National Journalism Convention

Okay, can I start of with AAAHHHHHH!?!?!? is that proper? Probably not but I don't care. AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! (can you tell I am still excited??)
This last weekend (and friday), I went down (with my junior journalism buddies) to San Fran to the convention. It was super fun! Amazing! I hadn't expected to have this much fun, with all the classes I was going to take.
But I think the most rewarding time was doing the classes that gave ideas about bonding and having special things that tied staffers to one another. For instance, we have shirts. But do we want something to make us more official looking? Hmmm
That and receiving the award. I had to say, I was surprised. I had been doing reviews all this year in journalism and I honestly did not expect to get an award. There was at least 50-60 people in the room but it felt like 80 because we had to have them in chair with trays on their laps and the tables were crowded. And there were A LOT of tables. I was nervous. and THAT is why I started screaming internally with joy when my name came up on the screen. And I will be completely honest there: I honestly didn't think I was that good at writing reviews until this moment. Sure, writing reviews is fun and easy for me. It is something I love to do and I could totally build a career off of it if I wanted to or had the chance. But until that moment, I really didn't think I was good. So I am more excited that most to have this happen :)

Anyway, had a lot of fun! Hanging out with the buddies definitely (at least I think) brought us closer together and I can't wait for next year when we're all on the staff again!

Urban Driving

One of the best parts about driving is that it's like a real-life video game, in that it is sometimes enjoyable. One of the worst parts about driving is that it's like a real-life video game, in that there always exists the possibility of death and destruction, only instead of starting over, you actually die/have to pay a large amount of money. I was reminded of this fact today, when I drove to UC Berkeley to tour some housing.

The streets of Berkeley aren't quite as terrible as the ones in, say, San Francisco, because at least the intersections are designed in ways that make geometric sense and don't form mazes that invite unsuspecting drivers to cross into oncoming traffic. However, the people of Berkeley more than make up for this in that they apparently give up all sense of self-preservation when stepping out onto the road.

Like any urban area, there are drivers more used to it than the pampered suburbanite you are, which means that they will be blazing through said madness at ridiculous speeds as you try to determine whether the street you are about to turn left onto actually has a lane intended for travel in that direction. The non-drivers are worse, though. The pedestrians and bicyclists seem to forget that they are inevitably destined to lose should they decide to test their structural integrity against that of a two-ton metal vehicle. Therefore, they will jump in front of your vehicle at random times, often, in the case of pedestrians, running crosswalk lights in the process, and further your dismay.

Luckily, being the awesome driver that I am, I managed to escape the city of Berkeley for the welcoming civility of I-80 without causing any deaths, injuries, or property damage. It's amusing how awesome the streets of Rocklin are when you are grateful for things like two-way roads and protected left turns.

In other news, Berkeley housing is pretty cool.

Set Up to Fail

So I am pretty sure I am going to fail my AP tests. I am so unprepared and it is basically May already. I'm iffy on AP US, screwed for AP Gov, and I don't even want to talk about AP Physics B. UGH... I am just so tired of coming home every day and having to do SO MUCH homework. My brain can't take it man... My mind is frying. 

On a side note the journalism trip was pretty fun...

Excuse me miss you need to stop...stop...STOP!

So yesterday I was in the car with my dad and we were just driving around, having a great Sunday. While we were in the car we were listening to music and rocking out to just about anything you can think of. We were all smiles when suddenly we had to stop at a stop sign and this lady in front of us in a gray car slowed her vehicle down as she was approaching the stop sign, and didn't make a complete stop and just kept driving. Now I know people do this often, but I was still a little miffed about it and so was my Dad.
Turns out my Dad and I were still driving behind the gray car in the same direction. We kept driving straight and we ended up at another stop sign and the lady Still Didn't Stop. Now I was a little concerned at this point because my Dad said that he thought he saw a child in the back seat of her car.
This made me quite nervous. Not only was the lady driving recklessly, she had a child in her car as well. I made sure to get a good look at this woman in her car and I could tell that she considered herself the Almighty Queen Bee of this Earth because she was all decked out and bejeweled with anything and everything you could imagine.
1. Pearly dangly necklace thingymabob hanging from a mirror in her car
2. Big sparkly earrings
3. Rings on her fingers (and don't forget her diamond ring her hubby gave her of course)
4. Huge sunglasses (most likely the expensive kind)
5. Little figures of some character of the sorts on her nails (charms, one direction people, I dunno. :P)
6. We'll get back to number 6 later on.
Anyway.......
So Queen Bee has ran past 2 stop signs so far. Let's see how this continues on.
My Dad and I were still following behind her and were about to turn right onto Park Drive.
Now my Dad and I were both expecting her to stop this time. There's traffic and an actual red stoplight. She has to stop here right? We both looked at each other expectantly.

Did she stop?

Nope.
At this time I practically wanted to break all of her precious jeweled items on her person and throw them in the dumpster because I was furious. Even though I probably shouldn't even care about this, I did. So whatever. I was pissed off. Why on earth was she driving so badly?? I couldn't even fathom it.
Finally she switched lanes and it turns out we were driving to the right of her and eventually were stopped yet again at a stop light.
Back to Number 6 Now:
To top off these series of unfortunate events with a big ol' cherry and whip cream on top of them, Miss Queen Bee was in fact texting and driving. With BOTH hands, iPhone 5 placed ever so delicately onto the steering wheel, texting. Texting! I just about blew a gasket. I wanted to flip tables. Just punch something to relieve some anger.
I couldn't believe it.

*sigh*

Done.

Community Service

I did a community service with my church for 6 hours today and it was amazing!! Working beside so many new people and old friends is amazing since we were doing it for such a great cause.

I got to talk to many new people and get to hear their stories. It's so cool to hear about how God has been working in their lives.

Since I have gotten home from the project, I have been laying in bed watching TV. I'm exhausted, probably because it was all manual labor we did today, but it feels good because I know by doing that project we helped out so many people. Now, I get to catch up on some Ellen episodes I haven't gotten to watch this week.

Well, that is all I am doing this weekend! Woohoo!!

Shopping

So Mother's Day is coming up, and I still need to buy my mom's present, except I don't really have time, so this will be interesting. If Mother's Day had been a week later, I wouldn't have this problem.

I think I know what I'm getting her, so I just need the time to drive to the store. So. Much. Effort. During. AP. Testing.

Oh well, at least I know she'll like it.

What's On My Mind

Since blogging is supposed to be whatever ramblings are going through your head, here's a choppy list of things I've been thinking about:

• The AP World Unit 5 test, which I should be studying for if I want a good grade. It covers a ton of information, spanning from 1900 to the present day. There's tons of details and important events and figures and it consists of seven 30 page long chapters, give or take. That's a lot of reviewing!
• The AP test, which is probably what I am most stressed out about. I've blogged about this before, but I'm just going to say again how nervous I am. Luckily, I've made about 400 flashcards for past units, so I have somewhere to start.
• My career presentation, which I haven't started yet...I need to schedule an interview pretty soon if I want to be on track, but the career I've picked is quite obscure so it's been hard finding a local person to interview.
• Getting a job, which I really really want. Okay, maybe it's not an actual job -- it's an unpaid internship that I hope and pray to get, because it would be such an amazing opportunity to explore something I'm passionate about.
• Speaking of applications, I have three I need to complete by the end of May for various things I'd like to do over the summer and next school year. Two of them require numerous essay questions, which I think I'll start after the AP test.
• Whether or not to take French 3H over the summer and go directly into French 4H next year, which Madame has been telling me to do. I'm not 100% sure, but if everything works out I may do it!
• SUMMER, which I cannot wait for. My cousin from Algeria is coming to the US for the first time, so it should be fun -- and great opportunity to practice my French!

So there you have, a hodgepodge of things on my mind.

Not Able to Comment

Ok, so for some reason my computer will not allow me to commnet on people's posts, so I am going to do a few comments here to make up for it. :)

Alexis:  I know right!! AP World tests and finals and CSTs are stressing me out.  Have so much on my mind right now...excited to apply for colleges in a year or two, but right now that is the last thing I want to be thinking about.

AP World History

I am really stressed out about this coming AP World History  unit test.  There are only two tests this whole semester, so there is a lot of pressure to do well.  This unit covers 1900 to present day, and it is a lot of information.  Hope I can study it all in the next few days.

TV

TV. The object that some adults and professionals say is ruining the youth of America. However, I believe this judgment false, to an extent. After a long day, believe it or not, I DO want to relax. What better way to do it other than watch a few minutes of TV. Being able to unwind and not think about anything is great. When critics say television puts you in a hypnotic state, maybe, just maybe, that is what I need. And I’m pretty sure by watching TV I’m not becoming stupid. Obviously if you watch it all the time and never get off the couch, not only is your life a waste, but you are stupid to begin with. If you are one of those people who believe everything you read and watch I’m pretty sure the stupidity started before you toned in. So sue me, I like watch TV.

Fuji-Q Highland

Since I`ve been in Japan, most of my time has been spent playing piano, shopping, or eating. But the other day, the entire group of American piano students, along with some teachers and Japanese students, visited one of Japan`s most famous theme parks.

It`s called Fuji-Q Highland, named after the giant Mount Fuji which is located near the park. Fuji-Q has several amazing roller coasters, two of which hold Guinness World Records. One of them, "Fujiyama２, is the world`s longest roller coaster and another, "Takabisha", holds the record for the world`s steepest drop at 121 degrees.

