SPRING BREAK IS ALMOST HERE!

Just one more week of school before the much awaited spring break finally arrives! Actually less than that, in reality only four school days are left including today. I cant't wait! Spring is by far my favorite season of the year. It's typically not too hot, nor too cold, but rather a gentle warmth that seeps deep into your spirit. Also, everything starts to come alive. Flowers are blooming and the grass is green. I LOVE it!
This spring break is going to be extremely busy for me, and not only that, but extremely family oriented as well. Right after school on Friday my dad and I are driving down to Burbank (LA area) to visit my uncle. On the first monday I am going to San Diego to look out colleges. And on Wednesday I'm heading to Arizona to visit with my grandparents.
And after returning from spring break the remainder of the school year will fly by. Flip flops, shorts, tank tops, beaches,sun shine, planning my future, what more could I want? :)

Tryouts.

So I am planning on trying out for the cheer team at Cal Poly. But I am getting seriously scared because I have not cheered for a year, or done anything mildly productive since I stopped cheering.
I started taking tumbling classes in order to get back in shape. But the fact that I can't tumble plays a huge part in what I can do in class.
In another attempt for me to get back into shape, I have started running recently. If you know me, then you know running is NOT something that I choose to do. But since I know that getting into shape is essential for me to make the team, I decided to go on a run Monday night! I ran from my house to my boyfriend's. By the way, I use the term run lightly. It was probably about half walking and half running. But the point is that I did it! AND I did it again on Tuesday night.
I'm definitely proud at my decision to be less lazy...and really focus on cheering again. Let's see how long this lasts.....hopefully until cheer tryouts!!!!!!




Yearbook hell today. I can't wait.

18 Game Regular Season for NFL?

Yes, the rumors are true. The NFL commisioner Roger Goodell wants to change the NFL regualr season and preseason schedule. He is proposong that the league should increase the regular season by 2 games and decrease the preseason by 2 games. Supposedly, this is a direct response to ranting fans wanting more NFL action. This also a method to increase advertising and commercial sales for the NFL. I find the idea a little stupid. I have always loved the NFL but it is really a simple-minded system. When you lose too many in the regular season you are out, when you lose any game in the post season, you are out as well. Maybe the NFL should change the playoff system to Round-Robin rather than increasing an already long regular season. Another alternative could be making the Super Bowl a three game series. This way, the real winner will be the undisputed champion gaining the edge of 2 out of 3 wins. Not only would the three game Super Bowl be fan friendly, but also increase the NFL's commercial income and advertising more effectivley then changing the regular season to 18 games. That would also make me feel like doing the Cupid Shuffle.

No More Braces!!!!!

Everyone who has braces, impatiently waits for the day when the dentist says you dont need braces anymore.

On March 25, my dentist said that at my next appointment i will be getting my braces off. I was so excited!!!! No more metal taste or feeling in my mouth!!! And the best of all i can finally show off my straight teeth!!!

Unfortunately, my next appoinment isn't until May 28th. I have had my braces on for two years though, so a couple more months doesn't seem to bad.

I'm so anxious to get them off, that im scared the time is going to go by impossibly slow. I'm pretty confident that my academic schedule will keep me ocquipied but i will be deifinitely counting down the days until i can get them off.

This week

Has been so weird. I don't know what the deal is, but it seems to be more than just me in a funk. Could it be that all juniors are recooperating from Saturday? Or that spring break is soooo close, but still so far away. Too far. This week has gone by sooooo slow! And it's sad prom is over, but there IS a lot of stuff to look foward to like the I Am Music concert (though I probably won't end up going) and End Fest.
They actually have good artists this year too! Popular ones! It's definitely a first since I can remember. White Tie Affair is probably the least popular, so they're going first, and even they sound really good! Then there's Lady Gaga, a new favorite, Flo Rida, 3OH!3 (my personal favorite of the group!!!) and All American Rejects. Sounds like a line up that appeals to everyone actually.
But before that, spring break is here! That means going to look at colleges! I'm starting to freak out right about NOW. It's so exciting, but I'm so nervous. What if I don't like any of the colleges I want to go to? So many questions that I have to have answered! Wish everyone luck as they start their search...

