Winter Break= Busy. Ironic, eh?

            As we are at the beginning of winter break, I can already tell it’s going to be busy one. Although I will have more time to spend with family and friends as I mentioned below, this extra time also means that I have more time to work. I work at a movie theatre, and our business is best when adults and children (or a lot of people) don’t have to work or go to school, especially on holidays. I have today and tomorrow off, but starting Tuesday, I work every day until the end of break, which is January 2^nd. It’s nice to keep myself busy, because I don’t have much else to do, but I wish I had at least a couple days for myself.

            I don’t have too much homework, just some reading and this blogging, but I need to work on an essay for a scholarship at UNI. I know I can do it, because the essay itself is not that complicated or long, but I just need to sit down and do it! My goal is to finish it by the end of break- it will only take like one to two hours!

            I just find it ironic, that “break” which is defined as “an interruption of continuity or uniformity” (in normal words means: a break from your normal schedule of work and school), means more time for other things. All in all, there is just simply not enough time in a day, but somehow we get things done and make it work.  (258)

Bonding Time

            To me, Christmas Break is not all about spending every blessed moment with friends, but with family instead. I had this realization Friday night during my work Christmas party. I had planned to go to the UNI men’s basketball game on Saturday afternoon with my Dad, but my Mom texted me while I was at the Christmas party saying that the game was postponed until Sunday afternoon due to weather and road conditions. This was a problem because I had asked for Saturday off at work, and not Sunday. When I realized that I had less than twelve hours to find someone to switch shifts with me, I realized how important this game was to my Dad and I. Something very simple, yes. But it was also the fact that we could spend time together doing the most simple things: driving to Cedar Falls and learning the route for next fall, eating at Sub City (my Dad’s favorite and an UNI favorite) on College Hill, and watch something we both enjoyed.

            Today, the same day as the UNI basketball game, my Mom drove to Ames to pick up my Grandma. When my Dad and I got home tonight, my Mom and Grandma were already there. We plan to spend the rest of the night watching a movie on TV, Evan Almighty, while I sit here and blog. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and my Mom’s birthday as well, so it will be a very busy day. After church I think we are going out to eat, and then maybe we will open presents and play a game.

I think this break will be relaxing just like summer is, because during the hectic school year, you don’t always have time to sit around, talk, and relax because you have activities or homework. Now that we have a somewhat longer break, there will be plenty of time for that. Family is something to be cherished because they are always your closest friends and will always be there for you.  (337)

Snow Days: Pros & Cons

            The week before winter break always seems like it drags on and for the most part, is pointless. Maybe you’ll do something productive on Monday or Tuesday, but after that, it’s all downhill. You watch movies, do busy work, eat crappy lunches because the cafeteria is trying to get rid of their food before it expires, I mean even the teachers don’t want to be there. What makes it worse for me and many others is that I have a sister who is in college and break starts a week earlier and is much longer than ours as well. My sister happens to be in Costa Rica over her winter break. AWESOME. While I get to sit in a bi-polar temperature school all day, she gets to be in warm, sunny, beautiful Costa Rica.

About every other Wednesday, we have a half-day or early out, which means that we get out at 12:17pm instead of 2:45pm. I know what you’re thinking, why in the world 12:17? That sounds more like a tee time than a dismissal time, right? Well that’s just how CR likes to do things; always keepin’ it classy. I personally think that instead of early dismissals on Wednesdays, they should have late starts on Mondays. More people would come to school and we would be well-rested after a much too short weekend.

Well, we had a half day Wednesday, but there was also an anticipated snow storm scheduled to hit Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon with 8-12 inches, high winds, and blowing snow in our area. The closer and closer we got to the end of school on Wednesday, practically everyone believed we would have no school on Thursday. Even our principal said “it would be difficult to have school tomorrow.” That pretty much means no school, she rarely agrees with students’ snow day predictions. Needless to say, it means that we better not have school tomorrow or no one will have their homework done, be prepared for quizzes and tests, and everyone will be grouchy because the superintendent made them wake up, drive in horrific weather, and come to school instead of drunk sledding. Yup, I said it- drunk sledding. I certainly don’t partake in this activity, but practically my entire twitter was covered in the following tweets: “snow day!”, “text me if you wanna go drunk sledding tomorrow” or, “drunk sledding will be in full effect tomorrow.” Urban dictionary defines it as: When a snow day comes around and you want a little spark to sledding. Best when sledding 10 minutes after gulping down 10 shots of your favorite liquor. You won’t feel a thing. This really has nothing to do with the pros and cons to a snow day, but I was shocked at this new “phenomenon.”