The super steep ride was terrifying, and that`s coming from someone who loves roller coasters. The drop was steep, obviously, but the climb up was even scarier. You are in this small car that`s travelling straight up extremely slowly and I seriously though I was going to die.

Although we went early and the park wasn`t crowded, the lines were pretty long because they moved so slowly. The rides were worth it though. There was also one of those rides that can be found at any amusement park, the tall tower shaped attraction that raises you high up in the air then drops you. This was one of my favorites because it held us at the top of the ride for a good ten seconds and gave a perfect view of Mount Fuji.

The food there was actually good and not as over priced as I expected. We ate at a place called Pizza-la, although they also served soups and dessert.

As soon as we arrived, everyone split up into groups and was told to meet at the front gate at a certain time. Unfortunately, we only got to stay at the park for about six hours, which wasn`t enough time to experience all the rides, but it was still my favorite day so far.

Since then, all I`ve been doing is more piano and eating. Oh, and shopping. I spent over $70 at the mall today. Oops.

CSTs

I am actually kind of enjoying CST week. I haven't gotton as much homework, but with APs around the corner, I'm more stressed than normal anyway, so I find it relaxing to spend hours taking a test, instead of going to class, and learning, and being assigned more homework.

And the fact that administration makes teachers give less homework during CST week, so we aren't stressed, get enough sleep, etc. shows that they know that on a daily basis on a regular week we aren't getting enough sleep and are super stressed. Does that seem wrong to anyone else?

Why should these tests be any different than the tests I take in class almost every day? (I literally have a test/important quiz every day, so this is just bizarre that they put emphasis like this on these tests)

I also don't understand why these scores reflect on the students, and go on our college apps, etc. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought these tests were an evaluation of how teachers/the school are doing? What if I had a horrible teacher, who didn't teach the right material, or just taught badly, and even though I studied I got Proficient or Basic? That would go on my applications. Oh well. Only two more tests to go for my entire life!

Once CST's are over, hopefully the year will fly by, because I am so excited for BRITAIN! Gotta start perfecting my accent ;)

So Much to Do...So Little Time

My life is just very chaotic right now.  I am trying to raise my grades, study for this terrifying AP World final, get through CST week, play softball, and eat and sleep.  I really just have no time to do anything else (like relax), but hopefully things will quiet down soon.

Plus, my dad is already on me about colleges and careers and it's really freaking me out.  Im only a sophomore, and I know I need to start figuring this stuff out....but right now?

Thoughts

So blogging is supposed to be about what's on your mind right? Well to be quite honest this is all that goes through my mind all day long...

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII JJJJJJJJJUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT WWWWAAAAANNNNTTTTTT TOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOO TOOOOOOOOOOOO CCCCCOOOOLLLLLEEEEGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Just being honest with ya'll.

I try my very hardest to keep those college thoughts at a minimum and enjoy the time I have left here in this wonderful place (HA HA- I was being sarcastic there) but for real, that's not working. It's all I can think about... which in a way is a good thing because it's my motivation to not just slack of with school since I'm so over it. Because if I don't continue to do well, guess what? NO COLLEGE... and I'm pretty sure that would be the biggest tragedy ever.... like ever. I would loose my mind.

Alright. Peace.

The Final Two

After a lot of thought, deliberation and changing my mind over and over again I have finally decided on what school I will be attending next year, well maybe not yet...

I have finally narrowed it down to two different options, and they are both extremely different.

The first option is UC Davis. Pros: Close to home, lots of opportunities, good for academics, big campus, bikes Cons: Too big? Too liberal? Too close? Too competitive? You can see the dilemma I'm in.

My second option, permitting that it isn't too much more expensive than Davis, which I will find out this week, is Biola University. It's a smaller, Christian school in La Mirada, CA (In LA, near Anaheim and Fullerton). Pros: The people seem super nice, Christian school, good program to go into dentistry, location Cons: May be too expensive. Too small?

Anyways I will for sure know by this Friday which is super exciting!! I'm pretty excited to go to either school, because God has blessed me with so many great opportunities and has given me the choice to decide what school I will be going to. And I know that God has a plan wherever that may be.

Nostalgia but not really...?

I am a total sucker for quotes and this one has always struck a chord with me, "Everything in life is temporary, because everything changes. That's why it takes great courage to love, knowing it might end anytime but having the faith it will last forever." Honestly this has stuck with me day in and day out and when ever I look through old photos, old comments, old memories, all of which have stayed with me and made me who I am...I miss it but I wouldn't change a thing. I honestly am dying for my future to finally come but I can't help but wish things were as simple as my past. It isn't really nostalgia...it is more of this feeling where I want to move on but I can't seem to come to terms with where all this change has brought me. Like I feel like I need to talk about it and reminicse before it can hit in me the face? Ya know? Maybe that is nostalgia...I dunno all I know is I really want to leave the country and experience culture shock because maybe that is the slap in the face I need.

Surprises at every corner

This last weekend I went shopping (which is sorta unnatural because, although I do go out to the mall often) and I bought RISE OF THE GUARDIANS!! It is one of the cutest movies and I have been wanting this movie since February? Early on this year- I know that much. Anyway, I had sorta mentioned the fact that I had wanted this movie every time my mom and I went out and I pretty sure - 100% - that I bugged her so much that she finally gave in. Or maybe it was the fact that it was only $17..........

Either way, I got my movie and then, since my mom wanted me to get new clothes for my France trip, I tried on some stuffs. And I actually fell in love with every single thing. Of course we couldn't get all of them, but the ones we got I wouldn't have ever imagined me wearing them. Seriously. Two of them were "frilly" and then the rest were cool, but I was shocked that I had fallen in love with the frilly shirts. I just don't know if I will be able to wear them to school....... Oh well. Until next time, blog!

train of thought writing

This is an unpopular opinion, but I really don't want school to end. It seems like everything I was looking for in high school - good friends, fun classes, happy memories - are trying to cram themselves into the next few months, and though I love it, I really don't want it to end. As someone who doesn't have a car, it's so difficult to hang out with people on this side of town, and it breaks my heart to think that I won't see most of you next year.

Speaking of hearts, senior ball is coming up! I am so excited, it's not even funny. Yesterday my boyfriend got his tux and I have my dress, so now we just need to get the little things handled. I asked him yesterday if he had any opinion on flowers and he told me "What's a corsage?" Oh my. . .

I am so happy right now and the skeptical part of my mind can't help but wonder when it's going to end, and that makes me so sad. It's so bittersweet! But I mean, that's what life is about, isn't it? Being bittersweet. I want the next two months to last forever, please, and I am so sad and so happy at the same time, and it's just difficult. But I'm so lucky! So so lucky.

PICNIC DAY

So, yesterday some of my friends and I went to UC Davis for the Picnic Day. And, it was pretty cool!

We got there at about 1:30 and walked around a bit and then headed to the Doxie Derby, where they have Dachshund races. It's the craziest thing ever. We got there right when they were ending though so we only got to see two or three races. These wiener dogs just run out of these boxes and chase after some piece of cloth towards a finish line, look it up on youtube if you want to see it, it's pretty crazy.

Then we just kind of walked around the campus and talked with some people that had graduated from Rocklin.

Overall it was a pretty nice day to my maybe future home.

AP Testing

So as a young sophomore, I have never taken an AP test before. Needless to say I'm pretty terrified for the upcoming AP World test (which is in TWENTY-FOUR DAYS. Ah!) I planned on starting studying this weekend, but that didn't happen. Instead I watched 80s movies.

My fear is probably mostly due to the fact that I have no idea what to expect. Oh, and also that this test covers the entire history of the world up until 2006. Also the fact that my test score will be sent to colleges. So basically I'm a bundle of unproductive nerves who doesn't know where to begin studying the ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

If anyone has taken the test before, I'd seriously appreciate your wisdom because I have no idea what to study or how to study, which is a considerable cause for concern. On the plus side, once the AP test is over and done with, I am basically done with school and it'll be time for summer, so that's a plus!

Really Late April Fools Joke, Ha I DON'T THINK SO

Here I am with a now uncomfortable chair since I switched seats in my house. That's besides the point, and yes, I realize I literally just blogged. However, I should address something. Those in journalism that don't blog every week, it will affect your grade. Maybe not as much as it should, however, it is an easy however many point this is worth... Just do it; every week there is less and less blogs and not to mention, they get shorter too. It's really sad, but take it a little bit seriously, just rant, say hi, write ANYTHING.

And none of you should have an excuse, Leah is in JAPAN and is still blogging.

For those of you that do blog, good job. You give me something to do:).

*The blog wouldn't let me put D:< into the title, so here it is now!

Freshmen

Over the course of my years in high school, I have always squandered (is that the right word?) the freshmen for being stupid, inconsistent, rude, and selfish beings. I despised them to say the least. I didn't want anything to do with them. However, this year, especially this past month, has taught me a lot about the freshmen of 2012-2013. There is a chance I like some freshmen since I haven't gotten to know what I refer to as "the masses." Let me break it down for you Thompson-style. On the top are the most adorable, sweetest little things ever (aka: Megan Kuo and the rest of the freshmen that I like) On the other hand, there are the masses. The ones that stick to the stereotype of being a freshmen.... Yea, there's only two categories on my pyramid.

It's quite sad, now that I think about it because I have only gotten to know some of them know, and I only have one year left to guide them. Then, I think about the sophomores now, and I kind of flinch. I mean, yea, a lot of them are nice, but there's something different about them. Maybe it's because they're no longer freshmen. But I still have my two sophomores that'll always be freshmen in my heart that will continually give me hope for the future generations.