Tomorrow is the big day! At 6 am my mom and I are driving down to Napa for my marathon. Its the Napa Valley Trail Marathon. This trail thing is new to me, I'm used to running on paved surfaces. Have I set myself up for disaster? I guess we'll see. 26.2 miles of dirt versus asphalt may be a bit different. The race starts at 9 so we'll hopefully get there an hour early and then relax, get water, go the bathroom, get water again, and then start the 4 hours of hell. I'm hoping that the training I've done will help me get past those feelings and help me enjoy the run and the scenery around me. So why am I running a trail marathon? It was completely accidental, let me tell you. I meant to sign up for the Napa Valley Marathon, set up with small rolling hills in gorgeous Napa. Leave it up to me to sign up for the Napa Valley Trail Marathon instead...that means dirt, hills, and "a summit at the end". Yayy for me. I'll be happy once its over:)

What do you do?

Is it too early to move out of your parents' house right out of high school? Not for college, but because you are not accepted for who you are in your own home? I want out. I don't want to have to deal with my personal life being talked about behind my back, by the people I love. I want to live on my own, with out having guilt trips thrown at me with full force, and a goal to take me down. I don't want to live with someone that goes out of their way to hurt me emotionally because they are hurt about something and want to take me down with them. I don't want to feel stressed the second I walk up to my doorstep. I want to feel like I'm home. I want to feel like I belong somewhere.

one more quarter

This year has gone by sooo fast. I honestly dont know where its gone. Between cheer, ASB, homework, dances, and amazing basketball season, I think this year has been the fastest of all. I feel like were all not ready to be Seniors yet! Its scary to think that in just about a year, we will be saying our goodbyes, forever. Plus, with Spring Break and Sadies and another SAT test, these last 40 or so days of shool will leterally fly by. I really need to start focusing on grades, it's crunch time. And not to mention college is stressing me out already. So, I've decided that I need more time for myself so I wont be stressed out as much. I'm thinking about playing tennis next year, and take a break from cheer, but we'll see... thats all for now.

Party Bus Bust

So Junior Prom was this last weekend and it was really fun. Getting dressed up and taking pictures was exciting. Dinner and the dance went good too. The administration was very laid back when it came to the dancing and very few people got in trouble for dresscode. However, the downer of the night was our party bus. The party bus was one of the things that my group of friends was most excited about. However, we weren't allowed to stand up and dance while the bus was moving, which was basically the whole point of getting it. There was 26 of us and we wanted a party bus because there would be more room and we thought we would be able to stand and move around. It was definitely a waste of money because we paid $76 a person to have the bus until 1 am. We ended up going home at 11:30 instead because the party bus wasn't fun. I think the limo company should have let us know what we wouldn't be allowed to do before we gave them over $2,000. Next year for Senior Ball we will be taking a different form of transportation.

Paint It!

My house is over 100 years old with nearly 4 acres of land and yes, is located in Rocklin. To many people, that’s unheard of because judging from the 95765 area of town, tracked houses sitting one-on-top of each other doesn’t leave for much variety or space.
Being that my house is old and I have a large family ranging from 9 to 12 people (3 foster children who come and go), let’s just say my parents are still working on building their dream home.
When I was younger – and had a lot more free time on my hands – I would help my dad paint the outside of the house. Aside from mowing the lawn, painting the house is one of my most favorite chores to do. Odd sounding, I know, but it beats cleaning the bathroom. So to start off, I unfortunately had to clean the bathroom, but got to paint it! When we first moved here around 1992 the entire house was nearly the same – wall paper downstairs and green and white paint upstairs. And the paint my dad and I chose was blue! It matched the tiling. Also, we have a back-runner that was simply white. And the color we chose there too, yellow! I stayed up pretty late painting it and it was really fun. After school I work until 5:30, but I defiantly am looking forward to painting again.
I, just most like most other teenage girls, am in love with Twilight. Not a big fan of the movie, but I’d love to see it again anytime. So my mom actually rented it for me and surprisingly, I turned down watching it last night. Which is actually a big shocker.

Only two weeks until I am leaving for so cal! I am so excited for break. One week of no school AND no work. It's like a dream come true :) This year is just way too stressful and crazy. It probably doesn't help the fact that I have been waiting til the last minute to do everything. Since senior ball is less than two months away I should probably look of a dress sometime soon. And graduation is less than THREE months away....oh jeeze. I am so excited for graduation but the thought of it scares the crap out of me.

9 days!

