. Congratulations, Katrina!"
Thursday, December 4, 2008
So... Much... Work! @___@
I've just been swamped with so much stuff lately.
It's really annoying.
I have tons of reading and study guides and quizzes and essays in English Class,
and then there's all the German stuff this year, too.
A German essay a week, vocab, Gnomes...
Not to mention that I'm doing horrible in history:
my highest test grade is an 80, and I'm struggling between a B and C.
and we have DBQ due Monday!
I'm also expected to read 2 chapters of the CPR book,
type up stuff for Creative Writing,
and do lots of worksheets for Stats.
On top of that, I have to babysit Monday to Thursday.
Oh, and did I mention that I have lots of 4-H and Girl Scout stuff, too,
as well as doing stuff for the Library with TAB.
Oh, and it's the holidays soon, so of course I've volunteered to bake for every club I'm in.
I'm just too nice, I guess- I keep doing favors for people,
and saying yes to anything they ask.
I end up having to squeeze homework into 30 minutes a night,
so I prioritize: fun homework first. <__<
So I never get the English or History stuff done, of course.
And I got a new video game, so I'm tempted to play that instead of work.
Why is there only 24 hours in each day!? @_____@
It's really annoying.
I have tons of reading and study guides and quizzes and essays in English Class,
and then there's all the German stuff this year, too.
A German essay a week, vocab, Gnomes...
Not to mention that I'm doing horrible in history:
my highest test grade is an 80, and I'm struggling between a B and C.
and we have DBQ due Monday!
I'm also expected to read 2 chapters of the CPR book,
type up stuff for Creative Writing,
and do lots of worksheets for Stats.
On top of that, I have to babysit Monday to Thursday.
Oh, and did I mention that I have lots of 4-H and Girl Scout stuff, too,
as well as doing stuff for the Library with TAB.
Oh, and it's the holidays soon, so of course I've volunteered to bake for every club I'm in.
I'm just too nice, I guess- I keep doing favors for people,
and saying yes to anything they ask.
I end up having to squeeze homework into 30 minutes a night,
so I prioritize: fun homework first. <__<
So I never get the English or History stuff done, of course.
And I got a new video game, so I'm tempted to play that instead of work.
Why is there only 24 hours in each day!? @_____@
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving: the aftermath
I am totally stuffed. -__-
So... much... food...
Anyway, it was small this year.
But my Uncle Paul and his girlfriend, Carol, came!
That was really awesome,
since the last time I saw them was when I was 10 or so.
He's a baker now, but he used to be the drummer in a band.
He loves animals, too, and really liked my Degu.
He also played my mom's bongo drum a bit.
I hope everyone had as great of a Thanksgiving as I did!
...But the leftovers are gonna last for weeks...
So... much... food...
Anyway, it was small this year.
But my Uncle Paul and his girlfriend, Carol, came!
That was really awesome,
since the last time I saw them was when I was 10 or so.
He's a baker now, but he used to be the drummer in a band.
He loves animals, too, and really liked my Degu.
He also played my mom's bongo drum a bit.
I hope everyone had as great of a Thanksgiving as I did!
...But the leftovers are gonna last for weeks...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yes, happy Turkey Day!
A time for family fun,
eating 'till you're as stuffed as the Turkey,
and of course, a day for Chickens to relax,
calmly knowing that they won't be eaten.
Anyway, here are some funny Thanksgiving pics:
My house is hosting the big family dinner this year.
All the cousins, etc will come to my house.
So I have to help cook the meal and stuff... whoo.
Well, cooking's fun, but not when everyone's yelling! @__@
And the hose has to get cleaned...
God, will I be busy!
As to what I'm thankful for?
Well, a lot of things:
Nice People
Friends
Shrine Sprite
4-H
School (but not hw)
Internet
Japan
Anime/Manga
Video games
My Hair
Me losing weight
Cats, Guinea Pigs, Degus, etc
Yummi Food (sweets)
...Just to name a few
A time for family fun,
eating 'till you're as stuffed as the Turkey,
and of course, a day for Chickens to relax,
calmly knowing that they won't be eaten.
Anyway, here are some funny Thanksgiving pics:
My house is hosting the big family dinner this year.
All the cousins, etc will come to my house.
So I have to help cook the meal and stuff... whoo.
Well, cooking's fun, but not when everyone's yelling! @__@
And the hose has to get cleaned...
God, will I be busy!
As to what I'm thankful for?
Well, a lot of things:
Nice People
Friends
Shrine Sprite
4-H
School (but not hw)
Internet
Japan
Anime/Manga
Video games
My Hair
Me losing weight
Cats, Guinea Pigs, Degus, etc
Yummi Food (sweets)
...Just to name a few
Thursday, November 13, 2008
"Get Smart" Movie Review
Get Smart
This movie is a comedy about secret agents. I like Agent 99 best, because of her witty comments and skill at her job. However, she ends up falling for the main character, although she had sworn not to, and hated him at first. I guess having an idiot save your life can change a person. The main character’s awesome, too, though I forget his name. I think he was agent 34. Anyway, his personality's amazing. He says and does the funniest of things, yet he still manages to save the world in the end. He does act like a professional spy, too, yet manages to do it in a funny way. The plot was amazing, too. It was comedic, but with a good plot. That's rare in a movie, for it to be serious, yet funny at the same time. Most are either so funny that they become stupid or way too serious and dramatic. That's why I prefer books: they have just the right mix of everything, usually. Movies, however, tend to be just all action or drama or funny, without any balancing things added. That's why I loved "Get Smart:" it had a perfect balance. It made me laugh at some parts, cry on others. Plus the plot twist at the end was unexpected. Who thought the number one, friendliest agent would be the double agent? The characters didn't expect it, and neither did I. It really had an air of realistic-nests. The characters were crafted so well that you really though this had actually occurred, even though it's a bit of a far-fetched story. Or, maybe it isn't. Who knows what really goes on in government spy agencies, right? I only saw it one, a week ago at my friend's house, but I definitely would love to see it again. It's the first really good movie I’ve seen in a long time. My friend, brother, and his brother definitely seemed to like it as much as I did. Well, our brothers like basically any movie, but my friend has similar criticism of movies that I do, so he though that was nice and balanced, too. If I like a movie, he usually does too. That's what best friends are usually like, after all. I would definitely recommend "Get Smart" to anyone who asked me about it.