I was hoping for a snow day too, but mostly because I wanted to catch up on sleep, and do homework so I wouldn’t have to do it over break. I also cleaned my room and worked on some college things, so it was a productive day. We will have to make it up, which is a bummer, but I would rather have a day off right before break so you get things done and it definitely made the week go by faster. Plus, I didn’t want to drive in a blizzard.

By Friday morning, it had stopped snowing and blowing snow, but it was extremely cold and the roads were still iffy. I wanted a normal day because I knew that the teachers would make us do the work we were supposed to do on Thursday and Friday, but in one day. If we had a two-hour delay, then the classes would be even shorter. We did indeed have a two-hour delay, and it was nice to sleep in, but the rest of the day was hectic, stressful, and there just simply wasn’t enough time! Some of the things my teacher had us do were very time consuming, and I had to stay after school to finish. That was a major downfall to the blizzard and snow day, but it wasn’t terrible and I survived.  (690)

Giving a Joyful and Hopeful Christmas

            This afternoon my youth group and I went shopping for a family in need. Through HACAP, a program called “Adopt-a-family,” we received a family that included a mom, dad, a seven year old girl, and a seven month old baby girl. Since I wasn’t in Student Government this trimester, I wasn’t able to do adopt-a-family with them, so it was rewarding to have the chance to do this, and it was more personal too.

            Before we went shopping at Walmart, we went to the Christian bookstore and bought a book for each child about the Christmas story. It was nice to give them something simple that would remind them of the love Jesus has for them. We split into three different shopping groups, one for the baby, one for the seven year old, and another for the parents. They had given us a list of some things that they wanted and sizes so we could appropriately buy for them. The parents wanted food, cleaning supplies, and other assorted home products such as toilet paper and Clorox wipes. The baby was size 6-9 months in clothes, size 3 in diapers, and we also knew that she was teething. The 7 year old liked board games a lot and wanted clothes. My group was the baby which was super fun because baby clothes are precious. We got her diapers and baby wipes because those are essential and also pricey. We picked out a butterfly rattle teething toy that you could also freeze if in a lot of pain. Then we picked out two outfits: the first was a set that came with pink leggings, a polka dot onesie, and teal shirt with a monkey on it. The second was a pink, purple, and teal plaid skirt with light pink leggings attached, a purple shirt to match, and then a pink fleece jacket to layer or for extra warmth. For the 7 year old, the picked out Candyland, a Crayola drawing board, and an outfit that you could mix and match.

            We wrapped the presents for the baby and seven year old, and then drove to their house to deliver the gifts and food. We got to meet the girls, and they were both so cute and happy. The parents were really grateful, and it was just so rewarding to see their faces light up and give them some Christmas cheer. It’s amazing to give someone a better Christmas and happiness, and be able to help families out.  (416)

"Drew Wall" Night & Dance Marathon

            Friday night was a big night for cancer awareness and fundraising. First was the girls/boys doubleheader basketball game verse Washington, and second was Kennedy’s first dance marathon.

            It was a “purple out” or “Drew Wall” night at the doubleheader. The girls game started at 6:00pm and it was a good game to watch, but they lost by one. In between the girls and boys game, we prayed for the families and victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School due to Friday’s tragic shooting. Then Drew’s dad spoke to the crowd about has thanks, support, and love that we’ve shown as a community to Drew, their family, and cancer awareness. Both were really heart-touching and made you think about how precious life is and to live your life to the fullest and not let anything get in your way. This is what “Just Drew It” means. Keep persevering no matter what and stay positive and happy. It was really neat to see both Kennedy and Washington fans wear purple and both the Kennedy and Washington basketball teams wear purple “Just Drew It” t-shirts and purple socks. They gave purple bracelets out that said “Just Drew It” with “Joshua 1:9” on the back, Drew’s favorite Bible verse. The boys lost their game as well, but it was a great night regardless.

            Following the basketball games was the Dance Marathon. Kennedy’s Key Club put it together, but it was to raise money for the U of I Children’s Hospital. They sold t-shirts, tickets, stars to “cover up cancer,” had a bake sale, and asked for donations from local businesses, companies, and families. It was super fun! To current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, go next year! Not only is it a great cause, but it’s the most fun I have ever had at a dance. Prom was very fun, but it was so nice to dance in comfortable clothes instead of fancy clothes. The DJ was awesome, giving a lightshow, variety of music: throwback, 90’s, current hits, and classics. He did it all for free and volunteered his time. There was also Zumba, which was instructed by Mr. Trout! It was so fun to be involved in real dancing to Latin and Hispanic music. It was a great group of people to dance with and Key Club even brought students from University of Iowa’s Dance Marathon to dance with us. I stayed until the end (midnight) and I officially survived the dance marathon and was a dancer for kids with cancer!  (418)

New Year's Resolutions

            Maybe it is a bit early to think about New Year’s resolutions. Some people have already started on their resolutions, others are wrapping them up since it’s the end of the year, some start them and don’t succeed, and then there are those who don’t really care/participate in this custom. Since there are about two weeks until the first of January, and only nine days until Christmas, I figured I would get the first “My New Year’s Resolutions” post under way.

