Peaches and Speeches

Why hello there? I have been enjoying this mini break a little too much. This weekend, most of us had our last legitimate Thanksgiving at home. For those of us who are going to the mainland for college, chances are we won't come back for Thanksgiving for those four years. And if we are home for Thanksgiving after college, things won't be the same. It's almost Christmas. This year is almost half over. Pretty soon everything is gonna change. Scary thoughts, man. 


Anyways, I finally finished Inheritance this week. I'm gonna give a little mini review, so if you don't want it to be spoiled, skip this paragraph. I thought that it was really good. I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was everything that I expected from another one of his books, but more. I loved the fight scenes. They showed how much Roran, Eragon, and Nasuada have grown. Also, the final battle with Galbatorix was awesome. I didn't really catch that it was a nuclear explosion until Gavin told me about it, but I thought that was cool. Chris is such a nerd. Also, the TWO Doctor Who references? Ahh, so awesome. And then Arya getting Fírnen? I so knew it. Gah. It was still awesome when I found out. I was so happy for her. She deserves a dragon. And finally the ending. I mean, we knew that it was coming since the first book because Angela said he was gonna leave, but still. It was so sad. I can imagine, though, all of his friends coming to find him when they get old. Just because he can't come back doesn't mean that they can't see him. 


Anyways, I started on Water For Elephants and hopefully I can finish that soon because I want to start my Christmas book. 


We got our Christmas tree today which is kind of exciting. I kind of don't like the type of tree that we get because we don't get a normal Christmas tree, but oh well. At least it isn't a fake tree. There are two types of people in this world, people who get real Christmas trees, and people who get fake ones. The former being the obviously better one. "It's just so much work." No. Shut up. It's freaking worth it. (Unless you're allergic or something.)


Books Read: 24 (W00T!!!!)
Why Today Was Awesome: Christmas Tree. (Also, Target is really cool.)
Song Stuck in My Head: Christmas Songs in General 

Winston Churchill Was NOT Black

Short bursts of focus versus long bouts of intensity? (Well, that sounded awkward...)


Short bursts of focus, it is, then.


Thanksgiving! It was good. Food was good, of course, but it kind of got me thinking: on a day when we're supposed to be appreciative of all the things we have in our lives, why do we indulge ourselves in food when others who are less fortunate suffer from hunger? It seems like fasting is a much more sensible way of celebrating Thanksgiving, come to think of it. But I'm not one to talk--I literally ate for at least 6 consecutive hours on Thursday...


Shopping! I got some stuff. A couple notable items include a smaller curling iron (Yes, well, I looked like a cross between a 40's pin-up girl and a 50's housewife [like, with the vacuum cleaner in one hand and a martini in the other] despite the fact that it kinda worked out the last time, so....imagine what would happen if I had smaller and tighter curls!!!) and new earbuds (FINALLY!).


School! Is still school. Very...school-ish. I have a lab report to write tomorrow. FUNNNN.


Speech! I just realized today that I have practice every day for the remaining three weeks of school because of the last non-qualifying tournament. And I have late-night practices for the next three Fridays until Christmas break starts. And I have to write my AmLeg (yeah, I'm calling it that now) oration by Christmas. Here we go....................


Nano! Still trudging on...hopefully, I'll break 15,000 before I sleep tonight? Let's face it: I'm not gonna win this year. But I think I'll keep writing anyway. I had a major breakthrough just a couple of days ago and I actually know what's going on now. No ninjas yet though.


Food! Pies dominated my desserts all weekend, so I'm officially calling dibs on the dessert responsibilities for my family this Christmas. It will be homemade cinnamon-chocolate rolls, rice krispies, sugar/chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and TRUFFLES. Definitely homemade truffles...........


Music! I "rediscovered" Pandora today. I haven't been on for the longest time and I decided to go on it today just because. I love music.


Okay, well, I'm off. I have some thank you notes to create.


Risks taken: 10
Hugs: 1
Current food craving(s)/obsession(s): avocado
Playlist(s) of the Week: "Add 30 Years and Some Free JDs Ice Cream"

The Word

I'm so freaking close! I started Inheritance last weekend and I'm about 200 pages away from finishing and it's soooo good. Ahhh. So good. Other than that, I did write a lot during the beginning of this week, but then it kind of died down, and I'm not sure if I will really be writing that much more in the upcoming weeks, but oh well. 


This weekend consisted of a lot of weird noises emanating from my person, which led me to the conclusion that I have really weird friends... 


Anyways, my new name is Randall, if you guys didn't know that already. That was fun. Good times. 


Do you ever get that feeling, when you are expecting something huge, you know like a giant bento with a lot of food in it, but then all you get is a tiny little one? Yeah, me too. I actually ate a lot on Saturday. Much more than I should have. But it was all so delicious. SOOO delicious! 