This movie is a comedy about secret agents. I like Agent 99 best, because of her witty comments and skill at her job. However, she ends up falling for the main character, although she had sworn not to, and hated him at first. I guess having an idiot save your life can change a person. The main character’s awesome, too, though I forget his name. I think he was agent 34. Anyway, his personality's amazing. He says and does the funniest of things, yet he still manages to save the world in the end. He does act like a professional spy, too, yet manages to do it in a funny way. The plot was amazing, too. It was comedic, but with a good plot. That's rare in a movie, for it to be serious, yet funny at the same time. Most are either so funny that they become stupid or way too serious and dramatic. That's why I prefer books: they have just the right mix of everything, usually. Movies, however, tend to be just all action or drama or funny, without any balancing things added. That's why I loved "Get Smart:" it had a perfect balance. It made me laugh at some parts, cry on others. Plus the plot twist at the end was unexpected. Who thought the number one, friendliest agent would be the double agent? The characters didn't expect it, and neither did I. It really had an air of realistic-nests. The characters were crafted so well that you really though this had actually occurred, even though it's a bit of a far-fetched story. Or, maybe it isn't. Who knows what really goes on in government spy agencies, right? I only saw it one, a week ago at my friend's house, but I definitely would love to see it again. It's the first really good movie I’ve seen in a long time. My friend, brother, and his brother definitely seemed to like it as much as I did. Well, our brothers like basically any movie, but my friend has similar criticism of movies that I do, so he though that was nice and balanced, too. If I like a movie, he usually does too. That's what best friends are usually like, after all. I would definitely recommend "Get Smart" to anyone who asked me about it.
Sounds in the Warehouse
“BAM!”
Tim Vandes jumped out of his stupor. What was that sound? Was someone in the warehouse?
“Boom! Bash! Bang!”
“Gunfire,” Tim concluded. Quickly, he leapt up, grabbing his pistol and a flashlight from his desk. Carefully, he slipped into the warehouse.
All was silent.
Squeesh!
There was something sticky and spongy on the floor. Tim shined his flashlight at the floor. Looking down, he realized he stood in a large puddle of glue. The barrel it had been in lay off to the side, the top off.
Tim sighed, glad that the noise hadn’t been gunfire after all, and placed his pistol in the gun holder at his waist.
“Bam! Bang!”
“Aaaah!” Tim screamed, jumping out of the way of two more falling barrels. He put his hand on his thumping heart as he caught his breath.
“Wait a second!” He said, coming to a sudden realization. “Someone must be here, after all!”
In his six years of being a security guard at the Bayside Warehouse, the barrels had never fallen. In fact, nothing unusual had ever happened. Someone or something had caused the barrels to fall.
“I’m too old for this,” Tim sighed, as he began to cautiously explore, weaving through the tall stacks of tin crates and barrels.
Turning a corner, Tim’s flashlight caught the glow of to large green eyes.
He dropped his light in fear. “Who… who’s there?”
“Meoooooooooooooooooooow!”
Tim picked up his flashlight, shining it in the direction of the howl.
A bright-eyed orange cat sat on top of a small stack of boxes.
Tim smiled as his breath returned again. A cat, that was all. Nothing to worry about. It wasn’t even full grown.
The kitten leapt off the crate and trotted over to Tim. It sat there, waiting for Tim to pet it.
“Aww,” Tim said, as he rubbed the kitten behind its ears. “You look just like my old cat, Muffin.”
The cat began to purr loudly.
“Let’s see who you belong to…” Tim lifted the little gold tag on the jet black collar, and moved close to read it:
Muffin
If found, please return to:
Tim Vandes,
204 Bright Ave,
Peterville, PA
Tim immediately dropped the tag and backed up, staring wide-eyed at the kitten.
Muffin had been hit by a car a year ago. Yet here she was, staring at him, looking not a day older than she had that day. Exactly a year ago, it dawned on Tim. To the hour, even.
Nervously, Tim reached down and petted Muffin. She sure felt alive.
DING! The clock chimed. Midnight.
“Meoooooooooooooooooooow!” said Muffin, telling Tim goodbye. She turned away, beginning to walk down the aisle.
“Wait!” Tim called.
The cat turned back for a second, eyes glowing, an apologetic look on her face, before she vanished into the shadows.
“Muffin?” Tim shined his flashlight down the aisle, but there was no sign of the kitten, not even footprints in the layer of dust that covered the warehouse floor.
Tim Vandes jumped out of his stupor. What was that sound? Was someone in the warehouse?
“Boom! Bash! Bang!”
“Gunfire,” Tim concluded. Quickly, he leapt up, grabbing his pistol and a flashlight from his desk. Carefully, he slipped into the warehouse.
All was silent.
Squeesh!
There was something sticky and spongy on the floor. Tim shined his flashlight at the floor. Looking down, he realized he stood in a large puddle of glue. The barrel it had been in lay off to the side, the top off.
Tim sighed, glad that the noise hadn’t been gunfire after all, and placed his pistol in the gun holder at his waist.
“Bam! Bang!”
“Aaaah!” Tim screamed, jumping out of the way of two more falling barrels. He put his hand on his thumping heart as he caught his breath.
“Wait a second!” He said, coming to a sudden realization. “Someone must be here, after all!”
In his six years of being a security guard at the Bayside Warehouse, the barrels had never fallen. In fact, nothing unusual had ever happened. Someone or something had caused the barrels to fall.
“I’m too old for this,” Tim sighed, as he began to cautiously explore, weaving through the tall stacks of tin crates and barrels.
Turning a corner, Tim’s flashlight caught the glow of to large green eyes.
He dropped his light in fear. “Who… who’s there?”
“Meoooooooooooooooooooow!”
Tim picked up his flashlight, shining it in the direction of the howl.
A bright-eyed orange cat sat on top of a small stack of boxes.
Tim smiled as his breath returned again. A cat, that was all. Nothing to worry about. It wasn’t even full grown.
The kitten leapt off the crate and trotted over to Tim. It sat there, waiting for Tim to pet it.
“Aww,” Tim said, as he rubbed the kitten behind its ears. “You look just like my old cat, Muffin.”
The cat began to purr loudly.
“Let’s see who you belong to…” Tim lifted the little gold tag on the jet black collar, and moved close to read it:
Muffin
If found, please return to:
Tim Vandes,
204 Bright Ave,
Peterville, PA
Tim immediately dropped the tag and backed up, staring wide-eyed at the kitten.
Muffin had been hit by a car a year ago. Yet here she was, staring at him, looking not a day older than she had that day. Exactly a year ago, it dawned on Tim. To the hour, even.
Nervously, Tim reached down and petted Muffin. She sure felt alive.
DING! The clock chimed. Midnight.
“Meoooooooooooooooooooow!” said Muffin, telling Tim goodbye. She turned away, beginning to walk down the aisle.
“Wait!” Tim called.
The cat turned back for a second, eyes glowing, an apologetic look on her face, before she vanished into the shadows.
“Muffin?” Tim shined his flashlight down the aisle, but there was no sign of the kitten, not even footprints in the layer of dust that covered the warehouse floor.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Junior Year
I've just realized something:
Junior Year Sucks.
Yep.
It's just too much.
First of all, there's a ton of work.
Second, there's all the talk about college and the SAT.
Third, I have no friends to turn to.
Fourth, it just sucks.
Everything.
I could list more.
Everything I do seems to go Wrong.
Every night, before I go to bed, tears streak my face.
It' s just too much.
I can't handle it.
I just want everything to go away.
To disappear for a while.
So many things go wrong.
I'm failing History, and probably English too.
Things I used to know, I no longer know.
Something must be wrong with me.
I can't remember stuff anymore.
I'm even having trouble in German class,
which I never used to.
It's just too much.
I can't handle this.