NINE MORE DAYS UNTIL I FIND OUT ABOUT MY FUTURE!
March has been a not-so-great month for me. There's been a lot of pressure on a majority of the seniors; trying to figure out where we'll all be in about five months is a complicated situation. As for me, I have no word yet from about eight other universities.

Besides college...
I'm a part of the graduation committee, and oh boy...graduation is going to be amazing:) Every time the committee meets I get butterflies, and I don't think I've ever looked forward to one single day in my whole entire life.

I've also purchased my senior ball dress! It came about two weeks ago and I'm so pleased:)))))


Friendship Day was on Friday! It was definitely a boost I needed...I loved every minute of it. :]

Good Morning Sacramento

Our baskebtall team is on TV right now!! I hope the basketball team wins tomorrow night-that would be amazing. I'm sure the rest of the area now is wishing them the best, too.

" There's more people here than at the last King's game," said one annoucer who was amazed by our school spirit. This spirit and unity is certainly extending outside of Rocklin High and even the county. I know a lot of my sister's friends at Granite Oaks are going to the game tomorrow and some of my parents' friends who don't even live in Rocklin.

Back to the Kings, I am really thinking this entertainment has to be better, especially considering how terribly the Kings are playing this season. Maybe Grant Napear (kings announcer) will be there. Everyone should be there-this is like the closest thing to the Rocklin Olympics hahahah.



Thunder is going to dominate! Oh, and "if you don't like that, you don't like basketball."

The Secret Life of Bees

A few weeks ago, I watched like 5 movies in one weekend which is pretty amazing for me cuz I like never watch movies! One of the movies I saw (it was my favorite out of them all) was The Secret Life of Bees. I thought it was really good! It was based off of the book. And it was kinda wierd cuz i love reading and i always read books before i watch the movie (even though my brother says you should watch the movie first cuz the book ruins the movie but the movie doesn't ruin the book). Anyway, it was about a 14-yr-old girl named Lily who has grown up with the blurred memory of her mother's death when she was a toddler hanging over her head and constantly feels guilty about it. She runs away from home (where she lived with her abusive father) with their african-american servant. They go to a house where some african-american sisters live and ask to stay there for a while. This is a pretty strange thing to do since it takes place in south carolina in 1964. But this ends up being where Lily discovers who she is.

Swim Practice

It's halfway through the swim season, which means the boys and girls switch times. The boys had been practicing in the morning before school until this point, which means we (the girls) would normally have to practice in the morning now. As of yesterday, the boys are practicing after school and we get to practice after them! Since my coach has a far commute, we are practicing at 4:30 in the afternoon now.

I'm so glad to have no morning practice this year. I mean, it definetley wakes me up for school, but it's not always exciting to arrive at school at 5:30 a.m. Most of the boys are not missing the morning regime. Yesterday, their practice was cut short, but they certainly swam. Try 8x400 IMs @ 6:30

I'll probably have to miss my practice and go to Caminiti's next week because I have an interview! I've already swam with the boys...and I'm expecting another intense practice haha.

Ozone Review

(I have a test in AP Environmental Science next. So I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about ozone)
Ozone (O3) in the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) is a pollutant. Whereas in the stratosphere it acts as the shield we all know as the Ozone Layer.
In the troposphere, Ozone acts with other compounds to trap gasses, creating the green house gas effect. Ozone in the lower atmosphere is created through pollution from automobiles, non-road engines, and other point and area sources. The chemicals released in these actions are usually NOx (Nitrous Oxide) and VOC's, these plus radiation from the sun produce Ozone as a pollutant.
In the stratosphere it has a completely different effect. As a protective shield, Ozone absorbs harmful UV (UV C and UV B) rays from the sun. UV B is the most harmful to life, both can cause cancer and other diseases. UV C has the shortest wavelength and highest energy. It breaks apart O2 in the atmosphere leaving O to meet with other O2 compounds to form O3. As O3 it can then absorb UV C (the process breaks down O3 once again and the cycle continues). 99 percent of all UV radiation is absorbed by our shield.
Important part: To us, this means protection from dangerous sunlight. If our ozone is depleted, then UV B especially will be able to reach the Earth's surface and to heat it. Causing sea levels to rise, glaciers to melt, biospheres to change violently... But for us (if you want to know the direct cause to the human race) it will increase epidemics in skin cancer, cataracts and other dangerous diseases (not to mention the effects that are unknown to us). Also, UV rays will destroy primary producers like phytoplankton, thus reducing primary productivity. this trend will also be seen in our major crop foods. We will experience a shortage in materials and resources imperative to us (like beans, rice, and corn). Which will hurt us and especially developing countries.
Ozone is depleting quickly, a large hole is described above Antarctica. The hole can be due to the CFC's in things like hairspray that were widely used through the 50's and 80's. CFC's have long residence times so the affects are still being felt today even though they are more restricted. However CFCs are used in refrigerators and air conditioners (in cars and homes). This can be restricted by recycling these sources and supporting CFC alternatives like HCFC's and HFC's. CFC's are still in use in developing countries like India and China (according to the Montreal Protocol, it is our responsibility to help them over their dependence on the chemical substance).