Than today, I spent the first part waiting, then the second part waving my arms around like a crazy, than the third part reading and doing this. Silly homework, who do you think you are? Running 'round leaving scares. 


Okay, I think it's party time, and when I say party, I mean sleep. I hope. BYE.


Books Read: 23 
Why Today Was Awesome: Skyward Sword!!! (Don't judge me...)
Song Stuck in My Head: "Lights" by The Cab

Fear Can Drive A Stick and It's Taking Me Down This Road

What to write, what to write, what to write....


Today, I learned that one's appearance can REALLY make a difference. Either that or I just got lucky.


I don't have a fully-formed idea as to what I really want to write about here.....yet.


Okay, so this guy performed a very well-written and interesting speech today about how compassion is really the "transformation of suffering into something positive." At one point, he went on to discuss the two enemies of compassion, pity and fear, and I hadn't realized before today how self-centered one is when one acts out of pity. The example he used was that long commercial that we all know about the abused animals or something and they have pictures of sad dogs and emotional music in the background and gah, every time it comes on, my whole family yells, "CHANGE THE CHANNEL!" It's too painful to watch. Anyway, the speaker said that these commercials appeal to our sense of pity, not our sense of compassion, and when we act out of pity, we act in order to make ourselves feel better. When we donate money simply because we pity those who are affected, we often think to ourselves, "Yes, I helped out," and then feel better about ourselves. Acting out of compassion, however, is recognizing the suffering of others and developing empathy for them. I thought he was inspiring.


I also heard another story today that made me cry. If you Google, "one-eyed mother true story" and then click on one of the top links (it may be a blog or a video...there are a lot of videos). I won't tell you about it here because I fear that I might start crying again. It's just.....akjdfhasidfasjkdfbaiusdhfasoidfhasjkdfbdjsfh.


Okay, so school's still school. Friday was Mid-Quarter.....I've kind of fallen from where I'd really like to be in Bio and Calc but I think I can pull myself back up. One day at a time......


NaNo...I haven't written anything since last weekend, I think. I knowwwwwwww.  I kept falling asleep in the middle of doing homework all week so I couldn't even finish that.


What else? OH! Leadership class started their Public Speaking Unit this week. Mr. U, Mr. Sagawa and Ms. Ishii have asked me to help out and I'm really excited to see and hear what the 10th graders come up with. It definitely brings back a lot of memories from sophomore year and I am really honored to be able to teach them what I know.


Okay, I think that's it for now. Ciao bellas!


Today...
I really loved...
I smiled...
Lyrics playing at this very moment as I type this portion of the blog:
Risks taken: 9!!!!! That's TWO in ONE WEEK, Lady Fate. Take that! Also, I'm gonna do Take Risks Fridays now, I think....or at least Take Risks Every Other Friday or So...
Hugs: 2
Current food/cravings: Olives...salty olives...
Playlist(s) of the Week: "In Its Purest Form" and "STOSCD"

What is Right and What is Easy

Sup.


So first of all, on Friday durning 11/11 at the first 11:11, I was in line at Taco Bell and therefore my wish was rather hasty and poorly worded. However, when the second 11:11 came around, my wish was well rehearsed and thoughtfully planned out. Now we have to see if it comes true...


I pretty much spent most of yesterday reading. I FINALLY finished Brisingr and now I am getting started on Inheritance. I'm pretty stoked. 


As for Wrimo, well, I'm at 25,000 words, which is not far off from where I started. I haven't really had that much time to write, but what I have written so far is really good. I'm glad that I am able to make this story mature as I have matured over this past year. I can't wait to see where it goes. 


Today, my family had a garage sale, which was kind of fun I guess, but it was just exhausting, especially since not many people came... But, afterwards, I managed to submit my first College Application to UW!!! The rest of my apps aren't due for a while so I'm not gonna worry about those yet, but it's still exciting to know that I have applied to a college. Hopefully I get in!!!


Books Read: 23 (W000000TTT!!!!)
Why Today Was Awesome: First App Done!!! (Even if that may not be the greatest of accomplishments!)
Something I Learned: How to put signs up well
Song Stuck in My Head: "Back Home" by Luke Conard and Tiffany Alvord

Not Just Any Chicken But THE CHICKEN

I missed the first 11:11:11 on 11/11/11. I was on the bus on my way home from the AP Bio Ala Wai project work day and I didn’t hear the alarm on my phone because I was listening to music on my iPod. *sigh*

So now, instead of getting two wishes on Friday—one for something I really want and another for something I really need—I only got one for the night (so, of course, I had to wish for that something that I really need…). *another sigh*

I meant to writewritewrite for NaNo all day on Friday as soon as I got back from school. I thought it would also cheer me up after failing to make a wish! But Pride and Prejudice was on Oxygen, the one with Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. And that pretty much killed that plan……………*yet another sigh*

At the very end, Elizabeth replies to Darcy’s renewed proposal with “Your hands are cold.” And I was like, "Hey! Mine too!" (It's true, you can ask my friends--I'm a freak). Anyway, think about it. Also, P&P is a great hands movie.