I freak out at random times, at my family and only friend.
I cry, or get angry...
Of course, I don't even know if that one friend even cares about me one bit.
I can't deal with stress too well.
All around me, I see happy people.
People with groups of friends, couples, everyone.
But I have no one.
No one who cares.
No one to say "it's okay" when I'm afraid or upset.
And right now, I'm very scared.
I don't like the future.
It scares me.
I have no idea what I will do after high school,
yet my parents and teachers all want me to look at colleges.
Plus I seem to mess up every little thing I do.
I guess I just gotta deal with what life throws at me,
and go with the flow of things.
I just wish it wasn't so hard...
Junior Year Sucks.
Yep.
It's just too much.
First of all, there's a ton of work.
Second, there's all the talk about college and the SAT.
Third, I have no friends to turn to.
Fourth, it just sucks.
Everything.
I could list more.
Everything I do seems to go Wrong.
Every night, before I go to bed, tears streak my face.
It' s just too much.
I can't handle it.
I just want everything to go away.
To disappear for a while.
So many things go wrong.
I'm failing History, and probably English too.
Things I used to know, I no longer know.
Something must be wrong with me.
I can't remember stuff anymore.
I'm even having trouble in German class,
which I never used to.
It's just too much.
I can't handle this.
I freak out at random times, at my family and only friend.
I cry, or get angry...
Of course, I don't even know if that one friend even cares about me one bit.
I can't deal with stress too well.
All around me, I see happy people.
People with groups of friends, couples, everyone.
But I have no one.
No one who cares.
No one to say "it's okay" when I'm afraid or upset.
And right now, I'm very scared.
I don't like the future.
It scares me.
I have no idea what I will do after high school,
yet my parents and teachers all want me to look at colleges.
Plus I seem to mess up every little thing I do.
I guess I just gotta deal with what life throws at me,
and go with the flow of things.
I just wish it wasn't so hard...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
How Second-Hand Smoke Murdered My Best Friend
A Narrative Essay (Memior)
"So, what should we do today?" Michael asked me.
"I don't know," I replied. "We can't continue our adventure without Cheryl-Jean."
"I wonder why she isn't in school," Michael replied. "Oh well. We'll just have to play with someone else today. What about Pat or Chris?"
"Hmmm…. Pat," I decided. Cheryl-Jean would always be in school tomorrow. We would just have to wait until then to continue our "adventure"; that is, the never-ending games of pretend we would play, just the three of us usually, but sometimes joined by one or two others.
But there was a problem. She wasn't in school the next day, or the day after that. In fact, she was out of school for a month. It was about a week or two after the initial absence that my mom told me Cheryl-Jean had a disease called cancer. Of course, being nine years old, I had no clue what cancer was. I figured she meant the astrological sign. No, that wasn't it, my mom told me. Cancer was a very bad illness. Cheryl-Jean would require special treatments, and would no longer be attending school every day. She would be very weak, and not feeling to well, until she was better. She was not contagious, however, so she would be able to attend school whenever she felt well enough to.
I explained things to Michael.
"My mom told me that stuff, too," he replied.
"Oh? I hope she's not out for too long. We have to finish the game."
"She'll be better soon. No one can be sick for more than two weeks."
"Yeah. I'll be visiting her today."
"Cool. Tell her I said hi!"
As I said before, being nine years old, we had no idea about how terrible cancer really was. When I saw Cheryl-Jean that day, she looked completely different.
"She has no hair!" I told Michael the next day.
"No hair? What do you mean?" he asked.
"It all fell out!"
"No… that's crazy. Hair doesn't fall out."
"She said it did. She said the treatments for the cancer did it."
"Why would they do that?"
"I don't know. She said it needed to make her hair fall out to cure her."
"She's not better yet?"
"No… She looks horrible, too. She's very weak, and has trouble breathing."
"Why can't she breathe? Was she exercising?"
"No… she said the cancer was in her lungs."
"In her lungs?! Cancer can be in different places?"
"I guess so."
"Well, she better be better soon. It's almost summer!"
She did get a little better that summer. Just a little. She was able to have us visit her more often, and even could go outside. But the first few times I noticed something odd about her house. By the third time, I knew what it was; there was no smoke. Her parents had stopped smoking. That was why it seemed so different. Before, I could barely breathe with all the smoke. I would always want to play outside. That day, we were inside, playing her Nintendo 64. It wasn't until five years later that I realized why they had stopped smoking: second-hand smoke was the cause of Cheryl-Jean's cancer.
Even though she seemed to be improving over the summer, Cheryl-Jean still did not come to school in September. Occasionally, she would come to visit, but she never attended classes. The teachers would come to her house and home school her. She did visit as often as she could, though: always with a hat on, to hide her wispy hair. She had lost a lot of weight, too, giving her the appearance of a skeleton with skin.
Cheryl-Jean was liked by pretty much everyone she met. As my best friend, Michael, puts it: "She was like the ideal person that had no faults... Smart, funny, and she was friends with nearly everyone in our grade." And perfect she was. She got straight A's, just like me; she had achieved a black belt in Tai-Kwon-Do; and everyone, it seemed, was her friend. Sure, she mostly spent recess and classes with me and Michael, but she could literally walk up to any group and instantly fit in. She was great at everything she did: Sports, Videogames, English, Science, and though she struggled a tiny bit with Math, she still managed to get A's. Her personality seemed almost magical, as well. She was cheerful, though a bit quiet, and extremely bright.
Then, she was put in the hospital. I visited her a few times. It seemed like such a sad place; there were little sectioned-off areas, one for each bed. Down the hall, there was a playroom. There were a few children in there, but most of them were in their beds, watching TV or visiting with family. Cheryl-Jean was one of those kids, too weak to move. I gave her a Pokemon card that I had spent a few hours making myself: it wasn't very good, but it's the thought that counts. Her mom sent me a thank you card, for coming to visit. She said Cheryl-Jean loved the card.
A week later, as I was going to sleep, the phone rang. Odd. Not many people called that late at night. I shrugged and tried to sleep: it was most likely grandma calling about some show on TV.
After the call, my mom came upstairs. She sat on the edge of my bed, crying.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Mom had never cried before, or at least not that I knew of, anyway.
For a minute, she seemed at a loss for words. Then, she finally brought herself to say it. "Cheryl-Jean died," she choked.
I didn't reply. This was foreign to me.
"She died today, just a little while ago," she continued.
"Okay," I replied, not sure what to make of the situation. Mom was extremely upset, but I had no real concept of what dying meant.
I continued life as normal. It felt weird, like Cheryl-Jean hadn't really died. I kept thinking she would come visit the school again, just as she always had. But she never did. I never saw her again.
At the funeral, I watched as the coffin came down the aisle, as the priest said prayers. I noticed that almost everyone from my grade was there. But it was too quiet; no one made a sound, not even the little children. Church was never this quiet; there was always a baby crying, or people whispering. Mom said she had gone to the viewing beforehand, but she didn't want me to go. She had dad bring me to the church after the viewing, during the funeral.