Going to State

Right now, the state championships is basically all that people at RHS are talking about. It is a huge deal because Rocklin has never made it to this point, and our team this year has really talented players. It is even on CW 31 right now. For the bastetball team, it puts quite a bit of pressure on them to win, and even the "Got State?" shirts makes it seem like we already won. Not only that, but to celebrate that the team made it this far, we have a full rally dedicated to the achievement. I really hope the boys win because they really deserve and it and they are an amazing team. If we win, it will be an excellent achievement for RHS and shows just how much our school is the best in Placer County.

Musing Late at Night

I have nothing of real valor or substance to blog about tonight, just a forewarning to you all.
Lately, I find myself in a really weird place - I'm not sure what it is exactly, but somehow I find myself really unmotivated, but really stressed at the same time. I want to go out and do something with my friends, but I also don't feel like doing much of anything and crawling back into bed. These past few weeks really just had me oscillating back and forth between two extreme sentiments and I can't really figure out why I haven't just found a happy medium.

After school, I generally have rehearsal and by the time I get home, I am in absolutely no mood to use my brain and I usually end up taking some length of a nap (today was an exception). I can't tell if it's just because I'm starting to coast through, or if it's this stupid sickness/cough that's got me down, or if it's the knowledge of looming college decisions that is currently occupying any priority in my mind at this point.

Either way, I think I need to figure it out and get my act together because this is just bizarre and leaves me in a daze most days... I think people are beginning to notice.

Can't Believe It !

I really cannot believe that the boys basketball team has made it this far. It is truly incredible. I am so excited for all the players and for Coach Taylor. If we win on Friday it will be the biggest accomplishment for Rocklin High School athletics. It has been so fun going to every game and being able to cheer at Arco. It makes me depressed in a way that friday will be our last basketball game :( This week the cheerleaders get to have breakfast with the boys in the college and career center on Friday at nutrition break. It has been so exciting and fun getting to make things for the boy players and bringing things to their houses. This week the cheerleaders are going all out in decorating and preparing for the game. We get to perform at the rally on Thursday and at the game again on Friday. The whole community of Rocklin should be very excited for the game Friday ! Not only is the big game on Friday but Junior Prom is on Saturday ! I am extremely excited for this week it is unbelievable. 

Ugh

I have to take the SAT tomorrow and I REALLY don't feel like doing it. I haven't actually gotten around to it this year and find myself worrying a lot. If this one goes south, then I only have I think 2 more chances. That's probably enough, but it just makes me nervous, I guess I'm just a worrier.
A big thing is I never really liked the idea of the SAT. One test that essentially defines the rest of your life. If you don't manage to pull off a good score, then that could screw up your college applications and change the very course of your life. That seems like a little too much weight for one test, even if you can retake it.
But, I suppose it's good that I'm getting it out of the way now, I'm hoping taking it will result in me worrying less, so I guess there is an upside. Hopefully I will do well, so wish me and everyone else who gets to take it good luck.

china pictures

photo courtesy of travis mortz

No more Facebook

I have always been slightly uneasy about the amount of information Facebook gives to everyone. I don't really like people knowing about everything going on in my life and it seems to give out that information oh so readily. I never saw it as too big of a deal, however and disregarded it. I have had my Facebook for a few months even though I never really used it, and just checked it from time to time.
For a while now, my default picture has been of me and Nichols' baby Carson. It's a picture from the St. Louis trip when I was babysitting. I never thought anything of it, it was just a cute picture. Buuuut I guess I didn't think it all the way through.
My mom called me the other day in a panic asking me what my picture on Facebook was. Apparently some family of mine that I have not seen in a long time, a second aunt and some distant cousins, decided to search for me on Facebook.
What they found: A picture of me with some baby.
What they assumed: I had had a child.
So now the current rumor of my family is their little Lexi has a two year old.
It's not okay.
I deleted my Facebook account.

blogblogblogblogblog.....

