Sky Zone

On Saturday on went to Sky Zone for the first time. It was so fun with all of the room to jump on the trampolines and do flips and jumps off the walls. They also have a separate area for dodgeball, and basketball. It was amazing to watch the people who could backflip 2 or 3 times off the wall, because I don't think I would have the guts to do that. After about an hour of jumping, it is really fun, but tiring. I will definitely go their again soon.

Journalism Teachers

If anyone caught it over the break, there was an article int he Sac Bee. In the past in California Journalism teachers could be held accountable for what their students wrote. Teachers could be fired if they refused to censor their students. (This reminds me of some things that Mr. Hurrianko told my class a few years ago).
Apparently, this is no more. Not to say that we can write whatever we want now. But our teachers will, hopefully, no longer have to suffer the consequences of the hubbub that our stories may stir. This supposedly new rule is backed up by the first Amendment- the freedom of speech. How can it be that it has taken us this long to realise this right? Not to mention this "new" freedom is only in California- and we are among the most liberal states in America.
This freedom affects us and our teachers incredibly- protecting us both. Although at RHS there seems to be very little reason to fear censorship via threatening teachers. But we should all be very aware of our rights, both as students and individuals.

Tahoe Drive

So…my car is a 1988 Acura Legend. It lacks one windshield wiper, a head light, glove compartment, that storage thing in the center, airbags, air conditioning, and just recently got a driver side window! It does not have all wheel drive and very poor, not ABS, breaks. During break, I attempted to make a run up the mountain to Tahoe and my car…made it! It was a shocker to all those who A) know how I drive and B) know my car. It was great though! An amazing experience, just the drive alone. I enjoyed it. My windshield did ice up and the wiper made it worse, than putting water on it didn’t help. But I solved that. Overall, I had this terrified picture in my mind of what it was going to be like driving over two summits…yeah, didn’t even realize I hit the top when I started going down. It was nice though, a really nice drive.

Christmas at my Grandparents

My family went down to Los Altos Hills for Christmas, (Bay Area) like we usually do every year. The weather down there was really nice, not nearly as cold as it has been in Rocklin. It was nice to see all of my relatives because I only get to see them a few times a year because of how far we live from each other, plus most of my cousins are in college. So, Christmas Day for me was nice to get a break from the busy life in Rocklin.

Christmas Break

I went to Oregon for most of Christmas Break. They got a record amount of snow this year so I got to go sledding and catch a cold and all sorts of snowy fun stuff. Me and my cousin also went to the movies like every other day because we were bored of staying in the house, and we saw Marley & Me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds. I cried like a baby during Marley & Me, and I thought Seven Pounds was a really touching story. We also played Wii Fit Yoga every night for like 3 hours to make up for all the highly nutritious stuff we consumed at the theater. I got to spend a lot of time with my family which was really great.

Drudgery and Doom

Hooray for the first day of school after the Winter Break of 2008. I can't say that I'm too happy to be back, but this will be the beginning of the last half of my high school career. That blows my mind. I've always been dreaming of college, but now its going to start becoming a reality. But I still have classes to pass, and there is much, much work to be done.

2009 is also here. Everyone's glad that 2008 is over, what with the recession and all. Yet I can't say I'm all to eager for the future. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it feels as though even tougher times are ahead. I hope President Obama and the new administration brings a fresh outlook and a newfound sense of purpose and hope to the world.

So. Off to school we go, then?

Let's do this dance.

Visiting Uncle Gary

I’m sitting in the backseat of my dad’s rented Honda accord when he announces that we are going to be visiting Uncle Gary. It’s the Tuesday before Christmas, and my father has picked my sister and I up to spend the day with us. My parents are divorced, and I don’t see my dad that often, maybe once a month. It used to be every other week – but things change.

I digress.

We went to Marshall's, perused the already picked over shelves and the marked down prices for a pack of Goldtoe Socks, grey sweatpants, and a grey sweatshirt, a stainproof hoodie with a zipper.

We headed off towards Citrus Heights, where Gary’s retirement home was located. It wasn’t located in the best of neighborhoods, but it wasn’t too terrible either.

I was nervous walking up. I hadn't seen Gary very much since his stroke, and I was concerned whether he would recognize me or not, or even want too see us. We strode to the door, trying to find a way in, when we saw him.

He was sitting in his wheelchair right next to the sliding glass doors, and, my dad, being the prepubescent man-child that he is, banged on the window and shouted "HEY THERE UNCLE GARY!"

At first he waved us away, not recognizing us and thinking we were hecklers. But then he did double take.

And that man's beaming smile nearly broke my heart.

He let us in and showed us to his room. His collection of clocks staring at us from dozens of places throughout his apartment, Uncle Gary opened his gifts, which weren't even technically wrapped, just stuffed inside the Marshall's bag. He kept muttering "Hey", his speech pattern defined by that singular greeting, his bald head bobbing up and down as he tried to show us his appreciation for the gifts. Trying to make conversation, he pointed out that his electric scooter was broken, but with his lack of communication skills I never truly figured out what was wrong with it.

After an hour, my dad decided we had spent enough time watching old westerns and trying to converse with my great uncle. Gary led us out, staring after us as our car drove away.

My dad told me later that we had been the only ones to visit Uncle Gary this Christmas season.

That drove me to tears.