Sunday, February 27, 2011

Biaggis

My boyfriend took me out to dinner last night and it was really sweet :) We got all dressed up because technically this was our Valentines date, but something came up and we couldn't go then. I wore my red dress and he wore a suit and he got me a dozen roses and had the waiter give them to me, which was cute. I'd never been there before, but it's really expensive. It's good, though. I feel really lucky to be with such a good guy like him!! He probably wont ever read this...haha, that's alright.

The place was packed though, and even though we were on time for our reservation, we still had to wait. But, because of that, I was late getting home...I went past my curfew. Haha, it was all good though, and he even stayed for a while after that and we all played cards.

Probably the best night in a while.

Rescuing Sprite- Mark R. Levin Pg. 1-32

I started a new book called Rescuing Sprite. It's a story about a dog, and that's all I really know.

So far, a family of four decide to get a dog. They go to a pet store and pick one that they name Pepsi. Pepsi is a good dog, and always loyal to his new family. One day, when Mark was out on a walk with Pepsi, they come across a crying 12 yr. old girl holding her injured dog, Dusty. Turns out, Dusty had been hit by a car and his leg was broken. Mark held Dusty all the way to the vet and stayed until everything was okay. This guy really loves dogs.

When Pepsi was about one year old, Mark began to have heart problems. He visited the emergency room multiple times and endured many surgeries. Throughout this tough time, Pepsi remained the life of the family, keeping everyone hopeful and smiling.

Mark has begun his recovery from all the heart issues, forty pounds less. He and Pepsi picked back up on their daily walks, now quite shorter and slower. And after everyone had gone to bed, Pepsi and Mark stayed up late in the basement; Mark at his computer and Pepsi laying at his feet.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Usual Rules 309- 382

So, I finished the book. I actually hated the ending because the author really leaves you hanging, not making the conclusion very clear. Alot of people might like it that way, so they can fill in the blanks themselves, but I don't. That's the author's job.

Wendy eventually came clean to Garrett and Carolyn about her skipping school. It turns out that both of them had already figured it out. She was quite surprised to find out that she hadn't been tricking them that whole time. She got enrolled back into 8th grade, then.

Alan's wife left him. She said she was only leaving for a little while, but two months later he'd let go of hope. Personally, comparing myself to the situations in this book, I'd rather mourn the loss of someone who died rather than someone leaving me. That way, I'd know that the person who died hadn't wanted to leave.

Wendy got a letter from Todd saying that he'd found his long lost brother, Kevin, and that he was ecstatic. They got an apartment together and hung out just like old times. She later got a phone call from a weeping Todd, crying about how his brother had been paralyzed from snowboarding. At least he was alive, said Wendy.

Garrett took Wendy out to dinner for her birthday. Somewhere in that dinner, she got horribly angry at him for being a bad father and let out all the steam she'd been holding in. He sat there taking it in, acknowledging that he deserved it. I think that in itself makes him a decent father.

Carolyn got close to Violet and her baby, Walter Charles. But they later found out that Violet had shaken her baby in an attempt to make it stop crying (fat chance), and got it taken away by protection services. Walter Charles would be up for adoption soon. I really hope Carolyn adopted him, I know she wanted to.

Wendy moved back to New York. Louie turned out to be okay, as did Josh, and everything went back to normal. Wendy came out of this whole ordeal more mature, and with a healthy relationship with her father.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

2.23 Diction Exercise

Cormac McCarthy's viciously jagged use of language creates a sense of fearful vulnerability for his survival.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Usual Rules-Joyce Maynard Pg. 249-308

So, Wendy comes clean to Alan, the bookstore keeper, about the real story of her life.  He isn't surprised, though, and happily accepts the real her.  He invites her to visit his autistic son, Tim, who lives in a home, for those type of people.  Tim likes going to the laundromat and washing all the clothes, so that's what they do.  Wendy tries to ask him questions but Tim doesn't really answer. 