After the ceremony, we went to the church's banquet hall, where refreshments were being served. People were going up to a stage and saying things about Cheryl-Jean. Her parents, and the rest of the adults, were all in tears; the other children and I were all just standing dumbfounded this whole thing unfathomable, so we started talking about video games and such. Michael wasn't there: he was on a trip to Florida. I wasn't nearly as sociable with people, so I just listened in on the kids' conversations. The adults just kept telling them to be quiet.
Cancer. It killed my best friend. No, scratch that: smoking killed her. Her parents were heavy smokers, and it led to Cheryl-Jean's death. Just as it nearly killed my grandma, who thankfully survived. Second hand smoke, both cases. Yet some people still smoke around others, without a care in the world. It makes me sick. Do they even realize that their smoke can affect the people around them? What about their children, friends, or relatives? Cancer is what can come of smoking: not just any cancer, but a specific type called Leukemia: cancer of the lungs.
If Cheryl-Jean's parents hadn't smoked, things would be different. Cheryl-Jean would still be here. Sometimes, I wonder what sort of person she would be, if she were in high school with me now. No doubt she would still be my friend: after all, she was the perfect match for Michael and me then, so why wouldn't she be now?
I miss Cheryl-Jean. She was like an angel. Maybe she was; maybe that's why she had to die. Maybe she was just too perfect to be part of the human world. But that's cruel, isn't it? No, something evil killed her. Something called second-hand smoke.
"So, what should we do today?" Michael asked me.
"I don't know," I replied. "We can't continue our adventure without Cheryl-Jean."
"I wonder why she isn't in school," Michael replied. "Oh well. We'll just have to play with someone else today. What about Pat or Chris?"
"Hmmm…. Pat," I decided. Cheryl-Jean would always be in school tomorrow. We would just have to wait until then to continue our "adventure"; that is, the never-ending games of pretend we would play, just the three of us usually, but sometimes joined by one or two others.
But there was a problem. She wasn't in school the next day, or the day after that. In fact, she was out of school for a month. It was about a week or two after the initial absence that my mom told me Cheryl-Jean had a disease called cancer. Of course, being nine years old, I had no clue what cancer was. I figured she meant the astrological sign. No, that wasn't it, my mom told me. Cancer was a very bad illness. Cheryl-Jean would require special treatments, and would no longer be attending school every day. She would be very weak, and not feeling to well, until she was better. She was not contagious, however, so she would be able to attend school whenever she felt well enough to.
I explained things to Michael.
"My mom told me that stuff, too," he replied.
"Oh? I hope she's not out for too long. We have to finish the game."
"She'll be better soon. No one can be sick for more than two weeks."
"Yeah. I'll be visiting her today."
"Cool. Tell her I said hi!"
As I said before, being nine years old, we had no idea about how terrible cancer really was. When I saw Cheryl-Jean that day, she looked completely different.
"She has no hair!" I told Michael the next day.
"No hair? What do you mean?" he asked.
"It all fell out!"
"No… that's crazy. Hair doesn't fall out."
"She said it did. She said the treatments for the cancer did it."
"Why would they do that?"
"I don't know. She said it needed to make her hair fall out to cure her."
"She's not better yet?"
"No… She looks horrible, too. She's very weak, and has trouble breathing."
"Why can't she breathe? Was she exercising?"
"No… she said the cancer was in her lungs."
"In her lungs?! Cancer can be in different places?"
"I guess so."
"Well, she better be better soon. It's almost summer!"
She did get a little better that summer. Just a little. She was able to have us visit her more often, and even could go outside. But the first few times I noticed something odd about her house. By the third time, I knew what it was; there was no smoke. Her parents had stopped smoking. That was why it seemed so different. Before, I could barely breathe with all the smoke. I would always want to play outside. That day, we were inside, playing her Nintendo 64. It wasn't until five years later that I realized why they had stopped smoking: second-hand smoke was the cause of Cheryl-Jean's cancer.
Even though she seemed to be improving over the summer, Cheryl-Jean still did not come to school in September. Occasionally, she would come to visit, but she never attended classes. The teachers would come to her house and home school her. She did visit as often as she could, though: always with a hat on, to hide her wispy hair. She had lost a lot of weight, too, giving her the appearance of a skeleton with skin.
Cheryl-Jean was liked by pretty much everyone she met. As my best friend, Michael, puts it: "She was like the ideal person that had no faults... Smart, funny, and she was friends with nearly everyone in our grade." And perfect she was. She got straight A's, just like me; she had achieved a black belt in Tai-Kwon-Do; and everyone, it seemed, was her friend. Sure, she mostly spent recess and classes with me and Michael, but she could literally walk up to any group and instantly fit in. She was great at everything she did: Sports, Videogames, English, Science, and though she struggled a tiny bit with Math, she still managed to get A's. Her personality seemed almost magical, as well. She was cheerful, though a bit quiet, and extremely bright.
Then, she was put in the hospital. I visited her a few times. It seemed like such a sad place; there were little sectioned-off areas, one for each bed. Down the hall, there was a playroom. There were a few children in there, but most of them were in their beds, watching TV or visiting with family. Cheryl-Jean was one of those kids, too weak to move. I gave her a Pokemon card that I had spent a few hours making myself: it wasn't very good, but it's the thought that counts. Her mom sent me a thank you card, for coming to visit. She said Cheryl-Jean loved the card.
A week later, as I was going to sleep, the phone rang. Odd. Not many people called that late at night. I shrugged and tried to sleep: it was most likely grandma calling about some show on TV.
After the call, my mom came upstairs. She sat on the edge of my bed, crying.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Mom had never cried before, or at least not that I knew of, anyway.
For a minute, she seemed at a loss for words. Then, she finally brought herself to say it. "Cheryl-Jean died," she choked.
I didn't reply. This was foreign to me.
"She died today, just a little while ago," she continued.
"Okay," I replied, not sure what to make of the situation. Mom was extremely upset, but I had no real concept of what dying meant.
I continued life as normal. It felt weird, like Cheryl-Jean hadn't really died. I kept thinking she would come visit the school again, just as she always had. But she never did. I never saw her again.
At the funeral, I watched as the coffin came down the aisle, as the priest said prayers. I noticed that almost everyone from my grade was there. But it was too quiet; no one made a sound, not even the little children. Church was never this quiet; there was always a baby crying, or people whispering. Mom said she had gone to the viewing beforehand, but she didn't want me to go. She had dad bring me to the church after the viewing, during the funeral.
After the ceremony, we went to the church's banquet hall, where refreshments were being served. People were going up to a stage and saying things about Cheryl-Jean. Her parents, and the rest of the adults, were all in tears; the other children and I were all just standing dumbfounded this whole thing unfathomable, so we started talking about video games and such. Michael wasn't there: he was on a trip to Florida. I wasn't nearly as sociable with people, so I just listened in on the kids' conversations. The adults just kept telling them to be quiet.