Anyways, that's all I had to say about freshman, most of them are so cuddly I want to hug them. Not really.

Anticipation

Everybody's itching for summer. I know I am. I'm so excited because I'll be going to Italy for eleven days in July and I can't wait! Its basically my Senior Present, even though I'm a sophomore now, but I'm perfectly okay with that.
Well I should probably stop procrastinating and continue my homework.
bye. :P

33

So, there are only 33 school days left. Oh my gosh. I only have 33 days to wrap up this entire year... I can't believe junior year is almost over.

I am so excited for the end of AP testing. The pure hatred I have for studying will be over really really soon.

The best part of the end of AP testing is that I can finally organize my things. I really want to organize all my books by author's last name, which might be kind of strange, but that kind of thing really relaxes me.

For CSTs, I'm in dance, so we have to test in the library, which is a little disapointing. I really don't like testing in the library. But it's my last year of CSTs!! Yes! I've been waiting for this for over 10 years.

For the past few weeks, my friends have been trying out for the dance team, and they made it! I was so happy for them!

Home stretch...

Update From Japan~

I`ve been in Japan for over a week now, and it`s been really great. I`ve been doing a lot of homework though, which isn`t exactly fun. Ugh also I left my AP World book at home because it weighed too much(6 pounds?!), so I`ll have to do some outlines the DAY I GET BACK. I leave Japan the 29th, and according to the front office at RHS, if I don`t have all my homework turned in by the 30th, all my absences will be considered truancies. Needless to say, I`ll be back on the 30th, but you might not want to talk to me. Jet lag plus two outlines doth not a happy Leah make.

I`m really looking forward to Monday, because we`re supposed to go to this Japanese theme park called Fuji-Q Highland. It`s supposed to rain Sunday, but hopefully the rain will stop then, because the roller coasters get closed when it rains.

Since I`m missing the CSTs, I`ll have to make those up when I get back. Will I be missing class to do that? I hope not, because if you haven`t noticed, I`m kind of missing alot of school already. Blegh.

What else is there? Hmm... I got some cute cat ballet flats when we went shopping the other day. To quote Ke$ha, "I have realized today that japan loves cats as much as I do". Like, seriously though. I don`t think there`s a single store in all of Japan that does not sell something with a cat on it. Donut shop? Hello Kitty donuts. Clothing store? Cat sweaters, cat shoes, etc. Wood carving store? Like half the store was cats. 

Ok nobody probably cares about cats so I`ll just stop blogging now.

Child rearing

So I just read Aubrey's post about "42". An interesting post overall (hey Julie, if the school network won't let me comment on a post, can this count instead?). But there was one part that got me thinking - the whole thing about the black doll, and about not accidentally teaching children racism.

This reminded me of a rather frightening fact: it is apparently ridiculously easy to botch your child's growing up. Either you're too lenient, and they become delinquents, or you're too harsh, and they become delinquents, or you use the wrong brand of weed killer, and they became psychotic murderers, etc., etc.

Obviously, my knowledge of child raising is less based on first-hand experience and more so on the things I read. For example, I recently read a TIME article that said that having children after the age of 35 might be bad for the kids because, according to scientific evidence, sperm starts to accrue genetic errors after that point.

This is rather concerning. I know that at some point, I want kids - the idea of my spawn perpetuating my existence beyond my lifespan has always appealed to me. However, I also know that I want to have kids at an opportune time. For example, now is definitely not the time I would want any dependents. The better part of the next two decades isn't looking that bright either, what with college, and building a career.

But then I'd actually have to raise the kids, which, as I was talking about earlier, seems to be another minefield. I'm pretty awkward around children anyway, and then I'd have to keep track of all the various rules required in somehow creating a healthy adult from your offspring.

Yeah, good thing I don't have to worry about this for a while. 

Standing

I am standing while blogging it is a new way to blog and an entire new way to think. All the blood is flowing through out my entire body and I can think ingeniously. You see when one stands both physically and metaphorically for something we become entitled to it and must own it. "Stand for something or you will fall for everything." This is why I don't get along with passive people. It honestly bugs me when people can't make up their own opinions and make up their mind for what they support/like/etc. because those are the same people who follow society to a T. They don't change anything they are clones and they as Aubrey would say, "are like lemmings going over the cliff." I like to argue and be an activist about what I believe in and I respect those who aren't as loud about their opinions but to not have one is just sad to me, can you really not think for yourself enough? Have you conformed so much all you can think is, "I don't know or I don't care." Like really?

Too Much Chemistry

I cannot wait for the end of chemistry.  Atoms, moles, gases, solids, liquids, and ions need to just disapear forever, even though that would basically be the end to life.  I just can't spend another couple weeks trying my hardest and studying all the time to continually do bad.  I just can't.  I am studying for the final now and praying that I remember enough to pass it.  Also my best friend/Chemistry tutor is in Japan...which is just really inconvenient. 

On a more positive note, it is almost friday, and I get a weekend with no softball, no brother, and I can do whatever I want.  Which will probably just be more studying for AP World.  I have such a great social life.

No You Won't!

In P.E. I only have a couple of friends, and of those, only 1 of them can keep up with me when I am running or walking. And today we were doing the whole "run/jog/walk" all day in timed sections. So my one friend and I were pretty much partners the entire time and we didn't really have much to talk about besides how our day was going. But then she asked if I watched Sherlock, because she had seen them all, but she was rewatching them. 

I swear, we were the most animated people in the class at this point. We were quoting the episodes back and forth to each other the entire time and trying to do impersonations of the actors- needless to say that went as horrible as it could have gone, but we didn't care because it was nice to just talk about one of our favorite shows. 

In other news, I really am excited for tonight- ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!! and then this weekend i get to (Finally!!) go to Leatherbies.... (is that how you spell it??) and then the weekend after that I get to go to San Fran and learn some cool stuff!!

Summer

I am so glad it is almost the end of the school year! The only downfall for it being towards the end means that there are a lot of tests! I just had my chemistry final today and Friday I will be retaking the last chemistry test. Then next week, we have CST testing. Ughhhh... At least summer is just around the corner! Then water polo will be starting again for me, hopefully I will find a job, and I will be able to do a lot of community service. Hopefully, the next two months will pass quick!

Winning Over Racism

I just saw the movie 42 and I am just disgusted. I mean the movie was amazing but it just made me remember that not too long ago our nation was filled entirely with a spiteful attitude of racism. It infuriates me! It gets me so fired up! UGH!!!!!!!!! At some parts of the movie I just wanted to spit on some people. But, then again, look at me now stooping to the racists' level. It tires me out, man. I mean, could you just imagine how tired Jackie Robinson must have been? He had to deal with all of that plus play baseball. Man! I got some respect for that guy.

It is so sad, though, because even today there is still racism that continues to paint America with a gross color. I just do not understand it. I do not think I can ever understand racist people. I like to say I am pretty tolerant of every kind of people, but racists are where I really have to try and not punch them to the ground. *Sigh* I guess I must work on that, because some people are just raised up that way. Yet, my mom was raised around a lot of racism and she ended up buying me a black baby doll so I would never know the difference in skin color. (Now she uses it in our church's Christmas plays as the Baby Jesus-the best!) So I guess you could say it depends on both the person and how they were raised. All in all, though I still need to work out my anger issues towards them. I know you'd say "why bother? they are crazy nuts!" but I do not like to judge people on just what they blindly say what they were taught. Right? If I judge them for their actions, what does that make me? Probably as low as them.

So! I will watch over and over as Jackie Robinson wins over their racist acts and I will smile.

Foreign Exchange Student

Next year, our family is having a foreign exchange student from Germany. She will be a sophomore next year, but is only staying for the first semester. Because of this, she is not able to go to Rocklin High. So, we will be taking her to Del Oro every day. Which sucks because it would be nice to go to the same school. But, she can still get a Rocklin experience.

Her name is Esther and she plays field hockey. I guess that is more of a "thing" in Europe. We checked; there are no teams nearby. So, she might run track. Anyway, I am very excited. It could potentially be akward, and six months of akwardness could be a very band thing.

Mostly I am excited. I can't wait for this year to be over!

My Rant

I find the Excellence Assembly as a waste of time. I mean sure, classes are shorter today, but I have little time in my day to spare it listening to people tell me to my best on a test. For goodness sake,  the CST is a test, and naturally, your supposed to try hard. I don't need someone to tell me and bribe me by giving out tee-shirts and prizes. Sure, it sounds like a nice idea. Give prizes and recognize those that are "excellent." While the rest of us get nothing, even though we try just as hard.

Well that's my rant for today. :P

A Farewell to Individuality

There's a significant amount of people on campus with whom I have never had an actual conversation yet who know my name. Part of the reason is that my name seems to be so distinctive. There's not many Rahul's over here, so people remember us well.

This is definitely not the case globally. Both my first and last names are actually quite generic in India, so there's actually a very large amount of people with my name.

I was recently reminded of this fact when I created an email account with UC Berkeley. I didn't have this account for long when I received an email informing me that I would be taking the final exam for a political science class this May.

For a brief moment I was concerned about having to take another large cumulative test in May, until I realized what had occurred. Someone at Berkeley has my name, and a professor accidentally typed in my email instead of his. 

