A Tribute to my follower

I am a middle child, the second girl of my family. Now I don't like to admit it but I have always wanted or wanted to do everything my older sister has or does. Since that Christmas when we were three, and she got a Katie Kisses and Giggles doll - I just had to get one too! When she got a Game Boy Advance (which was advance back then) I just had to get one too, either to see what all the fun was about or to be be left out. I have done ballet, soccer, gymnastics all after her too. And whenever she starts playing the Sims or Dance Dance Revolution, I just get this urge to play too. I have a Facebook, guess who got hers first? And I have a blog, guess whose idea that was...yep you guessed it, her. Call it little sister syndrome or me just being a pain in the behind, my childhood toys and activities have been exact copies or clones of hers. However luckily for me, she has always been really good about it and continues to be! My sister has the patience and understanding of a saint.

Now the story of my blog is anything but original. During her senior year she had a teacher who assigned a blog project. My sister had to create a blog and write in it every week for one year. It was less than two months into the year when one day when she was typing away at the computer- an invisible force pulled me to the screen and the words, "what is that?" popped out of my mouth. Oh this is my blog she replied, do you want one too? And so my blog was born with an impeccably similar title.....hm wonder where I got that from. She is and continues to be my one and only follower. So heres to you Carmen, a tribute to my favorite sister, the best to walk this earth and most loyal follower (who does not forget to comment on my poor spelling and grammar). Cheers.

I want it here and now!

So it was just a quiet Saturday night with my family and we had just finished watching "Post Grad" which we watched On Demand. My dad turns to me and says one of the shows you were recording had to be canceled for us to watch the movie. I reply with, "that's b.s. we should be able to watch whatever we want to watch and record how many shows we want to record." My dad, the "all knowing engineer" then says, "that is so typical of your generation, to want whatever you want and want it now." And yes I agree, why not? Which got me thinking.....

One day when my generation grows up to be the bosses of the world, we are going to be relentless- we are going to ask the impossible of our employees because we want whatever we want, whenever we want it. I am so glad that I will not be working for my generation.....I pity the kids ten or twenty years from now....

"OOOh we're halfway there..."

Heres my update on midterms: I have one left!! And I am sooo excited, however that still means I have to study for it....precalcus. I'm not really worried though, because I have heard from friends who have already taken this test is that it is very close to the review sheet that my teacher gave us, which takes a load off. Thank God for review packets!!

Only if they never ended, now I know that in college you never get a review sheet - its the real world and no one is going to baby you. However, I'm not that worried, my ap teacher never gave us a review packet and it wasn't that bad.

I usually get sick around misterms and finals- from all the stress of studying. So far I have luckily held off any viruses *I'm keeping my fingers crossed* but unfortunately I have come down with a cold. This gives me another fear of college though, am I going to get sick everytime I have to take a test? Or do I get used to the stress? For all of you out there who are in college or are done with college, how do you cope with the stress, and have you ever missed an exam, midterm or final?

Daunting, Inevitable- Midterms

I have for this week, entered into the vicious cycle of midterms. They started Tuesday, and the last day for midterms is next Monday. I must take a two hour test twice a day. I have nine classes but seven subjects to study for, and I
am exhausted. So far I have taken my French and Honors Chemistry midterm and they will probably leave a mark for sometime. I spent my Tuesday night talking to the ladybugs who are still flying around my kitchen; and have been questioned of my sanity to which I reply the number of hours I am sleeping per night. My study skills have been anything but productive, however the thought of only three more tests till the weekend keeps me going. I absolutely love dinner time and potty breaks- they are excellent excuses for doing nothing for the next ten minutes to regain my focus.

I have for a long time questioned the practice of midterms- why must we be tested on everything we have learned for the past five months, and expected to do well? All of my teachers hate midterms (they are a pain to grade) and we kids hate to study for them (especially when your midterm is the next day and you haven't started yet). Since no one in the learning and educational community like midterms I suggest that we band the practice and just rely on normal tests to see how much we know.

Those for you so agree say "I!"

Happy Birthday Mom!

WARNING: If you light 52 trick candles (that do not blow out) and put then on a 8 inch round cake, it will catch on fire and turn into creme brulee... from experience

Okay, so today was my mom's 51st birthday. We wanted to do it up big since turning 51 is not as special as turing 50.. so we devised a devious plan....

My sister bought her a 8 inch round cake with buttercream frosting and we decided to put all 51 candles on that small little cake plus one for good luck. Now since her age is old (but trust me, she is anything but) we wanted to tease her to see if she could blow out all 52 candles at once. Now we both knew her lungs were heathly enough to do it, so instead we bought 52 trick candles ! ! ! They are the ones that don't blow out!

So today I stuck all 52, I mean 53 (we added two for good luck)and lit them all which took about 2 minutes to do. The candles were so close together that they gave off a massive amount of heat melting (and burning) the cake, they also gave off enough smoke to set off the smoke alarm!!! Now the next part was all caught on camera!!