Cancer. It killed my best friend. No, scratch that: smoking killed her. Her parents were heavy smokers, and it led to Cheryl-Jean's death. Just as it nearly killed my grandma, who thankfully survived. Second hand smoke, both cases. Yet some people still smoke around others, without a care in the world. It makes me sick. Do they even realize that their smoke can affect the people around them? What about their children, friends, or relatives? Cancer is what can come of smoking: not just any cancer, but a specific type called Leukemia: cancer of the lungs.
If Cheryl-Jean's parents hadn't smoked, things would be different. Cheryl-Jean would still be here. Sometimes, I wonder what sort of person she would be, if she were in high school with me now. No doubt she would still be my friend: after all, she was the perfect match for Michael and me then, so why wouldn't she be now?
I miss Cheryl-Jean. She was like an angel. Maybe she was; maybe that's why she had to die. Maybe she was just too perfect to be part of the human world. But that's cruel, isn't it? No, something evil killed her. Something called second-hand smoke.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Shrineland (new blog)
Haha. Forgot about this.
My friend and I are writing a book.
We're not sure of the name,
but we're callign it Shrineland for now.
Yeah, it's a bad title, and it's probably not even
gonna be the final name of the country either.
Anyway....
I'll be posting a chapter every once in a while.
But I don't want the chapters to be confuddled
amongst all the other things I'll be posting,
So I made a new blog for it.
The link should be in the navigation under the blog archive.
So, please comment on the chapters!
We'd love to get as much feedback as possible.
Criticism is lovely, too!
The more you tell us what could be better,
the more we make better,
and then -BAM- it's a better story than ever before!
So please, check it out!
My friend and I are writing a book.
We're not sure of the name,
but we're callign it Shrineland for now.
Yeah, it's a bad title, and it's probably not even
gonna be the final name of the country either.
Anyway....
I'll be posting a chapter every once in a while.
But I don't want the chapters to be confuddled
amongst all the other things I'll be posting,
So I made a new blog for it.
The link should be in the navigation under the blog archive.
So, please comment on the chapters!
We'd love to get as much feedback as possible.
Criticism is lovely, too!
The more you tell us what could be better,
the more we make better,
and then -BAM- it's a better story than ever before!
So please, check it out!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Brawl!
I am a huge fan of the Wii game Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Yeah! I just can't get enough of it. Through wi-fi, I Brawl all sorts of people. For those of you who have Brawl, I'd love to brawl you. For those who don't, GET IT NOW!
Most people have one main character. Well, I'm different: I have 2. Lucas and Peach. At first, it was just Lucas, but as I brawled more and more using Peach, I slowly improved with her enough to call her one of my 2 best charries. Other than those two, I also use Lucario, Jigglypuff, and occasionally Game&Watch or Pikachu. Yeah, I use all three Pokemon. I like Pokemon. Got a problem? No? Good.
Anyway, I'm on a few Brawl-related forums. There, I meet lots of very good competitive Brawlers. So I Brawl them. Yeah, I lose a lot, but practice makes perfect, right? I'm slowly getting better. So what if my best friend is tons better than me at Brawl? I beat him sometimes. Those other times, I just assess what I did and learn from my mistakes. That's the best thing to do to get better, after all.
I can brawl for hours. When my friends are over, brawling makes up half of our time together, at least. We just can't get enough! And when I have nothing else to do, I go on wi-fi and Brawl whoever's on. Some days I play for three or four hours, accumulated. (Never all at once. That makes my body feel weird.) When going to a friends house, an essential to bring is my controller, an SD card, and a readiness to do my best at Brawl.
Before SSB Brawl, it was SSB Melee. In some ways, it was better than Brawl, but in other ways, Brawl is way better. Maybe most people don't notice, but I do. When you're a serious gamer, you notice EVERYTHING. Brawl has a ton of new characters, but I do miss some of the older ones. I used Pichu sometimes in Melee, but he's not in Brawl. Pichu was considered pathetic by many people, because he had weak attacks, was extremely lightweight, and somewhat difficult to use. But when you're a serious gamer, you don't care. You find a way to use the character's strengths to your advantage. In Pichu's case, it's that his speed is matched by none. Some people put characters in Tier Lists. Pichu was at the bottom Tier. But I think Tier Lists are silly. Every character is good if you take the time to learn it's strengths and weaknesses, get good with the characters move set, and practice with it.
So, yeah. I'm a fanatic when it comes to Brawl, but in a good way. And, once again, if you don't have it, get it now! I want to brawl you!
Most people have one main character. Well, I'm different: I have 2. Lucas and Peach. At first, it was just Lucas, but as I brawled more and more using Peach, I slowly improved with her enough to call her one of my 2 best charries. Other than those two, I also use Lucario, Jigglypuff, and occasionally Game&Watch or Pikachu. Yeah, I use all three Pokemon. I like Pokemon. Got a problem? No? Good.
Anyway, I'm on a few Brawl-related forums. There, I meet lots of very good competitive Brawlers. So I Brawl them. Yeah, I lose a lot, but practice makes perfect, right? I'm slowly getting better. So what if my best friend is tons better than me at Brawl? I beat him sometimes. Those other times, I just assess what I did and learn from my mistakes. That's the best thing to do to get better, after all.
I can brawl for hours. When my friends are over, brawling makes up half of our time together, at least. We just can't get enough! And when I have nothing else to do, I go on wi-fi and Brawl whoever's on. Some days I play for three or four hours, accumulated. (Never all at once. That makes my body feel weird.) When going to a friends house, an essential to bring is my controller, an SD card, and a readiness to do my best at Brawl.
Before SSB Brawl, it was SSB Melee. In some ways, it was better than Brawl, but in other ways, Brawl is way better. Maybe most people don't notice, but I do. When you're a serious gamer, you notice EVERYTHING. Brawl has a ton of new characters, but I do miss some of the older ones. I used Pichu sometimes in Melee, but he's not in Brawl. Pichu was considered pathetic by many people, because he had weak attacks, was extremely lightweight, and somewhat difficult to use. But when you're a serious gamer, you don't care. You find a way to use the character's strengths to your advantage. In Pichu's case, it's that his speed is matched by none. Some people put characters in Tier Lists. Pichu was at the bottom Tier. But I think Tier Lists are silly. Every character is good if you take the time to learn it's strengths and weaknesses, get good with the characters move set, and practice with it.
So, yeah. I'm a fanatic when it comes to Brawl, but in a good way. And, once again, if you don't have it, get it now! I want to brawl you!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Journal Time!
Well, we have to write our journals online today.
Hmm.... What should I write about?
Oh, I know!
How about.... How I plan to get rich!
Yes. I plan to get rich someday.
I'll live in a big house, with a nice view,
and I'll have plenty of room for all my stuff,
and plenty of money to buy new stuff!
You see, I plan to work in the video game industry.
I'll eventually, hopefully sooner than later,
become one of the top designers at a huge company,
such as Nintendo or Sony or Sega or something.
I'll make the most amazing characters,
storyboards, and stuff like that.
I'm not exactly sure what kind of designer I'll be.
I mean, there's so many!
A character designer would be cool.
Or perhaps I'd make backgrounds and stuff in the beginning.
Eventually, I will direct all the stuff that goes into the game.
But, you have to start out small first!