Okay, so this past week in school was…draining. Much more than the past few weeks have been.

I’m over 10,000 words behind, I believe, in NaNo so hopefully by the end of the weekend, I will have a lot done. The 20 pages, single-spaced, size 12 font, and 0.5x0.5 margins’ worth of words I’ve written so far has only spanned a little over three hours. A lot of it are flashbacks; I’m still setting up everything. So far, there are only four characters in action—one of which is “dead” and another “imaginary”—well, five if you count that little mention of Ms. Dyliacco. I hope to get to a point where a lot of the background is explained so that I can have my characters go-go-go.

Okay, well, that’s it for now. I'm off to do homework and a bunch of reading (So much reading....Why is there so much reading to be done????) so that I can spend all of Sunday writing.

Today….

I really loved…pizza.

I smiled…because I watched the video of Josh asking Jordan to Winter Ball on YouTube today for the first time. 

Lyrics playing at this very moment as I type this portion of the blog:

None.................soy una chica triste.

Risks taken: 7……………………………..

Hugs: 0

Current food cravings/obsessions: milk and chocolate chip cookies

Playlist of the Week: “Therapy Sessions with Max” and “The Perpetually Penultimate Fug”

P.S. THE BECKONING OF LOVELY!

P.P.S. Clearly, I'm trying new things for the bottom again. I think that's it for now. Actually, for forever.....unless I change my mind.

It's Been A While Since You Told Me Your Favorite Story

Hi there. So this will also be a short post because I have a lot of reading to do. And I have an advice paper to write. But mostly reading for Bio (3 chapters) and Gov (1 unit from the extra textbook , 2 case packets, and 1 chapter from the actual textbook).


Not to mention some 7,000 words to write for NaNoWriMo. I need to catch up because I was doing so well for the first two days when the Bio lab report stumped me on Thursday night and the fact that Friday nights are my Sleep Early nights got me on Friday night. And then there was the fall play on Saturday night...MUST WRITE! 


Anyway, the fall play. I thought it was good. Really good. I think some people got something cynical and negative out of it, which is totally fine because these things are always open to interpretation, but I feel really good because I got something positive out of it. While some people may have chosen to look at the Antrobus' lives as a representation of the whole "Ugh, here we go again, this is what we keep doing forever and ever" deal or the mundane routines that tend to dominate our lives, I chose to see it as the constant cycle of new beginnings. Ironic that at the time George loses his will to start over and rebuild, there was a baby in the house. Along with this, I also understood the necessity to look at life this way in order to perpetuate the human race. Although doing so would also mean perpetuating the rebellious and violent sides of us all (ahh Henry), it also means that we can still continue to love and laugh and learn with the help of the endless knowledge recorded in books, our families, and the promises that we work hard to keep. And the actors were great--to all the seniors, a special congratulations and thank you for a great show! Tiff used her inner eye to see the future..... :)


So yes I have to go now. Lots to do and so little time. 


Today....
I really loved...Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
I smiled...because of that "...certain type of synergy between you and me..."
Lyrics playing at this very moment as I type this portion of the blog:
"This could be all I've waited for and this could be everything I don't wanna dream anymore..." (Weightless by All Time Low)
Hugs: 0 (I'm an angry and sad child today...)
Risks taken: 7
Current food cravings: chocolate pudding
Quote this week: "DO SOMETHING JASON. ANYTHING!"

I Left the Keys Under the Mat to our Front Door

Hey. Meh. 


This might be more on the short side of things because I have a ridiculous amount of things to do today and yesterday I decided to do nothing (which was well needed anyway). I was sick this week which kind of sucked but I did appreciate the mini-weekend that I had on Thursday. Good time. 


On Friday, I went and saw our school's fall play, "The Skin of Our Teeth" and I thought that it was really good. It was actually the best play IDP had done in my time here, in my opinion. It was a good play to begin with and plus we had some really good actors in it. Our friend Tiff was the Fortune Teller in the play and she did an AMAZING job, so I must say that I am proud of her. 


I still have half a Brisingr to read before Tuesday, but oh well. It will get done eventually! As of right now, I still need to make up for everything I missed which is why I have a butt-load of things to do, so I must say goodbye. Sorry for the skimps post! 


Books Read: 22
Why Today Was Awesome: Jell-O
Something I Learned: I was trying to think of something clever but the only thing that decided to come to my mind was the "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman
Song Stuck in My Head: "Back Home" by Luke Conard and Tiffany Alvord