August Rush

I just watched the movie "August Rush" on Friday. It was super good. I loved it. It's about an orphaned boy who's trying to find his parents. He knows they're out there. He hears them... he's a crazy good musician. He's a musical genius just like Mozart. I don't want to ruin the movie but there's one more thing I'll tell you - his parents don't even know he's alive. They were only together for one night and I'll just say the the mom's dad ruined everything so yeah. I loved the movie. I cried!

Summer is almost here!

1 and a half days until summer!!!! Yay!!! I'm soooooo excited. You might be thinking, wow 1 and a 1/2 days that's not very much - it seems like there should be more. And yeah there actually are like 4 days left but I don't have to go. This year at my high school they changed the attendance policy. If you miss 3 days or less of a semester you don't have to take finals! It's awesome. It's a awesome reward for kids who go to school consistently. If I had to take finals I would be so stressed right now and that's not what the end of the year should be like. I really like the new attendance policy and I hope they keep it for future years.

Freak Accident

Today, my boyfriend's best friend crashed his motorcycle.  We watched it happen... it was one of the scariest things I've ever seen.  He was probably going 40-45 mph and his front brake locked up.  His transmission jammed.  And then the bike just laid down.  He rolled.  He didn't seem very hurt at first but after a while he was in a lot of pain.  My boyfriend called 9-1-1 and the ambulance came.  We were all really scared but he's okay now.  He's got some really bad road rash and he broke his collar bone.  The doctor said he'll be okay though.  He's just got to be in a sling for 4-6 weeks.  So, that stinks.  But he's okay and that's what matters.  But if he wouldn't have had a helmet on there's no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't be here right now.  But I'm soooooooo glad he is.  I'm glad he had his helmet on.  I'll never ever ride without a helmet.  I've seen what can happen.... 

What to do?

It's Friday! Yay! I don't know what I'm going to do tonight though. My boyfriend is in Austin for Track Big Nine and it seems like all of my friends are busy. I really don't know... what's there to do in Albert Lea? I guess I could go out to eat but that's what I always do (and by myself?). Idk. I think the city needs to bring in some new entertainment. Our movie theater is okay but that's like all there is. A roller rink would be sooooooo coooooool! It'd be a super fun thing to do and it'd keep us teens out of trouble. We just need something to do!!! We're bored!

Busy Weekend!!!

I am soooooo tired.... I've been super busy this weekend. On Friday I went to the movie "17 Again" at the Kee Theatre in Kiester with some of my friends. We had a blast. The movie was adorable. Zac Efron was the main character so of course it was amazing. Then on Saturday I had to get up early for my dance rehearsal. Then at 2 we performed. I got done around 2:45 because I was only in the first act. After that i got ready for my jazz concert. That started at 5 and it went really well. When that got done I had to run back for my 7 o'clock dance performance. That was good and then I went out to eat with a couple of my friends. So, it was a CRAZY day! A lot of running around but it was worth it. Everything turned out well and it was fun. Today I had a wedding shower for my cousins fiance up in the cities. I had to get up early for that and we got home a couple of hours ago. It's nice to be home and relax. The shower was cute though. I'm glad this weekend is over though! :) Hope everyone else had a great weekend.

Sophisticate Stress

For my journalistic writing class we are working on our final big project... our own newspaper! It's a lot of work but it's also a lot of fun. We're working on designing our pages now. Our third drafts for our stories are due tomorrow. AHHH!!! There is so much stuff to do. It's cool though to learn what it would be like to work on a newspaper in real life. They create a newspaper in a day. We work for more than a month on one newspaper! I can't imagine how much stress they feel. I'm stressed out about one little story and one little page and I've had a couple weeks to work on it. But they have one day and one story. That's crazy. I wouldn't be able to do it. Plus, it's their job and they could get fired. I can't get fired. I shouldn't complain. I have it way better off than them. So anyways, I better get started on my page...

Motorcycle... heaven???

My boyfriend, Ray, recently bought (with his own money!!!) a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja sport bike for about $6,000. He has been so excited. He's already put on 200 miles and he's only had it for a week. He's in heaven. Me... I'm super excited for him and I get to ride on it whenever I want. We both just got new helmets so that we will be safe. But I get kind of scared. Not because of how he drives, he's a really good driver but just because of the things I've heard that have happened to people. Even if you're a really good driver a car might not see you and run right into you. Who wins? car or motorcycle... I'm pretty sure the car. And I think the person driving the motorcycle won't be 100% okay. On a motorcycle everything is exposed. So, all I'm saying is car drivers need to make sure they look out for motorcycles. Do you want to be responsible for crushing someone under your car? Probably not... so look out.