It's The Flash distribution day. WOOT WOOT.
I really like the topics covered in this issue. I think this could be our best one ever. I LOVE the color on the inside, and I think that working in groups was a really really really good idea because I've never seen The Flash look this good.

I just wish I remembered to wear the right shirt.... :[

Free

All month I've been waiting for Gavin Degraw's new cd entitled Free to be released. I absolutely loved his self-titled album released in 2008, which was No. 7 on the Billboard's Top 200 album chart last May. I'm counting down the days until March 31st when I will finally be able to get my hands on Free. March 27th is also the beginning of his "Where It Began" tour...SO EXCITED!

WHAT A GAME

Oh my.... tonight was one of the most stressful yet adrenaline filling nights of all. The phenomenal boys basketball team beat Hayward in a nail biting game. It was even sold out and they were turning people down at the door. We were down 2 to three points at times throughout the first and second quarter but then made a comeback. Leading by a few at halfime, the fans were screaming, we were cheering as loud as we could, just like any normal playoff game. But then the last quarter snuck up on everyone. Slowly, Hayward regained strength, and pulled ahead to take the lead. 2 shots here 2 shots there, it became a tie game. We somehow kept getting fouled for the wrong reasons it seemed, and players were on the line, shooting free throws almost every 10 seconds not only from Hayward, but also from Rocklin. Finally it was 49-49 and there was about 30 seconds left in the game. It was anyones game at this point. I figured we would go into overtime, but boy was I wrong. First, the ref called a stupid foul, sending a Hayward player to the line. I thought the game was over. I thought, of course they would make the free throw and hold the ball till the buzzer. However, after lots of yelling and stomping, the player missed the shots and the game continued. Those last 30 seconds seemed to be the longest ever. I couldnt watch some of the plays, fearing that we would loose. Finally, Pat Stover was sent to the line & made a free throw and got ahead by 1. With 2 seconds left, Hayward chucked the ball, missed it, and the Rocklin fans just stormed onto the court. The players, students, parents, kids, teachers, staff, and rocklin fans piled onto center court. It was amazing to see the Thunder pride. Now we go to the Northern California Championship and play this Saturday at Arco. This is the farthest the Thunder has gone in basketball and hopefully we go all the way!

Work Hours

I have a job, but it doesn't even feel like I do. When i first started working i only got 1 day a week. Now i get 2. Big leap, eh? I guess i should feel lucky that i have a job, being a minor in all, but still, at the job i used to have, sometimes i got too many hours. It just sucks because i can't spend money as often as i used to. I'm really trying to save, just to be responsible. AND my Dad just bought a car for me, so pretty soon I'm gonna have to start paying for gas once its registered. Crap. Maybe my work is a little overstaffed or they just don't like me...who knows. The biggest paycheck i've had so far was $118. At first i didn't like my job because everyone was kind of bossy and strict, but now it's growing on me. Its the second job in fast food that I've had, and I'm getting a little sick of smelling like french fries and burgers. Maybe a job in retail would be nice. Jobs are so scarce right now though, so it will be a miracle if i got a job in that field. And the worst part is, having such little hours is making me lazy, and making me not want to work more. But deep down i really do want to work more. UGHH. I hate making bad habits.

March Forth on March 4th.