This will be interesting. For one thing, I wonder how people will pronounce my name. When people over here see my name, they ask how it's pronounced, and I'll tell them "Rah-hool", which is how I usually introduce myself. That is not the way my parents intended it to be pronounced - the "correct" pronunciation is a set of syllables that I have empirically determined to be impossible to be handled by most non-Indian tongues (although I did know someone with an Indonesian accent who somehow pronounced it right).

In Berkeley, though, there will likely be a large amount of people who will know the original pronunciation of my name, leading me to a conundrum - do I continue introducing myself as "Rah-hool", and better, do I correct people who try to use the Indian pronunciation? I know I will definitely be doing the former, but the latter occupies some rather dicey territory.

Ah, the wonders of my life...

APUS

Only one more test to go in APUS!! By the end of this week, we will be officially reviewing for the AP Test. While that in itself is a little terrifying, I am so exicted for the end of the school year!

We are done in AP Environmental as well, which is very nice. What I love about APES is that they give us time in class to study, which I definitely appreciate.

Anyway, back to APUS... I will be a little relieved when this next test is over, just because I'll know my final grade in the class.

And then AP Bio... I think our last test is the week before AP Testing... so there's that. I wish I didn't have to worry about that class, but oh well.

I have to admit, the most exciting part of the last day of school, will be throwing out all of my old notes, and homework assignments, etc. I literally have no folders left in my room... I have a lot of stuff. On the last day of school, I always clean out my room, closet, binders, and backpack. It's like a stress reliever to me. Plus I'm a clean freak, so I think it's fun.

I'm also excited for CSTs because hopefully I won't have much homework, so I can just study like crazy for AP Testing. Honestly, AP Testing is ruining my life. All I want to do is to read the stack of books in my room and I can't! So, school is preventing me from reading for pleasure. Hmm something to think about.

Anyway, have a great Sunday!

I Hate Spring

I know that spring is a lot of people's favorite seasons, and while I can admit that the flowers are pretty and the weather is (usually) nice, I still hate it. I have terrible allergies and basically spend about three months being a sneezing, itchy-eyed mess which is even less fun than it sounds. Plus, this is pretty petty and menial, but I cannot figure out whether I should wear pants/shorts or long-sleeves/short-sleeves, because in the morning it's super cold and in the late afternoon it's super hot.

But the worst thing is that at this point, many of my teachers are scrambling to wrap up curriculum before CST testing, which means tons of tests to study for and concepts to master and homework to do. This all adds up to a bunch of sleepless nights and tons of procrastination, because by the time I'm home it's so sunny and pretty and I just want to go outside. I honestly cannot wait for summer.

There I Was, Then...BAM, Sketchy Senator Statement

So here I am watching the second season to American Horror Story because I don't know why, but it's strangely enchanting to watch it. But that's beside the point. Oh, I guess it helps to know I was multi-tasking by reading Huffington Post stories to try and see what would make a good story. I can't really put this into a story that'll affect any of you really, but I haven't exactly had a good rant that hasn't come from my life, so here it is:

The Newtown shooting, we all heard the story. Our hearts going out to the victims and the families. I find it strange that such news comes out now, but I guess some high and mighty woman, Susan Collins, a Republican Senator from Maine, had a dinner with President Obama that evening of the shooting. That's totally fine and all (the dinner part), but I guess Collins felt a moral inclination to speak with the families (also fine and dandy). WHAT'S NOT FINE AND DANDY IS THAT SHE GOES AND MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT HOW SPEAKING WITH THE FAMILY MADE HER LATE TO THE DINNER?! :O Apparently, her quote goes "Everybody was seated when I got there, because I spent time talking to the parents and the family members of those who were killed at Newtown. I told them I had a dinner with the president but that I was deliberately being late." (Thanks to Huffington Post for the quote.)

I don't know about you, but she is ONE SKETCHY senator. This is why I'm not a Republican, just kidding, that's not why, not that I really want to associate myself with Democrats either. Eh, you just can't win with political parties. Again, beside the point.

One, she CHOSE to meet with the families that day. Shoot, if I was one of the family members, I would be a little bit late too considering a CHILD was just killed. I'm sorry, punctuality isn't exactly a priority Miss or Mrs. Freaking Collins. I'm sorry people can't run on your schedule especially after a shooting. <-Sarcasm, in case you didn't know, which I guess takes me to the point where I don't know exactly how she said the aforementioned statement, but seriously, you can word it better. I mean, I tried saying the quote in different tones and pace (literally said it aloud), but nothing sounded natural, unless it was in a rude, not understanding manner.

Two, she said she explained why she was late to Obama and he was understanding. Of course he'd be understanding, WHY WOULD HE NOT BE? He thought Collins was doing something admirable, but I guess she doesn't see it that way.

Three, if all Collins is honestly focused on is dinner with Obama, then she can SHOULD get out.

Why is she making quotes about being deliberately late? Honestly, you don't tell families that. You don't say, "Hey, thanks for meeting with me, sorry about you're loss. You know, I got this dinner with Obama, but don't worry, I'M BEING DELIBERATELY LATE." Anybody that knows me really well should be able to hear me say this and understand where I'm coming from.

People...senators...Maine....

I love buses

The flight to Japan was about 11 hours long, but I made it! The plane was uncomfortable, but I did manage to sleep for about half of the ride. Luckily, some of the other students sitting by me were nice, and I knew a few of them, so I made some friends. After we landed and went through customs, my group of piano teachers and students had to wait a few hours for the other group of people coming on a later flight from other areas in the US. 

Since we had so much time, we took a walk around the airport and decided to search for a Starbucks. After about half an hour of searching, we finally found one, although the menu was slightly different. The airport had wi-fi, so I was able to use iMessage to text some people with iPhones. 

After everyone arrived, we all got on a bus the Suzuki Piano had rented for the teachers and students. The ride was like, 4 hours, but the bus was so much more comfortable than the plane. I took two seats so that I could put my bags on one of them(Our suitcases went in the bottom compartment of the bus). The chairs reclined and there was so much footspace. After being cramped in a plane behind an old couple who leaned their chairs back as far as possible, the bus was basically heaven. 

Finally, at like 10pm(6am in America), we got off the bus to meet our host families. I had met one of the girls in my host family before, when she came to America for piano. I also met the other girl from America who I`m staying with, Renee.

Luckily everyone is super nice and welcoming. The family we`re staying with made us crepes for breakfast. They had so many things you could put inside, for both savory and sweet crepes. I had like, 3 with ham and veggies and then one with bananas and chocolate whipped cream. They were soooooooooo delicious. 

We went to the drugstore today to pick up somethings that we forgot at home, and the packaging for everything is adorable. And for everyone who is obsessed with Baby Lips from Maybelline, they have BABY FACE. But yeah, the drugstore was really clean and definitely more Target than Walgreens. 

I don`t have a rehearsal today, unlike most students, but I`ll have one tomorrow and I`m a little nervous. 

I should probably go do more homework for other classes now. Ugh.

Also, if anyone from my pod is reading this, I miss you guys!

The Benzels

The Benzels are my favorite people ever.

You can't even argue with me. They are so cute and awesome and I love it! I have Mrs. Benzel for APUS and honestly seeing her makes my day. Yesterday was our last lecture before the AP test and I heard she was sick and I didn't even want to come to school because she wasn't there. That sounds kind of creepy but she is just such a good teacher and I love talking to her. And then Mr. Benzel is just super cool and nice to me.

And I like how I can talk to them about softball because their daughters play softball. Honestly just going into the Benzel classroom makes my day.

I wish I could peer teach for APUS next year...I have a free period because I'm dropping AP Bio and taking AP Lit instead. Sooooo that leaves me with an open period and I have no idea what I should take. Maybe I'll peer teach for Bumgardner...that would be fun. But anyways, I really think I would have fun peer teaching for APUS because I love history and I would get to see the Benzels still! They are seriously the best.

Career Research Presentation

Ok, so my English teacher assigned this career research presentation a long time ago, but I haven't thought much about it because it was assigned really far in advance.  Anyways, we did sign-ups for speech dates today and I am going last.  This means I have to give my speech on June 4th, a few days before the last day of school.  I am kind of disapointed becuase I was hoping the last week of school would be fun and stress free.  Oh well, at least I will have more time to prepare!

Make It Count

We're almost there, spirit week is here, the excellence assembly is next week and CST testing the following, which for once us seniors won't have to do, score!

Although there are so many people that just want to rush through the rest of the year and 'can't wait' for graduation. I really don't. Why do we rush through every day, week and month of our lives without taking the time to actually enjoy and appreciate the time that we get to spend with our friends, family, teachers, and all stop to enjoy the experiences and opportunities that we will never have again.

Don't get me wrong, I'm super excited for all of the end of the year activities and graduation. It's just, it'll be here before we know it, and we might as well enjoy the remaining time we have with each other, step by step, and day by day.

It seems that there are too many people that are wishing graduation would be tomorrow, which is basically the same thing as wishing away the rest of the time we have left in high school, and wishing away your life.

There are so many memories that we can make with any amount of time we have left here, whether it be as a sophomore, a junior or a senior.

I know it sounds really cliche, but make the most of the time that you have here, because there may come a time that you might wish you did.

COLLEGEEEEE... and Devin

Kiersten and I are going to the same college in case all of you are wondering... I'm just really excited! I so wasn't expecting it, it just kind of happened how we both are ending up going to Fullerton!

ALSO...