My mom took a deep breath and blew out all the candles, however...they came back and she tried it a second and third time, then my brother and I joined in the battle. Then we came to the realization... how are we going to put out 53 trick candles?
The candles were spitting all over her nice new white table cloth, my sister (who is afraid of the fire, {these candles were her idea}) had to leave the room with a slight panic attack. The dogs were running around because of our excitement, the candles were burning down to the cake....OH NO they are setting the cake on fire!! They are burning the cake. I was about to lift the cake into the kitchen to set it down on the counter (which does not have a flamable table cloth) when my dad came to the rescue!!!....with a pair of pliers and a bowl of water. And in a fit of laughter he grabbed each buring candle one by one and dunked it in the water. After about 5 minutes all of the candles were relieved of their birthday duties and enjoyed a nice cool bath in a soup bowl.
Fearing my mom's birthday was ruined my sister suggested for her to open her presents (however it was not ruined!! she had a wonderful day and this spectaulor just added to the laughter and memories we are all sure to always have)
As she opened her presents, I examined the cake carefully.. CREME BRULEE I screamed, and dove into the cake with a spoon.

I think next year we will either get a bigger cake, or use fewer candles....maybe by next year my nose hairs will grow back :)

-Have an interesting birthday story? Please share in the comment section ! ! !

P.S. and for the next 20 minutes my brother and I stood in the hallway, waving jackets and towels to try to get the smoke detectors to stop!
-At least we know they work?!

Beautiful Sights

These are the most Beautiful Sights I have ever seen
1. A child run to his mother, for one last hug
2. A fire burning in its place
3. A family laughing at its mistakes
4. Friends singing in the rain
5. Sisters racing to the door
6. Little boys tying to explore
7. Lost souls fining their way
8. Dreamers reaching their escape
9. Goalgetters succeededing in reaching the stars
10.Graduation hugs shared by all

Cynicals and optimists for thought

As I picked up my weekly newsweek, one word came to mind to describe all the writers: cynical. And I presume that these writers are intelligent people since they are all very articulate and seem to support their opinions fairly well. And for some reason my urekha disappointed me; and I started to think of all the most intelligent people in my life, and they all are rather cynical. Now I don't know about you, but cynical is not a postive characteristic in my book. How come there is a connection between the two? And also I have noticed that cynical people do not seem to be as happy as optimists. Are optimists just happy by their choice not to look deeply into the corrupt world around them, or do they just see the good in everyone and in the world and realize things are not really that bad?
I myself prefer to be an optimist, and yes that livestyle can be hard. Sometimes your reasoning does not always answer why things happen, however it makes me happy. People and my government probably have and will take more advantage of me, and I might be more gullible than the next person. But being an optimist does not make one stupid, I would like to think myself rather clever and I know when I am blatantly being fooled. So I don't like to find the faults in my culture, the world and everyday life-is that so bad?

Wishes and youth

Today I was at a Girl Scout function, girls from all ages were invited. I was one of the oldest Girl Scouts being a "senior." As I was watching some of the younger girls run around, and laugh with their friends, I rememebered back to Middle and Elementary school. I absolutly loved Middle School, Elementary was not bad either. It had been a time when life was simple and sheltered. I some times envy kids younger me, I envy their stressfree, carefree easy lives. Now I live by a schedule and one bad grade on a test could prevent me from getting into a desired college. Everything I do now has a chain effect, and now I am 100% resonsible for all that I do. With age comes more freedoms, but even more limits. Yes I can drive a car, but first I have to pay for issurance, gas money, and keep the car in good working condition. All that I want to do requires money and time. Which you don't have one if you have to other. Example: you want to travel: you need to work to save enough money but now you don't have the time, if you don't work you have the time but no money. Plus, it's hard to save money if you have to feed, clothe and house yourself. sigh, wouldn't life be so much easier if you won the lottery at age 16?

A Brand New Decade

As I watched the ball drop on New Year's Eve, surrounded by family, friends, and pets I reflected back on the last ten years. I had grown up and become more mature, my writing had improved, I've graduated Elementary and Middle school and now I know what I want to do with my life and the future of my blog. I now a junior in High School, realized at that moment that I was 6 when the ball dropped, ringing in the millenium those ten years ago. Then after the hoots and hollers I thought of what would come to pass in the next ten years....I would have graduated high school, hopefully gotten into college, graduated and then have gone on for more schooling or have gotten a job. The next ten years are exciting and the beginning of my adult life. Hopefully I can look back in 2020 and be proud, accomplished and happy.

Climbing the Mountains

I remember it was during my elementary years, when I first read Halfway to the Sky by Kimberly Bradley. My mom and I read this engrossing novel together about a thirteen year old girl who ran away from her broken home and grief over her dead brother to hike the Appalachian Trail. The Trail runs along the Appalachian Mountains and stretches from Maine to Georgia. Avid hikers try to complete this 2,000+ mile trail in a span of six months; while in the mean time they have to carry all their essentials and supplies on their backs and face the extreme heat, cold, rain, storms and exhuastion.
I'm not completely sure why sleeping in a tent for six months outside appealed to me the way it did, but for some reason I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Be a thru-hiker as the lingo goes...carrying my dirty clothes, tent, food, pot etc., on my back just me and nature 24/7, just walking all day long.
And yes I know that I might only have the chance to get a shower once a week, food won't be the best cuisine, have to hike and walk all day in the rain soaked to the bone, the heat will make me smell worst than a bear and the cold might freeze my toes off. For some reason from that time in elementary school til now...I just want to go and hike it. And my intention has been to take the first oppurtunity I get and just go! Either hike it from Maine to Georgia or Georgie to Maine. I have even started planning the trip, I'll start in Georgia and the end of February and work my way up the trail to end in Maine around October latest.
A few conflicts have come in the way school, work, money, and or with or without a partner. The trail can be dangerous if you don't hike in a group or with a partner.
Maybe it was my mom who planted this dream in my head, but it has stuck and I have no intention of letting it go but instead seeing it through ! !