I've been witness to an amazing display of heartfelt humanity.
Last Wednesday, March 4th, was the eve before Proposition 8 would be challenged in the California Supreme Court, to deem if its passage was constitutional.
For me and many loved friends and family, this Proposition changed our outlook on what kind of world we live in: there were actually people who thought themselves important enough to meddle with other people's happiness, freedom, love... and lives. They made it okay to discriminate against a minority, all over again.
I thought we were over this already- think interracial marriage. We speak of being a country of equality. Let me tell you, the passage of this horrible Proposition, that broke over 18,000- that's right- 18,000 COUPLES- hearts has proven to me that that claim is basically bull****.
Anyone who is willing to be sworn into a loving, committed relationship should be welcomed into it with open arms by society, regardless of the gender of their chosen mate.
But this is supposedly "destroying" marriage. Would you like an actual example of a marriage that brings shame to this tradition? Let's all remember Brittany Spears, and her 24-hour Vegas ordeal. What glory.
She's allowed to throw around her right to marry like it means nothing, but homosexuals are not even allowed to tie the knot after 30 or 40 years of commitment and love towards one another.
Moving on.
On the eve of March 4th, in a candlelight vigil to honor love and humanity, people who believe as I do gathered all over the state.
The vigil I chose to attend was outside the Galleria mall, where we held our candles either in silence or soft song, and we fought back peacefully- with our presence.
Letting all of those people who chose to strip our rights know that we were there- that we were not about to give up. We were not going to peacefully forfeit the rights that were guaranteed to us by our natural rights as human beings.
You can't just brush us all off.
Don't these people understand, they brought tears, pain and heartbreak to an entire group of HUMAN BEINGS. In our world today, we have enough pain. What we're lacking is understanding and love.
I'm appalled it has even been brought to this point.
So we stood there, some with small signs, all turning numb from the cold-
and we were there for each other, our mutual presence and the kind gestures and honks we got from others guaranteed that there were people who understood, and most of all-
that there is hope for change.
And we will overcome.

We're almost done!

The end of the school year is approaching. I have spring fever like no other...and senioritis is already kicking in and I still have a year to go!This week marks the end of the third-quarter in my third year of highschool. Where did the time go?! It feels like just yesterday that I was that brand spankin' new baby freshman walking onto the RHS campus and now the whole experience is almost over. Sure I still have a year, but in reality next year will be even more stressful and college focused than what I'm already dealing with at present. Fourth quarter always goes the fastest. Sure it seems like we have a lot of time right now, and maybe we do: it is only March afterall. But I have a feeling that before we know it, it will be June and we will be released from this learning institution. I CANT WAIT :)

Is it fair?

I've been extremely ill for the last week, and in turn was forced to miss school and work. I called in sick to work twice in a week and once the week before for another sickness. Yesterday my boss confronted me and asked if he should put me on the schedule anymore, because I obviously am not taking my job seriously. I told him that my job is very important to me, and I want to keep it. I've just been very sick, and I apologized. It was even obvious I was sick too, I was sniffling and coughing really badly when I went into work next, but he still told me I was being irresponsible. Is this fair? I think not. I wouldn't want me serving food to people in a restaurant that sick. ew.

college

So after writing that print story about what students are doing to become what they want to be, it made me realize I still don't truly know yet :( So with college around the corner – Sierra – I still need to figure out what I want to be or what classes I should take aside from my general ones. And as much as teaching seems nice, I don’t think I could stand having to come back to school haha. So I think I’m going to go with becoming a dental assistant I really do have a weird fascination with teeth and I’ve always been interested plus I LOVE going to the dentist, so why not, right? I think I’m going to go for it! Maybe start out in one of those Bryan College style things to get my basic stuff and hands on training done so I can start working…then go back to school again later to fulfill what I really want to be. But I need to work up to that first haha.

The Month of March

Is purely about school. No breaks, for the most part. The middle of the road durring the second semester. All AP classes are closing in on their final tests before the big one and are cramming in the process. In AP Psychology, there are still 7 chapters that must be completed before Mid-April. Insanity. We are practically going through a chapter a week and having a test ASAP after completion of a chapter. For us seniors, only four months untill graduation! The March milestone must first be conquered along with all the AP tests and applications for scholarships. Once Spring Break hits, besides AP cramming, it is all downhill from there.

16 days !

Yes, 16 days until Jr. Prom and I'm soooo excited. My dress is perfect, hopefully everything with the tux is good, flowers are ordered, and party bus is booked. Im so excited, I just hope this night is everything I am hoping it will be. It is said that prom is always the night of your life, and I hope it lives up to that expectation. Theres 26 of us going together so it will be a BIG group. I already know that day will be more stressfull than ever. First I have to work in the morning, from 9 until 11. Then shower and dry my hair. Get my make up done, and hair done at 12:45, then be completly ready and at Caitlins for pictures around 3:30. Then onto the party bus and drive around until the dinner part of the dance starts at 6. Dance. Get Picked up in the party bus, drive around until 1.. go back to Ashleys house... wow. What a day. I really hope all the stress pays off and that Jr. Prom is really amazing like I'm expection it to be.