Perhaps I could be a storyboard director.
I do love to create intricate plots for stories.
But creating characters to fit stories is fun, too!
Especially fashion. Characters can wear so many awesome things!
Their clothing choices are unlimited-
Whatever you imagine, they can wear!
I would especially like to work on 3-D role-playing games.
Oooh, I can't wait!
Oh, but that's not the only way I'll become rich.
I will also write bestselling books,
and have a line of products for "Kate and Todd".
Plus being a famous chef wouldn't be bad, too.
And, of course, I'll be winning Archery competitions!
Yes... I am confident that someday, I WILL be rich.
Hmm.... What should I write about?
Oh, I know!
How about.... How I plan to get rich!
Yes. I plan to get rich someday.
I'll live in a big house, with a nice view,
and I'll have plenty of room for all my stuff,
and plenty of money to buy new stuff!
You see, I plan to work in the video game industry.
I'll eventually, hopefully sooner than later,
become one of the top designers at a huge company,
such as Nintendo or Sony or Sega or something.
I'll make the most amazing characters,
storyboards, and stuff like that.
I'm not exactly sure what kind of designer I'll be.
I mean, there's so many!
A character designer would be cool.
Or perhaps I'd make backgrounds and stuff in the beginning.
Eventually, I will direct all the stuff that goes into the game.
But, you have to start out small first!
Perhaps I could be a storyboard director.
I do love to create intricate plots for stories.
But creating characters to fit stories is fun, too!
Especially fashion. Characters can wear so many awesome things!
Their clothing choices are unlimited-
Whatever you imagine, they can wear!
I would especially like to work on 3-D role-playing games.
Oooh, I can't wait!
Oh, but that's not the only way I'll become rich.
I will also write bestselling books,
and have a line of products for "Kate and Todd".
Plus being a famous chef wouldn't be bad, too.
And, of course, I'll be winning Archery competitions!
Yes... I am confident that someday, I WILL be rich.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Religion
Today, at gym, as we headed out to the tennis courts, some guys greeted us. They were from some christian organization, handing out Bibles. What the h? I mean, what about separation of Church and State? Last I knew, South was a public school. Okay, true, they were on the edge of school property. But quite frankly, I'm sick of it. School has a bible club now. What about other religions? I'm sure the Jewish people and Muslim people would want a club, too. They could probably have one. But what about other people, like Atheists or Wiccans? I'm sure if they tried to have clubs, they'd be turned down. Most people look down on them, and they shouldn't. It's just wrong. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with anything these religions believe in; I'm just pointing out that everyone should have a fair chance, and if that can't happen, then Religion shouldn't be in schools. I myself am agnostic; that is, I do not associate with a specific religion. So I consider myself impartial to this. Quite frankly, I believe religion is silly and unneeded; we're technologically advanced. Science can explain most of the things religion was created to explain, except for things such as god or creation of the universe. There are theories, but no proof yet on those. Anyway, it just sickens me to see people fall victims to it, believing everything their churches say. Religion is still a major player in politics, too. It makes me wonder: whatever happened to separation of church and state?
I hate the Church. It's an unnecessary organization. It's the age of science and technology. Things can be explained with logic, reason, and science. There is no need for such religions anymore; everything it was created to explain is now explained through science. Not to speak ill of any religion in particularly; it's pretty much every religion I speak of. Well, maybe not some smaller ones,such as Wicca and stuff, since they are not so much based on strict obedience to a god, who if you displease you go to hell. I'm fine with religions. I just don't like when they tell me I'm gonna go to hell if I don't believe in what they say! Sure, some things they teach make logical sense. But honestly, I don't think god is that mean, if there is one. I mean, I'm doing fine, and I don't pray. Quite frankly, prayer makes no sense to me. With billions of people, do you think god can listen to everyone? After millenia, do you think he or she cares about your petty problems? I should hope he or she is more worried about larger scale problems,such as the ending of wars and global warming. Anyway, I've rambled too long about this....
I hate the Church. It's an unnecessary organization. It's the age of science and technology. Things can be explained with logic, reason, and science. There is no need for such religions anymore; everything it was created to explain is now explained through science. Not to speak ill of any religion in particularly; it's pretty much every religion I speak of. Well, maybe not some smaller ones,such as Wicca and stuff, since they are not so much based on strict obedience to a god, who if you displease you go to hell. I'm fine with religions. I just don't like when they tell me I'm gonna go to hell if I don't believe in what they say! Sure, some things they teach make logical sense. But honestly, I don't think god is that mean, if there is one. I mean, I'm doing fine, and I don't pray. Quite frankly, prayer makes no sense to me. With billions of people, do you think god can listen to everyone? After millenia, do you think he or she cares about your petty problems? I should hope he or she is more worried about larger scale problems,such as the ending of wars and global warming. Anyway, I've rambled too long about this....
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Rant... about love and stuff.
Well, in Creative Writing, Mrs. M talks a lot about love.
Yesterday, we were asked to make a comparison for the word "kiss."
I couldn't do it- I don't know what a kiss is like.
It brought me to the realization that I've never had a boyfriend.
It's a bit pathetic- after all, I'm already in 11th grade.
It's not that I don't want one.
But, honestly, no one likes me like that.
I don't think I'll ever have one, at least not in high school.
I've never even hugged or held hands with someone,
let alone kissed someone. (Kissing my cousin when I was 5 doesn't count!)
All around, I see people walking the halls as couples.
They hold hands, they hug, they whisper to each other.
Love.. it sounds so nice, to love someone,
especially when they love you back.
I wish I was loved by someone.
I wish someone could be there when I'm down,
to give me a hug and say "it's okay."
I wish there was someone in my life who would say "I love you."
I just want someone to care about me.
Someone I can hold hands with,
someone I'm not nervous around...
Someone that I can hug.
I can imagine it; it seems wonderful.
I wonder who the person will be, if I ever get a boyfriend.
You know, it really sucks, not having anyone love you.
It feels like there's a major part of life that you're missing out on.
Something that you can never have,
but that everyone else has.
I want that, too.
I want to be loved...
Yesterday, we were asked to make a comparison for the word "kiss."
I couldn't do it- I don't know what a kiss is like.
It brought me to the realization that I've never had a boyfriend.
It's a bit pathetic- after all, I'm already in 11th grade.
It's not that I don't want one.
But, honestly, no one likes me like that.
I don't think I'll ever have one, at least not in high school.
I've never even hugged or held hands with someone,
let alone kissed someone. (Kissing my cousin when I was 5 doesn't count!)
All around, I see people walking the halls as couples.
They hold hands, they hug, they whisper to each other.
Love.. it sounds so nice, to love someone,
especially when they love you back.
I wish I was loved by someone.
I wish someone could be there when I'm down,
to give me a hug and say "it's okay."
I wish there was someone in my life who would say "I love you."
I just want someone to care about me.
Someone I can hold hands with,
someone I'm not nervous around...
Someone that I can hug.
I can imagine it; it seems wonderful.
I wonder who the person will be, if I ever get a boyfriend.
You know, it really sucks, not having anyone love you.