            When I was a child, I always heard about adults giving up something and setting new goals. I never really knew what they were talking about, or how it related to holidays or events. Of course I know now that giving up something is for Lent, and has a religious connection and meaning. In most Catholic churches, you are expected or required to give something up, just like Jesus did for us when he died on the cross to forgive our sins.

            I guess you could say that giving up something for Lent is just like making a New Year’s resolution. You intentionally choose to make a difference in your life, but it’s not necessarily giving something up and Lent is only for a short amount of time. New Year’s resolutions often don’t last either; however some do and then last a lifetime.

            Last year, my New Year’s resolution was to give up pop. I had never given anything up like that before because my church doesn’t enforce the season of Lent. It was also very informal and I figured it wouldn’t work. It just coincidentally happened that I made a decision around New Year’s.

My reason to give up pop was because we get it for free at work and it’s very tempting to drink it. There are a lot of choices and you get to bring your own cup to drink out of. My resolution worked for about a month, but it really didn’t make me feel any greater or better about myself. Originally, I thought it would be better for my stress, teeth, and body in general, but then as I got further into the year I thought to myself, “Is it really worth it?”

            I came to the conclusion that for me personally, it was never a really big issue or concern to begin with. Instead of giving it up entirely and being depressed that I could never drink my favorite soda again, I decided that I would treat myself to it now and then. To this day I am happy with my decision and feel like it was worth a try, but wasn’t necessary.

            I am not sure why New Year’s resolutions are such a big deal. Can’t you make goals and changes throughout the year as well? With a new year, comes a fresh start; however I feel like your morale will be much better if you take care of yourself the entire year. In my opinion, New Year’s resolutions seem silly and don’t work for the most part.  (507)

Picture Day= Senior Bum Day

           Many people have different opinions on school pictures. Some don’t care at all, others dress up lavishly for them, others are more natural, and some are in between all of those extremes. Lifetouch has been the photographer for school pictures ever since I was in Kindergarten if I recall correctly. In elementary school, the photographs capture the cutest side of a child, in middle school, they often reveal the growing up/maturing process, and in high school, it’s about becoming an adult and changing each year until senior year. My parents have an 8x10 of each of my school pictures, beginning with preschool up to my senior pictures, which were taken by my uncle of Riggs Photography. So for me, school pictures were semi-important because I didn’t want a terrible picture of me hanging up in my house and my extended family’s houses either. I didn’t freak out about them, but chose a shirt I liked and smiled a natural smile. A cheesy smile isn’t really you.

            Since I took my senior pictures in October, I didn’t have to take the Lifetouch photo. They were never really a burden, but it kind of humored me on December 6^th (picture day for the rest of Kennedy High) because as I walked into school in my comfy fleece, jeans, and glasses, you could definitely tell who was a senior and who were juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. As I walked into my 1^st hour class, AP Chemistry, I discovered we had a lab, which means you have to wear super cute goggles that sometimes leave marks on your face. I was thankful that I didn’t have to take pictures later in the day, but I also felt bad for the juniors in my class, that would stink!

            I recently looked through all of my school pictures and it was fun to see how much I’ve changed, but also stayed the same.

 

P.S. - Underclassmen: please don’t forget the purple turtleneck sweater. No matter how much the administrators and Lifetouch dislike it, it is hilarious and harmless.  (343)

A Royal Baby!

            It’s official! Prince William and his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting a child! This new baby when born, will be the third in line for the throne, after Prince Charles and Prince William, and could possibly be the first that would benefit from new gender rules on succession, if a girl.

Ever since their marriage on April 29, 2011, people have been speculating and wondering when they would have a child. With this exciting news, the wait is over and will bring some happiness, buzz, and anticipation into the media. Because Will and Kate are an attractive, young, and popular couple, it is almost guaranteed the child will be important to the British culture. Hopefully, this attention will not be unhealthy for Kate and the baby.