Carolyn got a phone call from a woman named Sharon.  She was the fiance of Carolyn's biological son that she gave up for adoption.  Carolyn was so overwhelmed with joy, she invited them to visit her on Christmas eve.  Her son agreed, formally.  Christmas eve came around, and they pulled in the drive.  His name was Nathan and his fiance was very pregnant.  Carolyn had expected a warm visit, but it turns out they just wanted to check for biological abnormalities for the baby.  They left a pamphlet saying "It's never too late to repent". 

Louie eventually started talking to Wendy again, and more cheerful at that.  She was really happy about that because she missed Louie and Josh.  But her friend from NY, Amelia, told her over the phone that Josh and Kate were sleeping together.  Kate was Janet's best friend.

Garrett's mom died.  And the memorial service was right around Christmas.  He cried when he first heard that she had gone.  So, he went to the funeral alone. 

Violet's mom invited her and her baby, Walter Charles, to a Christmas dinner at her boyfriend's place.  But it didn't turn out to be anything either of them expected.  Her boyfriend got mad and started yelling so they left.  Violet's mom blamed no one but Violet.  So, there goes that mother-daughter relationship. 

Christmas dinner at Garrett's house ended up being Carolyn and Garrett, Wendy, Violet and Walter Charles, Alan and Tim, and Todd.  It may have seemed like an unlikely bunch of people, but they had a good Christmas. 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

To the Love that Lost Me

I wrote this.  It has alot of meaning, but only one person would understand it, probably.  And if that one person does ever read it, and wants it to change, then maybe doors can be re-opened.  I would so happily open those doors.    

The papers fly from the dusted book
its spine broken and collapsed.
The papers fall as does my hope,
from the looks of it I'll never cope.

Some yellow thread tore at the seam.
Thread intended to forever stay put.
Whoever once stitched those sad little lines,
seems to have wasted much of their precious time.

Sure, this is rough, and yes, people are mean..
and to me, that song will always say 16.
Trust was lost-simply because you lied.
If you were Abigail, then I'm the one that cried. 

Some hearts were broken-ones that weren't meant to be.
Some were broken by someone purposely-well, that'd be me.
Your heart break was clearly self imposed.
Sorry Love, but from now on my door is closed.

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 209-248

California life is drastically different for Wendy, and its turning her into a different person.  She has stopped caring about rules, as she put it, "once you cross the line, you just don't care anymore".  Her father, Garrett, has absolutely no idea what is going on with her, but what can you expect.  She met Garrett's girlfriend, Carolyn, who has an obsession with cacti and once had a kid but gave it up for adoption. 

Wendy is missing Louie terribly.  Louie is currently in therapy, as Josh told her, because he's been acting up at home and at school.  Louie won't even talk to Wendy over the phone. 

Garrett and Wendy met up with Garrett's mother for Thanksgiving.  After the meal, when the "motherly love", or rather lack of, gets to be too much for Garrett, he leaves the hotel and gives Wendy the room key.  Wendy took a bath, ordered room service, and finished her book, but then had nothing to do.  So, instead of watching T.V., she got dressed and left the hotel.  No big deal, right, I mean it was only eleven o'clock. 

She saw a group of boys skateboarding and stood there watching for a while, and then kept walking.  Later, one of those boys, who introduced himself as Todd, caught up with her.  They talked for a long time about their lives, and their families and then went back to her hotel room.  He took a shower and they visited for a while, and after exchanging phone numbers, he left.

I think Wendy needs to get her act together.  She needs to go back to school, start thinking things through, and most importantly start telling the truth.       

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 100-208

So, after the devastation of losing the mother of the family, Wendy, Josh and Louie are struggling.  They are all experiencing strange behavior and  unexplainable reactions as a result to the massive loss they are trying to cope with.  Josh is losing it, Louie can't live without his mother and Wendy...well, she seems to be doing just fine-to everyone on the outside.  But the truth is, she isn't.