Devin is obsessed with Hermoine Granger - he also just corrected me on her name spelling....really? Anyways now he's talking about how he pouted when Emma Roberts came to his middle school, but he thought it was Emma Watson who was coming; and he freaked out when it was the girl from Nancy Drew showed up instead. He couldn't even be happy that a celebrity came to his school... UNGRATEFUL. Just kidding...ok I'm done, bye.

Centennial Celebration

2013 marks the 100th year since the establishment of the US Soccer Program. To celebrate their centennial achievement, US Soccer has crafted special kits with a classic emblem on the chest. They have also produced multiple new videos, blogs, time lines, and statistic charts in regards to the accomplishments of both the men's and women's national teams.

After reading these new articles and even searching through some old archives on their website, I've noticed that our women's national has significantly more honors and Olympic titles than the men's. I found this shocking as our men's team has been around since 1913 and our women's was only established in 1985! The highest honor the men's team has every reached was a Bronze medal in the 1930 world cup while the women have won gold in the '91 and '99 FIFA World Cups and 4 Olympic golds in '96, '04, '08, and just this past summer in the London 2012 Olympics. Even though the USWNT has only been established for only about 30 years now, their big international wins have been extremely exciting to watch. With 100 years of excellence past, we look forward to another 100 years of success for our US national teams.

Dance 1 Project

So in dance 1 we have to choreograph a dance about a cause, and it has to be at least one minute long.  My group decided to have our cause be breast cancer.  All of the other people in my group have a personal experience with breast cancer, but I'm the only one who doesn't.  However in the dance, I am playing the sick person, but I don't exactly know how to do that.  And on top of all this dance stuff, I am doing horribly in Chemistry, my AP World test is only 35 days away, and my best friend is leaving for 20 days.  So basically my life is pretty hard right now.

A Speck Among the Redwoods

This past Sunday was my birthday, the big 1 7. And the only thing, the only thing I wanted for my birthday was to leave Rocklin for the day. And I got my wish.

I went to Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley which is about 2 hours away. I got to be a speck among the redwood trees that day. While it was still a small forest of redwood trees the immensity of them was just amazing. To be able to walk through trees that have been around for more then 2,000 years was unbelievable to me. Yet, with the hundreds of people who were walking through the park it still had an eerie silence to it. It seemed as though after first seeing the trees people would instantly become quite, but even after walking through the park for a couple hours people would still walk out with an amazed face. I will

definitely be going back to Muir Woods this summer!

Vine

the new app vine is so much fun. its an app where you take several little videos and it puts them together and you post it and then yeah. It's fun. So far my friends and i have made some at our team dinners and wal mart and cvs and in car rides. the wal mart ones are fun but you can get some weird looks but then again there has been some stranger things at wal mart.

Things On My Mind...

I currently have a million thoughts running through my head, and the majority have absolutely no relevance to each other. So let me list them out for you (as if you actually care) :

• I am furious with the Rocklin High Admin, because after going through all the hard work of asking my boyfriend to Sadies (it involved kidnapping and throwing him in my trunk), I was just informed yesterday that college aged guests are only allowed to formal dances. So forget about the Sadies dance.
• Job hunting is such a pain in the YOU KNOW WHAT. Due to my hatred for my last job, I finally quit and now I am jobless. I really want to be a hostess or waitress so I went into 9 restaurants yesterday and only 2 of them are actively hiring. Ugh.
• Due to my constant preoccupation with pointless things like my English Peace Summit, I have let my bedroom and bathroom absolutely go to hell...they are both in desperate need of some good cleaning.
• The Powderpuff game is tomorrow night and if the seniors don't win, I will probably end up doing something illegal. Why? BECAUSE I HATE THE JUNIOR CLASS. Sorry to all you Juniors reading this, I don't hate all of you. I just despise your class as a whole You all are ignorant, immature and in need of some attitude adjustments.
• These next two weeks cannot pass by fast enough because next Friday my boyfriend is taking me to the Giants game (he's a keeper), and then the following week is CST week which means I can partake in my favorite activity: sleeping.
• Between The Following, The Voice, and Dance Moms, I have a lot of TV watching to catch up on.
• Considering I am moving 400 miles away in about three months, I think it would be smart to actually start looking for apartments and roommates....nah.

There is a lot more but I will stop boring you. Okay, bye.

Paramore

     Yesterday April 9th Paramore released a new, self-titled album. The album is called Paramore and  it is their first album since the departure of Zac and Josh Farro from the band. I've been a huge fan of the band for years and was naturally super excited for this album to be released. They definitely have changed their sound since now the band includes just Hayley, Jeremy, and Taylor. I think with this album they moved a bit away from their punk rock days and have incorporated a bit more pop into their sound and with it being only Hayleys vocals for lead and backup it's definitely different. Overall I like the album. Hayley Williams has probably one of the best voices I've heard and they put a lot of hard work into the album over the years and I believe it has paid off. Great job to paramore however hayley Williams can pull off any hairstyle but I think it is time to lose the baby bangs....
   

Vine

I am obsessed with the app Vine. You record short segments of whatever you want and the app combines them all together to create a video. I dont know if that made any sense, but whatever - it's amazing. If you have an iphone and you don't have this app, i highly recommend it.

Lessons

So last Tuesday I had the bright idea to get my septum pierced.... Little did I know that it would be so much trouble. This piece of metal I had stabbed through my nose not only get boogers crusted onto it, but the ball  on the end won't  unscrew so I can take it out. To say the least, I'm a little frustrated. I've tried soaking it in water to loosen it up, I've tried twisting it with my fringer, with pliers, with rubber, I've even tried to cut it off with wire cutters. Alas, it doesn't budge, and I'm not strong enough to actually cut it but I don't want anyone else to try because the immediate area is still sore. So for now, to hide my mistake, I keep it flipped up into my nose which is causing me grief right now. Usually I don't even feel it, but right now it's the most irritating thing in the world, it feels like my entire nose is coated in boogers. So here's the lesson I learned, if you weren't born with it, you DON'T need it.

Senior Ball.. haha losers

Hahahaha. that's kind of how I feel. All my friends are freaking out about Senior Ball. Who do I go with? Will they say yes? How should I ask? What bus am I going on? SOOOO MANY QUESTIONS.
I haven't asked myself one. Why? I have my Senior Ball date and I know what bus I'm going on, so even though I like you hahaha loser.

Nostalgic For Times I've Never Lived In

So I just saw Across the Universe again, and it is THE BEST! It's basically a musical with The Beatles music about the sixties--how can that ever go wrong? (well unless there was bad acting...) Anyways! It made me nostalgic for the sixties... Even though I am way too young to ever have been thought of at that time. But still!!! I want to participate in peace protests and put flowers in guns! And I want to walk around barefoot with a crown of flowers in my hair! And what about them concerts man!!!!! Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Doors, Janis Joplin, and so on. I would just be ecstatic to just go to one of those concerts. Man, I tell you if I had a time machine I'd have a party in the sixties. Oh, and we were learning about them in APUSH and I was just so excited! (If you are in my APUSH class, you might have noticed that I didn't look excited... It was because I was trying really hard not to die of happiness... especially when we watched that video Montgomery showed us on the sixties and music.) Anyways, I died internally with nostalgic feelings so strongly to a time I never experienced. I wonder what would be worse: living through a time and feeling nostalgic about it or not living through a time and still feeling nostalgic about it. Well, either way it sucks. And basically if and when they ever make time machines you know exactly where I'm going.

YOLO

HOW TO CARPE DIEM (seize the day)

STEP 1 

Breathe in

STEP 2

Breathe out

STEP 3

Practice steps 1 and 2 until you feel comfortable enough to multitask

STEP 4

Take your time. 

STEP 5

Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat until you can accomplish steps 1,2, and 5.

STEP 6

Dispose of inhibition. 

STEP 7

DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO DO NOW

Seize the day

Awesome title that makes my post look better than it is

I really feel random today. Maybe it is just all the thoughts in my head have finally gotten free and are now just making my brain think of 20 different things at one time? Maybe I just have a lot of energy? I don't know, but whatever is happening should happen more often. Seriously, this has been going on for a couple of days and I feel like I can do ANYTHING! (okay, not anything... I do have boundaries and time limits) but still, you get the gist. 

And if I didn't have any tests or anything to study for this week, I would be doing everything I've been wanting to do since I got back from spring break. But of course, I have 3 tests to study for, a french presentation, and then my ACT. Not to mention everything else going on in my busy, jam-packed, girly teenager life 

But let's stay on the happier note, shall we? How about the fact that I am now nicknamed The Half-Blood Princess! didn't quite catch the reference there? no worries. But for those of you who do get it, (I'm looking to you Rhiannon- hopefully- and anyone else that has read the 6th Harry Potter book or even watched the movie) YAY. So yeah, so far, good week. Although I realize it's still only Tuesday.... See ya next time!

Ladies... Tanner Dibella

He likes long walks on the beach, horseback riding, sitting by the fire with a good book and all things romantic. Go to senior ball with him and he will treat you like a princess! 

Bids starting at $.50

Ticket, bus and dinner included. 

Good Luck Ladies! 

This could be yours... 

My Weekend

My weekend was extremely busy and left me exhausted. I'm still a little tired. So Friday I had Powder Puff practice at 7, and those are tiring by the time they are over. Then Saturday morning, we had another practice at 10 am till around 11:30. Then Sunday my dad and I ran the Run Rocklin 5k, went home, and did yard work and inside cleaning for the rest of the day.