Kate was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare form of morning sickness. During this time, radio hosts prank-called the hospital, pretending to be Queen Elizabeth, to get details about the baby and pregnancy. The rest of the world, including Prince Charles took this lightly and thought that it wasn’t a big deal. I’m sure even Prince William and Kate were not upset by it either. However Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse that had been taking care of Kate, who also let that prank-call through, was so embarrassed and ashamed that she unfortunately committed suicide. It was a shock to the world, and it is very sad to think that she took her life over something like that. I’m sure she was a wonderful nurse, even if she made a mistake; everyone does.  (261)

Winter Spirit

            Well folks, I think we’re experiencing what Arnold Schwarzenegger would like to call global warming in Iowa. As much as I hate the forbidden “S” word that starts with a S and ends with a W, it seems weird for it to be December 9, and we are just now experiencing our first snowfall. I wouldn’t even consider the precipitation we had today, snow. It was more like rain-slush. The ground was too warm and it pretty much melted when it hit the ground.

            Last year we had a pretty mild winter, with a few major storms sporadically in the picture. I was thankful the weather was somewhat decent because it was my first winter driving by myself. Once the snow had melted and spring rolled around, I thought to myself, “Bring it on, winter 2012-2013!” That was assuming we would actually experience bad Iowa winter weather. Now I’m not saying I’m dying to drive in an ice storm, but it would be nice to know what to expect and how to handle a situation so that next year when I’m in college, I don’t end up stranded somewhere. If this spring-like weather continues for much longer, I think the world needs a wake-up call in order to start reducing their carbon footprints.

Believe what you want about the theory of global warming; which my father informed me that some believe natural warming occurs approximately every 2000-3000 years? …. (That seems a bit unlikely in my opinion). Some also think that it is environmentally caused. This is a fact though: the North Pole is melting- meaning glaciers and ice caps melt, polar bears and other arctic animals are losing their homes and lives, and sea levels are rising. You don’t think this affects you? Well you’re wrong. Rising sea levels mean more potential hurricanes, tsunamis, and tropical storms on the east and west coasts. Since these storms are threats to our limited oil supply, gas prices sky-rocket everywhere, causing you to pay more money at the pump to transport yourself via car.

On a lighter note, my Friday was fantastic! Everything just went perfect and nothing negative occurred. To top it off, the winter pep assembly was in the morning, and I won a $100.00 gift card!!! If you sold 10 or more Benchwarmers, which is a fundraiser for all the athletics at my school, your name got put into a bowl for a chance to win a Kindle Fire, or one of two $100.00 gift cards. They drew the name for the Kindle Fire, and then another for a $100.00 gift card. One name was left to be drawn, and I was thinking, “What are the chances?” (The pieces of paper were tiny, too!) However I didn’t have much time to second guess before Mr. Stecker announced my name- I was very surprised, but happy. J

*Insert typical “I love the Christmas season!” blog post here.* Here you go: Christmas seems different this year. I almost struggled to come up with a Christmas wishlist this year, because I have everything I could possibly want. I did come up with some things, and whatever my parents/family members give to me this year I am already more than appreciative. Christmas seems relaxed and simple this year. Instead of spending time with friends this weekend, I spent it entirely with my mom and dad, except for a couple shifts I worked. Call me lame, pathetic, or a goody- it doesn’t matter to me. Isn’t simplicity and grace partly what Christmas is about? CHRISTmas has lost its meaning to the majority of society. The majority focus is no longer on the birth of Jesus Christ. Our society has made it all about gifts, deals, Black Friday, greed, jealousy, etc. Yes, it is nice to receive these presents and also show your appreciation to others by giving them presents in return, but there’s a point when people go too far. To tell you the truth, you don’t really need to make Christmas cookies. Use that time to volunteer, adopt a family to give hope and joy, or simply donate to the Salvation Army- food or money. Think about what you’re thankful for and appreciate what you have. Sometimes the simple things in life will bring the utmost happiness.  (715)

Migraines

            Many people are fortunate to never experience a migraine. You don’t really know what one is like until you get one or deal with them on a regular basis. I probably get them once every other week- sometimes more, sometimes less. I am lucky because I can kill one if I notice it soon enough and take Excedrin.  That usually takes care of it. However sometimes I just get a bad one and have to avoid the computer, any electronics, rest my eyes, and be in the dark. I have also found that if my sleep schedule gets messed up, I will most likely get a migraine. If I sleep in (anytime past 9am) or don’t get enough sleep, I should brace myself for a potential migraine. Although sleeping in is what every teenager would like to do, it’s something I have to accept and know about myself.