One day, her real father, Garret, unexpectedly shows up to their door from California.  Wendy hadn't seen him in years, but I guess in this time of crisis, he was "her only parent", as he put it.  He insisted that she move to California with him, to get away from New York, if only for a little while.  Wendy didn't want to go, but she thought she'd give it a try. 

California wasn't at all what she expected.  And neither was her father.  He was a normal guy, who read normal magazines and watched normal television shows.  Basically, he was just a regular guy.  He enrolled her in a school there, but after the first day she stopped going to school.  Wendy would take a bus to Sacramento and hang out with a girl named Violet, who just had a baby.  Or she would ride her dad's bike to a book store and talk to the worker, Alan.

The thing was, she picked up the habit of lying.  She lied about her name, her past, her family and of course-to her dad, about school.  But the plus about moving to California, she described to her best friend, Amelia on the phone, was that she'd been slimming down. 

I wish I could just tell Wendy that she's wrong, or that she should stop being irresponsible, because that's not what her mother would want her to do.  At the same time, though, her moving to Cali may have been good for her, because she's starting to move on-or at least that what it seems like.   

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Unhidden Scars

So, I wrote this poem. I don't write poetry..ever, this is a one time deal so that's why it's not awesome.

I used to love you, but now I don't.
Your bright smile, would shine brighter than
The Sun.
Dark clouds came in, though, and
shadowed your dress from vibrant to
pale yellow.
We all try to remember the sound of your laugh.
The innocent one.
The happy one.
But all we hear now, is the laugh you laugh
as a response to our pain.
I miss my little miss
in her checkered dress.
But she can't wear it anymore.
It is a shame to wear it anymore.
You try to hide the scars,
the scars that someone made on you.
But you can't.
So, you pay it forward.
And make some on someone else.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 60-99

The more I read this book, the more I understand how family members of 9/11 victims felt, as they tried to cope.  Wendy, the daughter of Janet (who died in the attack), has been dealing with her loss in denial, and sorrow.  Josh, her step-father, refuses to accept the fact that Janet is dead, insisting that she'll call once she gets to a phone. 

Louie stays at his best friend Corey's house for a while, because neither Josh nor Wendy were in the right position to take care of anyone, let alone themselves.  Wendy called her real dad, Garret, and filled him in, because he was oblivious.

This book is really sad, I don't want to read anymore-but I have to know what happens to Wendy.  

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard 1- 59

The book starts with the story of how a girl named Wendy got her name.  The mother of the girl, Janet, had always dreamt of dancing on Broadway in New York.  She loved musicals, one of them being Peter Pan; her favorite character from that show was Wendy.  As a young woman, only 26 years old, she was chasing her dream when she met an artist named Garret (who is the biological father of Wendy).  Like any book, these days, Janet and Garret fall in love and have a baby.  But with every happy beginning comes a bad ending, which meant Garret left them for California and eventually Janet re-marries a man named Josh.  

At this part in the book, it's a flash forward to 2001 when a 13 year old Wendy lives with her mother Janet, Josh and her step-brother Louie.  Middle school is cruel, she's struggling with her body image, and her real father never comes around. 

But one tragic morning comes along, September 9th of 2001, where she left the house not knowing that when she returned her entire world would be turned upside down.  Her mother died that day, in the twin towers.  It describes the chaotic devastation that Wendy endured through the course of that horrific day.  It seems that all the people close to Janet were in serious denial about her death, they kept putting up missing person flyers and waiting by the phone all night.  I wish that day hadn't happened, because no one should have to go through that.  