My body is bruised and tired, but it's ok, I like my active/outside life. :)
 

Blog Full Of Randomness

It's 10 pm as of now and I got into bed at like 6 pm. Seriously, I feel tired, then as soon as I lay down, I feel energized. Sarcasmic yay. Reading all of these blogs makes my life seem so drab. Is that a word? Now it is. Honestly, the highlight of my week is the track meet. How nerdy is that? I must say, however, that I love love LOVED the Thunder Invite. So many students! The meet made me so happy. I don't even know what it is about the meets that I like, it's just not explainable. It seems that everyone has summer in sight of them and of course that's in my mind, but I don't think that's what pushes me through the last bit of school, it's track that does the job. Unconventional, I know. Anyways, all of the parent volunteers that I worked with from Saturday pretty much called me "boss" and let me do whatever. Is it necessarily a bad thing to be recognized as boss amongst a group of men in their 30s and higher? Leilah (I think it was her) said that I would be perfect as a dictator. I'd like to think of this as true.

I'm particularly happy that I can feel my legs right now. Last year I had to run the papers up to the booth and I swear I could barely walk for two days because I was so sore...

I cannot wait for the journalism trip. It's unfortunate that it lands on the same day as the Mock Trial banquet, but hopefully Rahul will persuade our coach enough to move it. I would be devastated to miss it. As I progress through high school, I think simple events like these start meaning a lot more to me. It's the second to last banquet I'll have for Mock Trial and the last banquet I'll have with four amazing seniors that mean so much to me: Lii, Charisse, Rahul, and Amanda. Back to my original point, I think I'm in the category of column/editorial. I don't know the exact difference between the two, but as long as the topic can strike some emotional chord within me, I should be good to go. If it's something relatively unrelated to my life, such as penguins (just a random topic, I care about penguins, but let's be real, I don't care about them THAT much, sorry penguin lovers), then there goes my chances of writing well.

So, Saturday morning, I stopped by the Starbucks near Bel Air and saw an employee there. The weird thing was that I recognized him...from the Starbucks near the high school. My mind was blown. I know most people find that uninteresting, but it's weird that I see him and ask myself "Why is he here and not at the other one?" I wonder if he recognized me...

I really should go to sleep, but I just can't, which is especially unfortunate since I'm supposed to help my friend with precalc in the morning (as if I understand it myself...), but at least I get Starbucks out of it.

There's a picnic this Wedsnesday for the Picnic Club, yay! It seems a little cliche-y (did I spell that right?) simply because the only people that show up are friends of Juliette and Autumn. Where'd all my friends go? I mean, some people said that they would go in the beginning of the year and they never showed. But I put in an announcement form, so hopefully we'll see some new faces and eat some delicioso food. *Don't correct me Rahul!

Empty House

Right now, we are in the middle of getting new flooring in our house, so we had to take all the furniture except our beds out of the house. The house feels so empty (which it is)! The guy who is doing our flooring is coming tomorrow to take out all our old carpet, BUT he is not actually putting in the new flooring for 2 more weeks! That means I will be living in an empty house for a while... Guess I better get used to it. (sigh)

Growing Up is Exactly Everything it's Cracked Up to Be

So I recently saw some picture on Facebook that consisted entirely of the words "Life is getting too complex, can I be 5 again" or something similar. This brings to mind 2 things:

1. Why are people still posting these?
2. I completely disagree with this.

Seeing as I still have to do my blog post for this week, I figured I would elaborate on the latter.

Whatever difficulties that may plague my current life, I will never miss my early childhood, or really, even my more recent childhood. I remember being five - I was significantly less emotionally stable, significantly more awkward, and I was afraid of virtually everything. That stuff's specific to me, but there's also the fact that five-year-olds can't drive, deal with basic life situations, or even do anything unsupervised. As a teenager, I still have a long ways to go in some of those fields, but at least I can be trusted with a pair of scissors.

Which is what brings me to my next point. I will never miss elementary school. One of my earliest distinct scholastic memories is my doomed attempts in the first grade to manufacture a handmade picture book about animals. Not only did this process turn out rather poorly, it also gave me a lifelong fear of glue sticks. Nowadays, I study things that actually apply to the world, like physics and economics. Sure, sometimes I struggle with a particularly hard problem on electromagnetism or something, but at least none of my coursework places me at risk of getting my figures stuck together due to my mishandling of some abominable adhesive. Progress is beautiful.

Sure, I have more responsibilities now, and my life will get a lot harder in college and as an adult, but I'm glad to be moving forward and becoming someone of actual consequence in this world. The reason my life is more complex now is because I'm doing marginally important things, and my life will be far more complex in the future because I will be doing very important things. Let's go.

So there you have it, kids. Don't believe the people who say life is terrible after the age of 10. It gets better.

Summer

I am so ready for summer, but also not at the same time.  Yes, it will be great not going to school everyday, not doing homework every second of my life, and not have to deal with the stress of grades.  BUT, my summer is only going to consist of playing softball.  Literally that is it.  Plus one week in Mexico. But thats it.  I mean, I love playing softball, its my favorite thing in the whole world, but I think I might get burnt out after playing every weekend.  For the whole entire summer. 

But summer will also signal the end to grades, AP testing, CST testing (lets hope I dont pass out this year), and most importantly, the need to get up at 6am every morning.  And now that I have my drivers license, I can actually have a life this summer, because before, my summer was watching Netflix and reruns of Friends.

Japan

So I'm leaving on Thursday to go to Japan. It's for a piano concert and I'll be gone for about two and a half weeks. Missing school will be pretty great, obviously, except for the fact that I'll have two and a half weeks of work to catch up on when I get back. 

Some of my teachers like Mr. Trejo in math will be able to give me the notes ahead of time so that I can (hopefully) get some of the work done while I'm in the airplane or whatever. And then other teachers, like Mr. Nichols, answer my question of "Is there any work I should get done while I'm gone?" by just saying "Yes," and walking away. 

Ok Mr. Nichols, don't blame me when I don't blog at all in the next few weeks because you didn't tell me what to do. 

I actually don't even know if I'll have wi-fi in Japan. Like, can you imagine? Not being able to check instagram every two seconds??? I'll have 300mb of internet for while I'm gone, but considering that my usage for the past two weeks has been over 1,000mb, I think that this could be a potential problem. 

Places like Mc. Donalds will have free wi-fi, but what are the odds of me spending much time in a Mc. Donalds while in Japan? I also have a limit of 50 texts receiving and sending. Since I'll be out of the country, the bill will be huge if I go over and I'd honestly rather stay in Japan than face my parents' wrath if they saw the bill.

Since none of my family is coming and I'm going for a piano concert, I'll be staying as a homestay in some random family's house. Yeah, that's a little terrifying. And they haven't responded to my email that I sent last week(hence, the reason I don't know if I'll have wi-fi or not). What if they hate me. Ugh whatever.

Also, I'll be having an AP World unit test like the day/the day after I get back. Ok, cool.

Home Stretch

There's only weeks left...

Only eight weeeks to bring my grades up,... and only four weeks to until AP testing... I'm freaking out.

 But, I am soo excited for summer because I'm flying to the UK, and I get to spend time with my family, act the tourist, and explore England, Wales, and Scotland!

I'm flying out first, and the rest of my family is flying out after me, so I get to spend a week doing what I want to do with my grandparents and aunt and uncle. There is just so much to explore!

My grandparents are going to take me to see a town where there is an entire street of just bookstores (like antiquey ones, not just Barnes and Nobles equivalents). Liz, if you read this, I'll take lots of pictures for you!

Since I'm in Honor Guard, I have to be here for graduation on Friday, but I get to fly to London on the Saturday! I am actually super excited for packing, which is kind of weird, but to me that means that it's really and truly almost summer, so I'm counting down to that too! Don't judge me.

If you ask any of my friends, this is literally all I've been talking about. I am just so done with this school year. Senior year is going to be so much easier. Six classes whoop whoop!

The best feeling is knowing that everything is OVER!

Almost Done

Each school year, I can start to taste summer just after spring break. My teachers are wrapping up the main curriculum in time for CST testing. I'm starting to scramble to make sure my grades are what I need them to be, and I'm starting to plan out my summer. I've written up a resume and after a few edits, I think I'll be ready to apply to some internships (which I really, really hope I get). I'm trying to decide if I want to take classes at Sierra, and if so then what classes. And I'm still debating whether or not to take French 3 Honors over the summer.

Despite the end of the year stress, I'm really looking forward to this summer, and being a junior next year. I'm super excited about my classes and I'm definitely ready to be an upperclassmen :)

Ew, Nose Water

Whilst on my way to Mr. Nichols's room, I felt thirsty. Also, I saw Megan and she decided to go with me, but first we had to stop by the bathroom. I drank water first because if I used the restroom then drank water, it kind of defeats the point because 20 minutes later I'd have to use the bathroom. Anyways...was drinking the water and Megan leans over and tells me to hurry up because she really had to go. I somehow found this HILARIOUS and started laughing mid-way of drinking. So, of course, the water took a different route than going down my tummeh and shot out of my nose. Gross, right?

I don't know about you, but that's never happened to me before, so, uh, it was an experience, to say the least. My whole face just hurt and Megan pretty much told me to suck it up. Haha, pun? Lame joke? I dunno.

But here we are in Nichols's class and she's trying to find out if I'm ticklish, which I am. So, she puts her pen against foot, and my leg jerks forward, hitting the desk. Ouch. I don't know, but at least it's better about subjunctive in Spanish. I don't know what that is in English!