Everyone is different when it comes to triggers, the sense, and the feeling of migraines. My mom can sense when she is about to get one before actual pain comes, but I generally cannot sense them beforehand. For me, I can tell the difference between a migraine and a headache because during a migraine, my right side of my face and eye hurts. I can be thankful that besides migraines, I am healthy and have no major health issues.  (228)

Just Drew It

            As I sit here trying to formulate something that would even come close to describing the greatness, strength, inspiration, and hope that Drew Wall gave to our community, I keep failing. Writing and re-writing this first sentence for probably ten minutes now, I have come to the conclusion that no words come close to actually meeting Drew Wall in person. However, I feel like the rest of the world needs to know about this young man.

            Drew Wall was a sophomore at Kennedy High School that was intelligent and loved the game of golf. He battled against cancer for a good portion of his life, and defied the odds with his prosthetic leg. Drew was an extremely nice person and always had a big smile on his face. No matter what he was feeling or going through, he always stayed positive. He passed away peacefully on November 26^th, and is an angel in heaven with God. Although it seems unfair and way too soon for a sweet boy like Drew to pass, he is in a better and happier place where there is no cancer, pain, or other bad things.

Although I never personally met Drew, I saw him in the hallway a lot, and we read the speech he gave to the Iowa Hawkeye football team in my pre-calc class. His aunt is the head volleyball coach at Kennedy as well, and he came to the game and spoke about his story. This year the Kennedy men’s golf team wore purple shirts to the state tournament that said ‘Drew’ on them, and they got second place for him as well. On December 14^th, the double header basketball game verse Washington is “Drew Wall Night” or “Just Drew It Night.” All proceeds will go to the Wall family to help with medical bills and it is also a night to raise awareness and celebrate Drew’s life. Kennedy has sold a ton of ‘Just Drew It’ t-shirts so far, and they are also selling them at Washington and Jefferson as well. It is awesome to see our community come together and honor Drew. ‘Just Drew It’ is a motto to stay positive, have faith, and be strong, just like Drew did living his life.

Joshua 1:9—“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/drewwall

(401)

Take Care of Yourself

            After an entire month off from blogging, I have returned! I feel a bit rusty and uninspired for ideas, so bear with me here. It was nice to take a break from blogging and reading in order to prepare for finals and spend some time with my family and friends, but it’s nice to get back into routine. I make myself crazy when I have no structure or plans. It’s different when you come home from a busy day of school and just sit on the couch and watch TV, than when you spend an entire week sitting on your butt, surfing the web.

            Well, let’s just say my last week of school before Thanksgiving break was a bit rough. Most highschool-ers either A) study study study for finals, B) don’t study at all, or C) study for a little bit and then call it good. My journey to finals day were a bit different. I woke up with a stomach-ache on Monday morning and then babysat that night for a healthy boy and a sick girl. She informed me that she had a really bad sore throat and that she was going to stay home from school the next day so she could go to the doctor….. wonderful. An hour exposure to a sore throat couldn’t be so bad, right? Well I was wrong. Tuesday morning I felt decent, something didn’t seem right but I went to school anyway. At 11:15am or so I started to feel sick, tired, and a sore throat seemed to be forming. 6^th hour rolled around and it hit me about 2:15pm. I couldn’t focus, think straight, I started to shiver, my throat was throbbing, and all I wanted to do was sleep. The bell rang, school was over, and I walked as fast as I could manage out of school and to my car. The only thing that was running through my mind was: drive safe, get home quickly, take medicine, sleep. Awesome. I was now infested with a much worse strain of my neighbor girl’s illness. I was concerned because not only did I feel sick, but I didn’t think I would be able to go to school on Wednesday. Wednesday was a day that teachers didn’t want you to miss, and some specifically gave an incentive to the everyday “skippers” to come to school, such as note sheets for the final exam and review sheets. I also had to make up a test after school, and that was the only time I could do it. I went to school, and felt a little better after a nights rest, but still didn’t feel the best. My voice was all messed up on Wednesday, and by Thursday morning, as fast as my virus came on, it went away just as quick. I tried my best on all of my finals and I was happy with the outcome. I learned that sometimes you have to take care of yourself before worrying about that extra review. My body needed rest and water, and that’s what I gave it. God gave me a challenge, and I learned how to handle it appropriately. I knew that I had studied and worked hard the rest of the term, so one night off wasn’t the end of the world. I felt like I was the only one that was sick on finals, but it gave me practice on something that could very well happen in college. So what should you learn from this post? That sometimes things don’t go exactly the way you planned, and you honestly have to think about what’s the best thing for you to do in a difficult situation. Everything will work out for the best.

            Although I did not meet my portfolio expectations for next term for this week of blogging, I will get back on track next week. I do not want to start bad habits again, and it’s nice to know that the start of a new term means a fresh start on homework and grades. Guess what fellow bloggers? .....Only three more weeks until Christmas break!!!  (686)