Baffled Reflection

Henri Matisse's Red Room (Harmony in Red) oil on canvas painting which was painted between 1908-1090 has bright, vibrant colors which intensifies the euphorically unique style of the room.  In the middle of the painting is a lonely table, occupied by only one person who is solemnly staring downwards at the red tablecloth, surrounded by abstract shapes on the walls.  The environment's fashion is contradictory with the person involved.  This painting demonstrates the beauty of complex circumstances, especially in such a loud setting, where sits a woman considering in her strange solitude. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

3 min. fiction- All Things Considered

The main speaker is saying a lot of really stupid jokes, which aren't even funny.  One of the jokes he said was, What do you call a sleeping cow?...A). a bulldozer.  ha.. ha.. ha.
Those jokes belong on a laffy taffy wrapper, I think.

It then switches to an old lady and describes her and the teddy bear that kneels down and softly tells her that she needs to get to a safe place. 

Well, it's definetly fiction. 

Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul pg. 99-160

So, I kept reading last night and there was this story called Missing The Dance, which I thought was adorable! 

In the story, it was the girl's senior year and prom was approaching.  She got asked by the guy she'd wanted to go with and everything seemed in place.  But the morning before the dance, she woke up seriously ill and had to go to the hospital for a week!  The lack of visitors or phone calls left her depressed. 

Until her last day in the hospital when there was a knock at the door, and behind it were her two best friends formerly dressed with their dates, and of course her prom date.  He told her that he was so worried and that he called her parents every night to check up on her.  They danced for what seemed like hours in that white hospital bedroom, and even though she wasn't in a dress or all glamoured up; it was a prom enough for her.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Valentines Day????

So the crisis, is that Valentine's Day is coming up in less than 7 days!!! And I haven't gotten my boyfriend anything yet.  The problem is that I'm stumped on what to get him.  I've been thinking about it and all I've got so far is....
1. go out to a movie called I Hate Valentines Day. (haha, had to).
2. a fleece tie blanket with his favorite football team fabric.
3. take him to my favorite coffee house Old Crown

I wonder if he's making any plans, though. haha we'll have to see!

Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul Pg. 2-98

Ah! You simply cannot beat Chicken Soup for the Soul! MMM..it makes me remember all the good things in life while also incorporating God into the stories.  The book has so many little stories each ranging between one to six or seven pages. 

These inspirational stories are about topics such as faith, love, forgiveness, healing, grieving, gratitude and much more!! I literally was so lost in this book I hardly even set it down.

One of my favorite stories from the book is about a freshman girl in high school that is so desperate to fit in that she begins drinking and shoplifting and even develops an eating disorder all so that she can be a part of the "in" group.  And she pulled it off for a while.  But after a run in with the police, her parents stepped in and signed her up for a therapist.  It was for her benefit because many counceling sessions later, she turned her life around by looking to God for help. 

It may sound somewhat lame, but it's actually really inspiring to read about these people my age and their stories.  I mean, everyone has a story, but not everyone has the courage to share it.   

Breathe-keri wyatt kent pg. 11-38 and 63-109

This book had a nice cover, and that is the only reason why I chose it off the shelf.  The cover says "Creating space for God in a Hectic Life", which I thought at the time applied to me, but I should have flipped the book over because the back described that the book was designed for busy mothers.  I'd like to be a mother someday but not anytime soon, that's for sure. 

I had already checked out the book, though, and it would be to my name for three weeks so I decided why not and started reading.  I read just about as much as I could take in, but the author was rambling on about taking your kids to school and getting grocery's and how to do breathing exercises.  With that said, I discontinued my reading on that book, and moved on. 

On the other hand, there was a part of the book that I thought was interesting.  The author claimed that multitasking is surprisingly unhealthy for us "moms" and when we attempt to cram in as much as possible we actually get less done!  I, being a teenager and thankfully not a mom, applied this to my own life, when it comes to my busy schedule.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

I thought this was weird...and then it got weirder!

http://www.jokeroo.com/bin/player.swf?5f9f_f369

I got this video in my e-mail inbox and was about to delete it but then my mom told me I should watch it and that I'd be amazed.  I then watched it and certainly dont know what else to be haha..