Dance like everybody's watching

Today I had a dance competition in Minneapolis at the Convention Center. I had to get up at 7 so that was kind of a bummer but that's okay. Some of the girls at my studio had to get up at 4 to be at the convention center by 7 so I was lucky! I had a fun time and it's the last time I ever have to wear that costume and do that dance so that's good. This is my first year ever going to competition and I was so nervous! At the first competition about a month ago I thought I was going to throw up but this time it went better. I didn't mess up as much this time either. We got first in our division but that's only because we were the only group in our division so we were guaranteed first place. The awards you can get are diamond - the best, gold - in the middle, and silver - last. We got silver. So, pretty much that means that we were bad. And it's funny because we got first... I wonder what people were thinking. :) Anyways, that doesn't matter. I had fun and it was a good experience. And we got to go shopping after so of course it was an awesome day! Oh, yeah and next Saturday the 16th is our recital at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center so you should all come and check it out. It'll be worth your time. There is one show at 2 and one at 7. I also have a jazz concert that day at 5 so it's going to be a busy day for me!!! AHHH!!! But anyways, hope to see everyone at the recital and even at the jazz concert.

Birthday...

It's my 17th birthday tomorrow.  It's weird though... I'm not that excited.  I mean when I was little I'd get so excited for my birthday and I'd have an awesome day but now it's just another day.  It's not the best day of the year.  It's just a day.  I don't know if that happens to everyone.  I'm just another year older.  I was born 17 years ago.  Anyways, it'll be a good day.  It's the big 17!  :)  

If Today Were My Last Day

If today were my last day...

I'd go skydiving.

I'd tell you I love you.

I'd drive 120 on the interstate.

I'd tell you I was sorry.

I'd wake up late.

I'd forgive you.

I'd eat a super-sized McDonald's fry.

I'd call you up just to talk.

I'd get lost.

I'd forget my homework.

I wouldn't have any regrets.

I won't forget.

Prom!!!

I went to the promenade at the mall yesterday and everyone looked gorgeous! It was fun to see everyone dressed up looking their best. A lot of people say that prom is overrated but idk... I think it's pretty cool and laid back... maybe I'll change my mind when I go. I mean it's just one night where everyone gets to look good and have fun. What's so overrated about that? Yeah, it might get expensive for some - the dress, the jewelry, the hair, the make up, etc. but I think if you budget you'll be all right. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars. I think some people get stressed about it but I don't know why. It's just for fun and it's not like it's your wedding day. I can't wait until I get to go next year. It looks like a blast. Hopefully there won't be unwanted drama. That wouldn't be fun.

Big Nine Music Festival

The big nine music fest is coming up so fast. It's next Friday! I think we're ready though. Concert Band, Concert Choir, and Orchestra all perform at the concert. And then they also choose select members for a band, choir, and orchestra. I'm hoping that maybe next year I'll get chosen for that. My boyfriend, Ray, was chosen for the select orchestra this year! I'm so proud! He plays percussion and he's super good. Maybe next year we'll both get chosen for the select band. Anyways, I'm excited for Friday. It will be fun to hear different bands from different towns and it will also be fun to perform for everyone else.

Race for nothing

The senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman has been going on for about 5 months!!! It just needs to be over. I say they just flip a coin. Seriously. Right now the people in Minnesota don't care anymore who it is - they just want someone to be chosen. It has been going on for too long. Coleman has just decided to take it even further. Ridiculous!!! Coleman should just give it up.

It's warm out again!!!

I cannot believe how nice it is outside!!! It's amazing! I haven't really been paying attention to the weather forcast lately but when I walked out of school yesterday and today I was so happy. It's super nice. I didn't think it would get so nice because in the morning it's only like 35 degrees. So, I was surprised. Yesterday, I played tennis with my friends and today I have to work. That's kind of a bummer but oh well. My Mom just told me that it's supposed to be nice tomorrow and the next day, too. That's exciting. But there's one bad thing about this nice weather - I'm not complaining or anything but it's sad that we have to sit in school while it's so nice out. All the testing at this time of year is awful too because everyone wants to be outside and be done. But anyways I'm glad it's nice out. :)

MCA - YAY!!

This week at school we take the MCAs Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm a sophomore and I take the reading test. I'm sooooooo glad I'm not taking the math this year. We did practices in my math class and they were so hard!! I got at least 3 wrong on each practice. So, I think I can wait another year to take that one. We have to pass all of our MCAs to graduate. In 9th grade we take writing, 10th grade we take reading, and 11th grade we take math. Senior year is free of MCAs so far but maybe someday they'll add one. Who knows?? I just think all the testing is stupid. It just makes everyone nervous and uptight. I mean if someone doesn't deserve to graduate they probably won't be passing all of their classes. Right? Isn't that enough? No, the gov't says we have to be able to pass all these tests not just our classes. The gov't shouldn't have the right to tell schools what to do. The teachers should get the right to say what kids should have to be able to do to graduate. They're the ones that work with us everyday. They know us. I guess we can't do anything about it though. That's just how things are. We have to suck it up and pass all the dumb tests. Yay, I'm so excited...