Senior English in the Library

Im sitting here in senior english and I am really bored
Denzel is sitting next to me freaking out about not wanting to get drafted for a war... I don't blame him
The printer isn't working in the library right now
Claire wants to know why I have a pink water bottle but that's another story
Chim is looking at photo's of prom from god knows what year
The librarian fixed the printer
Now Chim is making a funny noise while she looks at photo's of prom from god knows what year
Ally can't stop moving
Jack got called out of class too and gave Denzel a wierd handshake
Mr. James is worried about what food we are bringing next class and he suggested we bring Na
Thats a food. Am I gonna bring it? Nah... I know bad joke
Daniel and Mitch are playing games and Daniel looks like he's getting pissed
15 minutes left in class.. but I won't keep you here
Isn't it funny how you're reading this
I'm saying nothing of significance but it's damn interesting
Ok last thing
Ok second to last thing
Denzel says, "Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease"
Don't ask me why I have no clue he's hungry I guess
Ok last thing I swear
I make bomb ass pizza rolls

Time Flys

less than 2 months to go. I just can't comprehend this. I am just a junior, but this is scaring me. Less than 2 months to go until the seniors leave us :(  Until summer :) Until grades are final. Until I have more work to do.... okay, that one really isn't a revelation because I always have work to do. But it's still there.
I still remember when I could feel the day pass by, slowly and agonizingly slow. But now, I don't even feel it. It's like one minute, I'm doing my math or history, and then the next, it's time to eat dinner or bed. 2 years ago I could feel the time passing, wondering when it would pass faster. Now, I just wish it could go slower.

Time...

This might be a long one, but bare with me guys, you will only have to deal with my posts once a week hahaha!

So anyway I guess I'll talk about how frustrating it is to sit at school, which you don't enjoy, learning about things you will never use in real life, and stressing about things you need to do to get out of this place. I know where I'm going to college, I know what I want to study, I know where I want to do my required internship, I know where I want to go for grad school after college, and I know where I want to work after grad school. I already know how my life is going to turn out, I already have the majority of it planned out, and I plan on doing every single thing I have planned in my head. Because that's who I am, I'm a planner, I plan something and envision it until its perfect, then I go do it. Some think its crazy but that's how I am, so deal with it. So therefore it's extremely hard for me to sit through class with idiotic kids who have no goals, its hard for me to study for a physics test (which I'm attempting to do now) that will mean absolutely nothing to me in the long run, since Broadcast Journalism has nothing to do with science. And it's extremely stressful that I need to make sure I pass AP Econ (which I hate... It's not easy like someone told me it was last year) so I can graduate and fulfill all my plans. It's hard and I just want to be done and move on to my next mission, I guess you could say.... BUT

My boss said something to me so out of the blue last week that made me really think about my life and how I'm currently living it. So every day I get up upset, upset that I have to get ready and go to school, when all I can think about is college and my classes I will actually enjoy, and my dorm, and the wonderful city I will be in with the perfect weather at all times, and the cool happy people who all there for a purpose to learn and succeed. So then I grudgingly get through the day but with all of that on my mind CONSTANTLY. I'm not living in the moment and I'm just trying to get by so I can move on to the next thing I have planned for my self. Well now you're probably wondering what my boss said, well anywhere here it is.

So out of no where she came out of her office to get something, I'm doing my work minding my own business and she says, "Franchesca, are you an over achiever?" I was so confused as to why she was asking me this, so hesitantly I replied with something along the lines of how sometimes, yes, I really can be an over achiever  So she said how she is too and that she had some advice for me. So I listened, she told me about how when she was my age she always wanted to get her current "project" done so she can move on to her next "project." She explained how she was so in a rush to get to college, once she got to college, she was so in a rush to graduate so she could get to Law School, once she got to Law School she was in such a rush to finish then pass the bar and become an attorney. She said that once she got where she wanted to end up she looked back and said "WOW." She told me how she wished she wasn't in such a hurry to get all her accomplishments done, and just enjoyed her moments. She said she did have fun during all that time, yet now looking back she doesn't feel she really took the time to just STOP and relax for a second to appreciate and enjoy all the moments throughout that whole journey. What she said to me just out of the blue has really resonated with me since she gave me that priceless advice. That really meant a lot that she took the time out of her busy attorney schedule to try to help a young person she saw as someone who was like herself, and just take the time and try to prevent her mistakes from happening to me.

And for those mere 5 minutes with her I am extremely grateful. Yes, I've always been told to stop and smell the flowers, to appreciate every moment of your life, and every other cheesy quote about appreciating time; yet it really took a successful woman who realized I reminded her of her younger self who stopped to just share her regrets in life to hopefully open my eyes and no let that happen to me. And that's exactly what she did. Instead of continuing on with my extremely severe Senioritis I was previously suffering from, I am now not going to be in such a rush to "get out of here" and just live day by day and appreciate the last few months of high school that I will never get back. Its been a hard year for me, but I know what I have to look forward to, and so instead of obsessing with all the things I COULD be doing instead of studying for this physics test, I'm going to just live in the moment and appreciate the time that I'm studying for this test. Graduation is going to come before I know it, and the last thing I want to have in my life are regrets. I am thankful that she stopped and said something to me, because I don't think I realized I have been doing EXACTLY what she described her whole life as. She described this as a regret, and regret that she would have just slowed down!

So, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I know what I'm going to do in life and what it takes to get there so I'm going to just relax and not rush through it, I'm going to enjoy every second and not constantly rush to the next thing I need to "check off" my list, because life isn't a list. Life is meant to be filled with experiences and lessons, that you take the time to appreciate and enjoy. So my Senioritis has been cured, of course I'm excited to graduate, but now there will be no rushing. So when I'm forty years old I don't look back regretting my choices, regretting the time I was wasting, to move on to my next task and rushing my life away. Because once you get to the place you were in such a hurry to get to, what do you have left? Nothing but the regrets of not enjoying the process it took to get there.

Softball!

Okay I'm sure all of you totally want to hear more about softball...just kidding. I tried to think of something more exciting than softball to blog about, but honestly, I don't do anything else but softball and school, and softball is more exciting than school.

Well, considering that we're 5-0 in league, softball this year has been going pretty good for RHS. Considering we didn't even make it to playoffs the last two years, I personally feel like we're kicking butt. It's kind of cool how talented our team is - the fact that the majority of us have played together in Rocklin Girls Softball League since we were 8 years old makes it even cooler. Our team is like a little family!

Why have we been so successful this year? We only lost a couple of key players from last year...so what changed? In my opinion, I think we just got fed up of sucking. Rocklin has a tradition of winning and we as individuals and a team wanted to continue that. Softball doesn't always get a good name for various reasons (yes, I know it is boring to watch) but it can be exciting. Take winning the Stephanie Ledeax tournament before spring break and beating Granite Bay with a walk off grand slam home run. We beat Woodcreek, the defending sections champs, and even Casa Robles, who has two major PAC-12 players on their team.

But still, I think we got the full package: good teammates, good coaches, good talent, good chemistry. Just like our boys basketball team this year, we went from bottom of the totem pole to the top - all in a year. I'm excited to be apart of such an exciting season.

Life

So I think this is my first time blogging this year. I honestly don't even know what to say. Hmm..life has been pretty good. Breaking iPhone's and making YouTube money. Spring Break has been really relaxing. 2 more months until graduation. Yeah.....well until next time.

Greatness

"Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakspeare" - Emerson (AKA original transcendtalist thinker) I just love this because I like to imagine life in this way. I feel as though greatness cannot be taught because of this statement. No amount of superior knowledge will ever allow someone to succumb to success because it is not neccesarily what you have learned but how you apply yourself and I like to apply this to my life when I can. I know society sets up rules, expectations, and customs that challenges are individuality daily but those who are great do not succumb. Those who are great live with their own free will and I hope once I graduate I can live somewhere with a greater respect for this notion. Where indiduality is respected in greater numbers, I understand unique people in Rocklin. I know that everyone is unique. But it is different to think like a transcendalist. It is a kind of respect for yourself that cannot be taught and I am really modest so I would never admit to whether or not I think I have this trait but I feel like I strive for it whether I make it evident or not I do not know...

That Awkward Moment When...

You start singing along to a song, right as the music turns off.

The whole class gets silent right when you start talking.

You tell your parents that the whole class failed the test, so your C+ was really like an A.

When the doorway is too small to fit two people, so you and your friend just stand there because nobody wants to go first.

Somebody you don't like from school finds out you have an Instagram.

You think somebody is waving at you, so you wave back...then you realize they were waving at the person behind you.

You are trying to open a really noisy bag of chips in the middle of class.

People are singing you Happy Birthday and you don't know where to look.

You catch someone looking at you in class.

When Santa has the same wrapping paper as your mom.

When your crush walks in the room and your friend just looks at you like a creeper.

Your friend trips and falls and you just stand there laughing at them.

You try to pull a student out of class to interview them, and the teacher says no.


The End. :)

Mi Madre

So I actually live in three places... My dad and stepmom in the Bay Area, my stepdad in Humboldt, and my mom here in Rocklin. So basically it is mostly just me and my mom. But this week she is off in Mexico with my stepdad's church on a mission trip. And I miss her terribly. I know sometimes that all of us sometimes may despise our overprotective mothers, but sometimes I really enjoy that she cares so much. I mean I am not completely alone at my house. Alina is living with me and I have a cat and dog, but it is just different when my mom is not there. And I know she can be overbearing and believe me some people think she's crazy but I love her anyways. Sorry if this is a heavy blog but I'm not all sad and lonely about it. I just wanted to show my appreciation for my crazy mother. :)

Post Spring Break

So I don't know about you, but this week hasn't felt like school. My brain has been reduced to slop over break after a bunch of activities and ever since I've come back to school, I feel completely delirious. Everything and everyone is just passing by me in a blur and I don't know what is even going on. But hey, I'm pretty stoked its four day week. Heres to hoping my head is screwed on right for next week.