Donation Drive!!

So next Monday we are starting a donation drive for UC Davis Medical Center. You should donate, because its a good cause. And not that you should need this incentive, but if we raise the most money our school gets 500 tickets to the Fall Out Boy soundcheck at Arco Arena.
Here's the deal-if our school wins and raises the most money, the tickets will then go to the class that donated the most.
On top of that, a raffle will be held and one name will be drawn each day from the ticket jar. The winner of this raffle will receive a free ticket to Endfest.
So its a great opportunity to help out UC Davis Children's Hospital and show school spirit in the process. And hey, Fall Out Boy wouldn't be so bad!

The Fountainhead

Anyone reading that extremely long 700 page book for Juniors Honors English? Well i am.

I have to say i really like the book. The book is all about not selling your soul for materalistic things and living your life as an individual. There is also a love affair going on between two of the characters. To say the least it is umm...interesting.

Ellsworth M. Toohey is a character in the book that is completely against individualism, and he thinks the only way to find happiness is by selling your soul because that is apparently an act of unselfishness, but he is a total hypocrite He destroys everyone's dream that he comes in to contact with. And they all love him for it. I just want to scream to them can't you see that you are selling your soul for NOTHING. I swear when i'm reading about him, i want to break into the story and just strangle him.

Howard Roark is my favorite person in the story. He is the only one that remains true to himself and doesn't sell out no matter what the consequences are. Every time, he comes against a new temption i'm so scared that he will sell out and lose himself. He hasn't dissapointed me yet but I still have a 100 pages to go.

I'm really hoping that the book will end with Toohey getting what he deserves. I hope that he is expose to everyone as a fraud. It would really make my day. I hope that Roark ends up with Dominique even though there relationship is tremendously complicated and a little strange.

I could go on and on about this book and its characters for hours. The book is very complicated and there is an underline meaning that the author never says aloud but by reading in between the lines you can understand what the author is saying, but it does leave me stumped some times.

Well i'm off to read the book. If you like being an individual then i would seriously recommend it. Don't be scared about the book size. It is long but it is a good story. I can't help but say that I will be really happy when i'm done reading it though. Not because i don't enjoy the book, but i have been reading like 2 hundred pages a day for 3 days straight. This book would be better if I took it at a slower place but we all have deadlines.

ASB frenzy

As third quarter ends, more and more people are setting up their classes and trying to figure out how to balance fun with mentally challenging courses. For the juniors, we're trying to figure out how to squeeze everything we need to graduate into six or seven classes. And then there's the buzz about ASB. I've heard more than a few people talking about how they want to be in ASB, and how they've been looking at the binder and are really excited to be involved for their senior year. As a class that must be signed up for right away, it's super important for people to decide what they want to do, AND get elections packets that come out in a mere few weeks, March 27th. This is such a good response to previous and always present degrading comments about how ASB gets everything and they're spoiled and don't do anything during class.

Hmm...I guess people finally noticed that this school honestly wouldn't function without ASB. As much as people feel left out of the 'cult' and there are definitely things that we can do to inform the student body even more, there would be no sports, clubs, activities, rallies, dances, homecoming floats, without ASB. Thank goodness people are finding this out and are deciding to get involved and have more fun their last year than they have before.

china pt. 2

since Ive arrived in china, i have already made my way through the forbidden city, tianamen's square, a pearl factory, the emperor's summer palace, a jade factory, ming's mausoleum, a cloisanne factory, witnessed a Chinese acrobatic show, and even hiked to the top of the great wall. this is just day two of the tourism part.... i have however prepared a list of things i have noticed.

13 things you wouldn't know about china until you went there:

1. 1000 year old eggs and spring rolls are breakfast foods. but so is chow mien and sushi and just abut everything else.

2. Babies are uncommon to see on the streets!

3. When you do come across a baby, it WILL be wearing a$$less chaps no matter how cold it is outside, and YES, they will pop a squat and do their business in the middle of the forbidden city.

4. Everything is designed in circular groups, like rings on a tree.

5. Chinese people are still unused to western people coming to their country, so they stare...a lot. A group of Chinese people came up to me yesterday when i was at the summer palace and asked me if i would take a picture with them. Only because I'm not Asian.