It feels like there's a major part of life that you're missing out on.
Something that you can never have,
but that everyone else has.
I want that, too.
I want to be loved...
Announcement: New Blogs
I now have two new blogs!
The first is called "Larissa's Art."
There, i will post all of my newest art creations.
Please, don't be afraid to comment on them,
or even criticize, since that always helps me improve.
http://larissasart.blogspot.com
Also, I have a blog called "Kate and Todd."
They are two characters I have created.
I draw a lot of pictures with them,
so rather than putting them on my art page,
I have dedicated a whole separate blog on them.
Kate is an alien cat,and Todd is an angel bear!
http://aliencatangelbear.blogspot.com
Please check them out! ^__^
The first is called "Larissa's Art."
There, i will post all of my newest art creations.
Please, don't be afraid to comment on them,
or even criticize, since that always helps me improve.
http://larissasart.blogspot.com
Also, I have a blog called "Kate and Todd."
They are two characters I have created.
I draw a lot of pictures with them,
so rather than putting them on my art page,
I have dedicated a whole separate blog on them.
Kate is an alien cat,and Todd is an angel bear!
http://aliencatangelbear.blogspot.com
Please check them out! ^__^
Monday, September 29, 2008
My Birthday! ^__^
My birthday weekend was AMAZING! ^___^
Saturday me, Michael, and my brother went to the OC Library book fest.It focused on cooking this year-I bought a bunch of cookbooks.Then we went to lunch,but discovered that all the places we wanted to go were closed. Cuz our downtown's freaky like that.Then I saw my new friend Janie, and introduced her to Michael and Brandt.So we just ate at the Dunkin' Donut's at the library.I had hash browns and a white hot chocolate. ^__^Then there was a sushi demonstration!The chef was late, and then he forgot the seaweed,so someone had to bring it to him, so it began an hour late.But that was okay, cuz the demo was great.He let some people try to make their own, including me!He said mine was very good; I just had to roll it a bit tighter.So now my sushi I make at home won't fall apart.
After the book fest, Michael stayed over my house.Mostly we just played Brawl and stuff.
Sunday we had to wake up at 6 am.Why? Well, we went to New York City, of course!We actually ended up arriving early at the train station,so we went to the Dunkin' Donuts across the street.Of course, Michael ended up drinking half of my white hot chocolate. :roll:Actually, it was his first time on a train. I think he liked it.Yeah, trains are cool. less cramped than a car; I don't get sick on them.We attempted to work on the story; but I was too tired to do much.Then we arrived in NYC, after the underwater train tunnel where our ears popped.
First thing we did was go to Toys R Us, Times Square.That's the huge one with the Ferris wheel inside.We went to the video games department, mostly.Michael bought a Wobbuffet Pokemon doll.
Next, we went to Nintendo World Store!That was really cool.They had so many plushies!I got a slate blue Yoshi,and Michael got a big Kirby and Booker (from acww). Those were imported from Japan.I also got a Mudkip Pokemon doll, and Altaria Pokemon figurine,exclusive to Nintendo World, along with a Pikachu DS stylus.Oh, and we just happened to be there at the right time:They had a pre-release for the new Sonic game!It's called Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood,and it doesn't officially release until Tuesday.So we each got one, of course!And, since we bought one of the first 50 copies,we got the special autographed ones!(autographed by all the head designers/ directors)It's an awesome game; I totally recommend getting it.Plus the game director himself was there,and I got to talk to him a bit.He told me some useful information about how I could get a job in the field;after all, my dream job is designing characters, software, or games for Nintendo or Sony.
Next we had lunch, in a nice little place right across the street.I had the best shrimp salad sandwich I'd ever had!
Our last stop was the Metropolitan Museum of Art.That was okay.First we went to the armor and weapon section.That was really cool!Then we went upstairs,but I realized I had lost my pin saying I paid admission,so I went back to look for it.I didn't find it...So then we went upstairs.Brandt told us he knew how to get to the Egypt exhibit,but of course, he misread the map,and it took us an hour to get there.The Egypt stuff was really cool;I especially love the hieroglyphs.
After that, we rode the train back home;all we did, pretty much, was play our new games.
So, my birthday weekend was amazing;definitely one of the best ever!^_______________^
Saturday me, Michael, and my brother went to the OC Library book fest.It focused on cooking this year-I bought a bunch of cookbooks.Then we went to lunch,but discovered that all the places we wanted to go were closed. Cuz our downtown's freaky like that.Then I saw my new friend Janie, and introduced her to Michael and Brandt.So we just ate at the Dunkin' Donut's at the library.I had hash browns and a white hot chocolate. ^__^Then there was a sushi demonstration!The chef was late, and then he forgot the seaweed,so someone had to bring it to him, so it began an hour late.But that was okay, cuz the demo was great.He let some people try to make their own, including me!He said mine was very good; I just had to roll it a bit tighter.So now my sushi I make at home won't fall apart.
After the book fest, Michael stayed over my house.Mostly we just played Brawl and stuff.
Sunday we had to wake up at 6 am.Why? Well, we went to New York City, of course!We actually ended up arriving early at the train station,so we went to the Dunkin' Donuts across the street.Of course, Michael ended up drinking half of my white hot chocolate. :roll:Actually, it was his first time on a train. I think he liked it.Yeah, trains are cool. less cramped than a car; I don't get sick on them.We attempted to work on the story; but I was too tired to do much.Then we arrived in NYC, after the underwater train tunnel where our ears popped.
First thing we did was go to Toys R Us, Times Square.That's the huge one with the Ferris wheel inside.We went to the video games department, mostly.Michael bought a Wobbuffet Pokemon doll.
Next, we went to Nintendo World Store!That was really cool.They had so many plushies!I got a slate blue Yoshi,and Michael got a big Kirby and Booker (from acww). Those were imported from Japan.I also got a Mudkip Pokemon doll, and Altaria Pokemon figurine,exclusive to Nintendo World, along with a Pikachu DS stylus.Oh, and we just happened to be there at the right time:They had a pre-release for the new Sonic game!It's called Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood,and it doesn't officially release until Tuesday.So we each got one, of course!And, since we bought one of the first 50 copies,we got the special autographed ones!(autographed by all the head designers/ directors)It's an awesome game; I totally recommend getting it.Plus the game director himself was there,and I got to talk to him a bit.He told me some useful information about how I could get a job in the field;after all, my dream job is designing characters, software, or games for Nintendo or Sony.
Next we had lunch, in a nice little place right across the street.I had the best shrimp salad sandwich I'd ever had!
Our last stop was the Metropolitan Museum of Art.That was okay.First we went to the armor and weapon section.That was really cool!Then we went upstairs,but I realized I had lost my pin saying I paid admission,so I went back to look for it.I didn't find it...So then we went upstairs.Brandt told us he knew how to get to the Egypt exhibit,but of course, he misread the map,and it took us an hour to get there.The Egypt stuff was really cool;I especially love the hieroglyphs.
After that, we rode the train back home;all we did, pretty much, was play our new games.