Our Angel

This spring break was both one of the hardest and most comforting breaks of my life. As everyone knows, our teammate Heidi passed away the Friday break started and consequently my whole team was grieving together. Friday was a blur, hearing the news over the intercom was heartbreaking because the day before her mom said they were going to have three more days. It's one of those things that seems unreal and you can't even grasp the concept that they will never be there again. I had just talked to her Tuesday and at that point it had felt like I hadn't seen her in years.

But from all this pain, we as a team and a family actually grew closer together. We have always been a close knit team therefore losing one of our captains was devastating; but being together and talking about all of our practices, meets, and team trips made me realize how much all of them mean to me. I don't even think I can describe the feeling really. It was just a comforting experience and though a part of us is missing, we will continue to pull through together.

For the past three years I have spent two hours of practice with her everyday, I have traveled throughout the state competing with her, and I have even had the privelage of working with her and being her co-captain this past year. I still can't fathom that she is gone and we are all running with heavy hearts but our angel is now looking down on us and I am eternally greatful for all Heidi has done for me and my team.

Today is My Birthday

Today is officially my birthday. I was put here on this planet seventeen years ago and I'm thankful that I'm here.
For those of you that care, you can continue reading this blog post of mine. Those of you who don't, then you don't have to. Simple as that. Not being rude, just stating the obvious.
Seventeen years ago, I was born during the mid-day. I was a premature, a "preemie" baby. I was born more than a month early than my actual due date, so I was 5 weeks early. I weighed in at 2 pounds, 14 ounces and my dad could hold me in the palm of his hand. Despite being an early baby, I was healthy and happy. I was released from the hospital within three weeks.
Not many people can admit this, but I love life and all it has to offer. I enjoy going to school everyday, (well, except for some days), and learning new things. I'm happy where I'm at in this world. And for that I'm extremely thankful.
:)

The Great Gatsby (be careful! it might have some spoilers!)

So I just finished this book before class even assigned reading. BUT IT WAS AMAZING!!! It is now my favorite book. I don't know if that's sad but oh well! Anyways, I am like obsessed and I swear like every sentence was beautiful (if that is even possible..) and I love how it is in the 1920s. To me that era was a time that was almost magical. But it was still such a gilded age, with its superficial feelings. Yet, that is what made the book so beautifully tragic! I mean take Daisy. This chick is so superficial that she doesn't even know what she loves. She just wants to be pretty and happy. And the only sane one I feel in this whole book was Nick (narrator) who was just showing the reader how demented everyone was. But, I guess everyone has their flaws... But I mean really? Oh and the thing that just kills me the most is that in one scene Tom (Daisy's husband) claims that women are too "loose" nowadays. BUT HE HAS A MISTRESS!!!!! What is wrong with these people???? Ugh, oh well.

Yes.

By my estimate, about 95% of my blog posts on this thing since August have revolved around the anticipation of my admissions decisions to various colleges. Those days are over - as of last week, I know exactly where I stand for all 12 colleges I applied to, and I'm reasonably sure of where I'm going: UC Berkeley. This is really relieving. Now I just have to figure out everything about entering college, and then I have the epic four-year journey that is undergad. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Do you want to know what I despise more than Taylor Swift? Blogging...
Miley Cyrus did not hop off the plane at LAX with her dream and her cardigan for Photo J to be blogging for a grade. I thought the point of this class was to take pictures, not spend 30 minutes figuring out what to blog about and then spending the rest of the class ranting and trying to distract yourself from blogging. Do you see the struggles? It's also the first day back from break and I dont even know why seniors need to show up if we're accepted into college and the majority of our classes are a joke.. I'm honestly counting down the seconds until graduation

Don't Stress

So I was sick all of break and basically was unable to do anything but lay around all day. Might sound relaxing, but really, is anything relaxing when you're sick? No, especially when you're having chest pain and think that you're going to have a heart attack.

But, I've learned a lot in these past two weeks that I've been sick and have learned to appreciate things so much more. Although I might not have been able to do anything fun or get together with friends last week, I think that God was teaching me something.

I learned to appreciate family and friends so much more, and to not stress as much about certain things with school, because in the end it will all work out. It's so much more important to stay healthy and not get too over-stressed about tests and homework assignments, because if it's going to cause you to get sick, miss school and make a couple trips to the emergency room like I did, it's just not worth it. So don't stress, and remain calm, things have a way of working out.

Now that I am finally feeling better, I am looking forward to these last few months of high school, summer and college.   Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Heh, People

It's kind of amazing to see everybody rush to the blog to tell about their adventures, or misadventures, over break. Scrambling to get their blog over with, I dunno, it's just amusing to me.

I'm super nervous for the dance auditions later today. Either I'm going to forget the dance or I'm not going to stretch properly. I understand it's my last year and I'm not in need of a PE, but I like dance. It honestly is what keeps me going through my day. Without it, I'd literally fall asleep everyday in AP Psych and Hon. Spanish III.

I got so much to do, but not enough time. I really hope I don't stay in AP US plus today, I just don't feel the US vibe.

Mr. Hardy is the best and here is why

"Live, live passionately, love".

Today, Mr. Hardy said this in AP Econ and I wanted to cry. He is such a good teacher and a kind man. I am not that good at linear and logical thought, but I want to try harder when I'm in his class to succeed in economics. What I also love about his teaching is how genuine he is with his students. Though he is funny and theatrical, you can tell that he is serious about teaching and inspiring students, not just to learn economics or pass the AP test, but to be good people in general.

Break, Megan, and Transcendentalism

Spring break has know come to an end. It was really relaxing, and I had a lot of time to spend with my horse and read. Which is a pretty awesome break from school and shtuff.

Megan is back!! She was in Mexico all break with her church, so I had no contact with her. Anyway, she is back now, and she has brought a new sweat shirt thing that smells like dirt and wonderfulness.


Oh! This morning I had a perfect transcendentalist moment. I had to take Romeo to my trainers down the street so he could be looked at by a chiropractor (Romeo is my horse). When I walked over, the sun had not yet risen, but there was a peaceful glow in the air. After getting him all settled in the stall, I walked out to the barn door and watched as the sun rose behind some oak trees. There was hare a little way off in the distance. It started hopping towards me, not knowing I was there. It stopped about 30 feet away and started nibble some grass at its feet. I just stood there, as the sun came up, and as the hare lingered in front of me, I was struck with beauty and tranquility of the world and its early morning secret, that we had shared.


Thanks, Pereira, for introducing me to transcendentalism. 

GO TITANS! 

I have officially decided to go to Cal State Fullerton next year! I have my csu fullerton sweatshirt...my tshirt...  and my water bottle.. all set. Finally I am getting excited for next year because some of the questions and problems are beginning to be solved. The idea of being alone in a different city is a little scary let alone being in LA... but having Disneyland and the beach within a 30 minute proximity makes things a little easier. If anyone wants to get me a Disneyland season pass for a graduation present... Go right ahead! 

Thanks! 

Stupid.

Stupid. Everything is stupid.

It's stupid that spring break is only a week long, it's stupid that the Giant's lost the season opener to the Dodgers yesterday. It's stupid that seniors still need to attend class after we have been accepted to college and it's extremely stupid that my job pays minimum wage. The Sharks are trading away all our players away for draft picks, and that's horribly stupid. The fact Catherine won The Bachelor is stupid, and the reality that ice cream is unhealthy for you is beyond stupid. It's stupid that we were taught at a young age that stupid is a mean word. Yet, at times, stupid is the perfect adjective for certain situations.

For example: Blogging is stupid.

Venice Beach is Crazy

So uhh..don't know if you heard of Venice Beach but its pretty crazy. For instance, right when I get there I see a guy with tiny braids spiking out of his hair and he is in short shorts and he is roller blading while holding a sign that reads, "Where my stoner friends at?" After reading his message I continued on down the street and bought some pomegranate in a bag from a lovlely looking hispanic woman who gave us a deal, 2 bags of pom. for 5$ (the seeds were pulled out, and it came with a spoon) I don't know about you but that is awesome because I hate getting the seeds out! So yeah I saw a lot of really fascinating art that I know Aubrey would have appreciated more than I did. And the food was great and the people were nice (proabably because 75% of all the people were high on marjuana) But yeah it was fun, could I live there? ehh...but it is a great place to travel

Les Miserables DVD Release

This spring break, while not working on my AP World and language arts homework, I spent the majority of my time watching Les Miserables. Since seeing it over winter break, the film has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. I was familiar with it before, but only barely. However, upon viewing the movie I quickly became obsessed with everything Les Mis related.

I went back to the theater to watch the movie several more times, so naturally I was beyond delighted when it came out on DVD and bought it immediately. I've watched countless times and I'm still not tired of it. Watching it at home is even better than watching it in the theater, because now I can sing along to my heart's content. Plus, the bonus features are absolutely amazing.

Looking back, I probably should have spent a little more time doing homework and a little less time watching    Les Mis, but I love it so much that I don't regret it (much).