6. Military in China is voluntary and there is a hefty amount of sexy, tall (yes, tall) 18 year guys that join.

7. Mao is considered a god. Still. And there are portraits of him everywhere, including the 20 foot one (at least) on the south gate of the forbidden city.

8. There are 4 animals that are everywhere; The dragon, phoenix, turtle and crane. Dragons and phoenixes are symbols of power, while turtles and cranes are symbols of longevity.

9. Longevity is China's favourite word. Hands down.

10. China actually does consider themselves a communist country to this day.

11. Toilets in public places are virtually holes in the ground that flush. Don't ever go to China if you have never squatted in the wilderness. I'm not so sure about personal toilets in homes, but I will find out tomorrow.

12. Lemon and Orange chicken does exist outside of the USA, and it IS served in China!

13. Some people still wear surgical masks over their faces here. They make them in a bunch of colours to be stylish and such, this is mainly for pollution I'm guessing. The sun is red every morning from the smog.

a few pictures:

ARCO...Here We Come!

It's that time of the basketball season again. The boys are headed to ARCO Arena. That means that the cheer season obviously isn't over for me. They play Thursday at 7:30 against WC Wood High School. If they win then they will play again on Saturday. If they boys continue their winning streak then their season can go all the way until March 21st, yes the day of Junior Prom. What about the junior basketball players, who are planning on going to JP, or even worse what about their dates. Tickets are already bought and are no longer on sale. Anyways, the prices to get into ARCO to watch the game are crazy. It is about $17 dollars a person and that doesn't include the price to park. Also, remember the yummy snacks you can get inside. With the economy this way it will be harder for people to go and watch the team win.

The Bachelor

So since the beginning of this season my mom and I have been watching The Bachelor. I usually love this show, but this season seriously just irked me. You may think I'm ridiculous for being that into a show that seems completely set up by television agents anyway, but maybe it's that romantic side to me that just loves to see happily ever after.
NOT THAT THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR. So here's the deal...this single dad who got turned down on last season's The Bachelorette came back this year as the bachelor. He is this total quirky sweetheart with an adorable 4-year-old son who is looking for a wife. His personality is totally sweet and he totally deserved to come back as The Bachelor after what happened to him last season.
So he starts out by having 25 girls, and on the first night he hands out 15 roses, which means 10 girls go home. No one really cares much about the first few episodes because the viewers aren't attatched to any of the girls yet. But by the final five, it's safe to say that everyone is hooked.
Melissa Rycroft is the girl that my family and Kayla Zellars' family has been in love with practically since day one. She's totally down-to-earth and adorable and SO good with his son. Last night it was down to her and one other girl-who was completely unemotional and just seemed fake. And his son, Ty, honestly didn't like her as much.
Anyway, at the end of the show, he says sorry to Molly and sends her home. He gets down on one knee and proposes to Melissa, who is crying and literally jumping with joy. It was so easy to see the pure joy in their faces.
I honestly wish that my family and I would have turned the TV off at that moment. After the final show a show always comes on called After the Final Rose Ceremony. Normally, this is where the happy couple shares how their life has been going, and then the dumpee is brought back to share how she has been doing.
INSTEAD, Jason dumps Melissa on NATIONAL TELEVISION, only to say that he is still in love with the other girl, Molly. I do not care that his feelings changed and he told Melissa how he felt, because he can't lie to himself. But the fact that he did this to her on national television instead of the privacy of their own live's, completely KILLS me.
This is seriously a new low for television. I don't care how much he was paid to do the brake up on camera. You don't just mess with someone's emotions like that and embarrass them in front of the entire nation.
I have lost all respect for the show and ABC.


Thanks for reading to that. :]

china pt 1

welcome to day 1 of my adventure. i havent even boarded the plane. not for another hour.... its going to be a 12 hour flight to beijing and im pretty sure we get to ride in one of the double decker airplanes. im stoked for that. all im doing right now is hanging around and reading watchmen/watching arrested development.
the best part about my little 10 day trip to china s that i get to get out of rocklin. its been a while since ive left. its always nice to leave a bit.
im gonna be taking some pictures and hopefully uploading them on here throughout the week. bring a little asia to rocklin.


heres shanghai: second city im going to once i get to china.


and thats all for now...