So, my birthday weekend was amazing;definitely one of the best ever!^_______________^
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Renaissance Faire
Today, I went to a Renaissance Faire!
My parents, my brother, and my best friend, Michael, came with me.
It was a ton of fun!
Michael bought me an italien ice.
That was very nice of him.
Brandt, Mike, and I also shared a funnel cake.
That cake was huge!
There was also a lot of burgers and fries and other fair food for sale.
There were many stalls around.
Some were fortune tellers.
Others were weapons or armour shops.
There were also shops selling leather goods,
homemade paper, masks, clothes, jewelry-
all sorts of things were there!
I really wanted to get one of those cool medieval cloaks,
or even a dress, but unfortunately I only brought a twenty.
It would have been really cool to have a medieval dress,
complete with corset, cloak, and those long leather boots!
Instead, I bought a flower crown and a necklace.
The necklace depicted a dragon on a sword.
There were also many fortune shops.
I bought a rune chart and a pendulum.
I'm really interested in divination.
I can do I-ching, Runes, Palmistry,
Numerology, Tarot, and I know some astrology.
Pendulums and Crystals, however, I don't know much about.
So, I'll learn! I already own a set of crystals and now a pendulum.
I love divination... I think, when I'm older and have practiced at it more,
I'll start up a shop as a side job, and do readings.
There was also a place where they were doing shows all day long.
There was a magician, someone doing fire tricks,
gypsy dancers, and many other things!
Another highlight was the medieval sports and stuff.
There were knights sword fighting with each other,
people showing how to use medieval longbows and crossbows,
ax-throwing, and, of course, jousting.
Jousting definitely was the highlight of the fair.
The jousters came in all the way from Canada to do the show.
Actually, it technically wasn't a show- the competition was very real.
First, they each chose a "princess" from the audience, and crowned her.
Next, they speared rings and then threw the spears at a target.
Then, they used swords to cut a head of cabbage.
Finally, they did some actually jousting!
Sir William and Sir Theodore were the two jousters.
My side of the crowd had to support Sir William.
He wasn't very good, but it was still fun to watch him.
Finally, Sir Theodore jousted against the champion-
Sir Iforgotwhathisnameis. <__<
Anyway, The champion won by a long shot.
Here's a video of it:
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p91/KikyoKat7/Videos/?action=view¤t=jousting.flv
Yes, my day was definately awesome!
And I'll definately have a great time, too,
with my birthday and an anime festival coming up!
Anyway, here are a few more pictures from the Renassance Faire:
Knights Fighting:
Joust Announcer:
Joust Helpers:
Jouster Mounting a Horse:
Sir Theodore:
Sir William:
Sir William Crowning a Princess:
The Champion:
My parents, my brother, and my best friend, Michael, came with me.
It was a ton of fun!
Michael bought me an italien ice.
That was very nice of him.
Brandt, Mike, and I also shared a funnel cake.
That cake was huge!
There was also a lot of burgers and fries and other fair food for sale.
There were many stalls around.
Some were fortune tellers.
Others were weapons or armour shops.
There were also shops selling leather goods,
homemade paper, masks, clothes, jewelry-
all sorts of things were there!
I really wanted to get one of those cool medieval cloaks,
or even a dress, but unfortunately I only brought a twenty.
It would have been really cool to have a medieval dress,
complete with corset, cloak, and those long leather boots!
Instead, I bought a flower crown and a necklace.
The necklace depicted a dragon on a sword.
There were also many fortune shops.
I bought a rune chart and a pendulum.
I'm really interested in divination.
I can do I-ching, Runes, Palmistry,
Numerology, Tarot, and I know some astrology.
Pendulums and Crystals, however, I don't know much about.
So, I'll learn! I already own a set of crystals and now a pendulum.
I love divination... I think, when I'm older and have practiced at it more,
I'll start up a shop as a side job, and do readings.
There was also a place where they were doing shows all day long.
There was a magician, someone doing fire tricks,
gypsy dancers, and many other things!
Another highlight was the medieval sports and stuff.
There were knights sword fighting with each other,
people showing how to use medieval longbows and crossbows,
ax-throwing, and, of course, jousting.
Jousting definitely was the highlight of the fair.
The jousters came in all the way from Canada to do the show.
Actually, it technically wasn't a show- the competition was very real.
First, they each chose a "princess" from the audience, and crowned her.
Next, they speared rings and then threw the spears at a target.
Then, they used swords to cut a head of cabbage.
Finally, they did some actually jousting!
Sir William and Sir Theodore were the two jousters.
My side of the crowd had to support Sir William.
He wasn't very good, but it was still fun to watch him.
Finally, Sir Theodore jousted against the champion-
Sir Iforgotwhathisnameis. <__<
Anyway, The champion won by a long shot.
Here's a video of it:
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p91/KikyoKat7/Videos/?action=view¤t=jousting.flv
Yes, my day was definately awesome!
And I'll definately have a great time, too,
with my birthday and an anime festival coming up!
Anyway, here are a few more pictures from the Renassance Faire:
Knights Fighting:
Joust Announcer:
Joust Helpers:
Jouster Mounting a Horse:
Sir Theodore:
Sir William:
Sir William Crowning a Princess:
The Champion:
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hey, everyone!
Welcome to my blog!
This is just a little place for me to post stuff,
such as my works, tidbits of my life,
fun times, gripes, and anything else I feel like posting!
^___^
As the title suggests, my name is Larissa.
Hmmm... you probably want to know a bit about me than that.
Well, I love cats, muffins, archery, anime, baking, photography,
good stories, art, creating cartoons, writing, and lots of other stuff!
And I love my best friend, Michael, too, of course. =)
I've known him for ten years,
pretty much as far back as I can remember.
After all, who remembers much before first grade, anyway?
So, I suppose that's an adequate introduction, no?
Oh, and some other things you ought to know.
I can be very spontaneous at times,
and can also tend to ramble on about things.
But my craziness is just a part of me you'll have to deal with.
<__ br="">
Hmm... anything else you should know?
Oh, right. I'm female. Just in case you couldn't tell
from my very girlish name, Larissa.
I don't think any boys have that name, after all.
So, that's about it... for now. ^___^
This is just a little place for me to post stuff,
such as my works, tidbits of my life,
fun times, gripes, and anything else I feel like posting!
^___^
As the title suggests, my name is Larissa.
Hmmm... you probably want to know a bit about me than that.
Well, I love cats, muffins, archery, anime, baking, photography,
good stories, art, creating cartoons, writing, and lots of other stuff!
And I love my best friend, Michael, too, of course. =)
I've known him for ten years,
pretty much as far back as I can remember.
After all, who remembers much before first grade, anyway?
So, I suppose that's an adequate introduction, no?
Oh, and some other things you ought to know.
I can be very spontaneous at times,
and can also tend to ramble on about things.
But my craziness is just a part of me you'll have to deal with.
<__ br="">
Hmm... anything else you should know?
Oh, right. I'm female. Just in case you couldn't tell
from my very girlish name, Larissa.
I don't think any boys have that name, after all.
So, that's about it... for now. ^___^
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