Easter Sunday Traditions

Happy Easter, everyone! It's such a nice day and it was super nice yesterday, too. I love this time of year when it's just starting to warm up. It's not too hot but it's not too cold. My family and I went to the Sunrise Church service at my church. My brother and I were both in it. He played his saxophone and i had to do the greeting and the opening prayer. We had breakfast after church - yummy! There were pancakes, sausage, eggs, and so much more. I was stuffed. So, anyways to my point. My Mom was telling me about Easter when she was little and she said that it's so different now. She said that every business was closed and most restaurants were closed. Grocery stores were even closed. You had to get your groceries the day before. Today everything is open. If you want McDonald's for Easter dinner you can sure have it. It kind of makes me sad. Like we're missing out on all the good times. Workers should get Easter off to spend with their families. It just doesn't seem fair. Easter and other holidays like Christmas don't seem as important any more. I wish they were. Today we are always running and I think we could take a break 2 days out of the year.

ALHS Show Choir Competition

Yesterday was Albert Lea High School's Annual Show Choir Competition. It was a really fun day. Not as many schools came this year because it's late in the season but it was still fun. It was also kind of nice not to have to be there from 8 until 9. I didn't have to be there until 9:30 and we got done at around 4 so that was super nice. I think it went well and there were some good groups. North St. Paul got first overall. They are always good and fun to watch. My Mom said our group looked and sounded awesome. That was good to hear. I just play in the combo for ALHS show choir and I love watching them! It was a superb day and I hope next year more groups come. It was nice to have a shorter day but then the choir doesn't make as much money and there's not as much competition. So, I hope tons of groups come next year!

Bad Day

Today was a bad day for me. I was supposed to have a dance competition in Fort Dodge so my Mom and I headed down there this morning. The roads were fine until we hit one certain spot and it was awful. The road wasn't even plowed. So, finally my Mom said that we needed to stop. We took on off ramp and we got stuck at the top of the ramp. Some super nice people helped push us out. There were definitely angels for us. After that we were kind of shaken up and so we hung out at this little restaurant while we waited for the roads to get better. It looked better after about 2 hours so we left for home. Too bad we missed the competition. 3 other girls called to say they turned around to go home too so that was good I guess. So, anyways today was a crazy day for us. I'm just glad we made it home safe. Oh, and I guess the reason the roads weren't plowed in that one certain was because there was an accident somewhere and that plows that were supposed to plow that spot couldn't get through. I think that plows from other sections should have come to help plow the part that was really bad. It's ridiculous that they could only do their sections when those roads were the ones that were perfectly fine. The plows should be able to do any section especially when help is needed.

Life's a track.

Do you ever wonder why we're all here? Why we are all striving for things that will eventually be gone? When will we reach our goals? Or when we reach them will we really, truly be happy? I feel like I'm sprinting through life and there's no slowing down... there's no finish to the race. No end to the chaos. No answers to my questions. No love to be found. I'd like to ask the happiest person in the world what their secret is. How did they get to that place? I'd love to join them. Is there a road to happiness? Is money happiness? Maybe. But probably not. The real money is having people around you that love you and cherish you. People who make you feel like you're worth it. Like you're a prince or princess who everyone worships. :) Well, probably not quite like that. That might be stressful. That's how I think you find happiness... love... and answers. With a loving, supporting cast at your side who always knows what to say. I don't think anyone could be happy without friends and family.

Care too much. Try too hard.

Everyday when I go to bed I think, "One more day done". And then I think, "Why can't I enjoy my life?" "Why does everyday have to be such a struggle?" I'm such a perfectionist that I can't let myself loose. I can't just be crazy for a day and not do my homework. I can't speak out because I'm scared someone will judge me and think I'm dumb or stupid or anything. I can't be myself because truly WHO AM I? I'm not who everyone might think I am. Smart, perfect. Those are not words I would use to describe myself. I'm not even close to those words. I study so hard for my grades because I care too much. I try too hard. I put my whole self into one test or one assignment. I can't imagine going home and relaxing. Homework is top priority. In the summer I'm a totally different person. I'm so refreshed and relaxed and it feels like I don't have any cares in the world. I just wish I could be that girl year round. Someone who I'd love to be and love to show. Someone who doesn't care too much or try too hard. Someone who lives life for that day not the next. I think you'd like that girl.

On Homework Overload

The homework load right now is overwhelming! I have so much homework. Last night I had homework in every subject except for band and choir. I can't imagine being in a sport right now and getting all the homework on the top of that. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I can barely handle just the homework. I was gone on Thursday and Friday but I barely got any make-up work. It just kept piling on as the day went on. Anyways, Spring Break is only in two weeks. That will be a really good break for everyone. Only three more months of school!!

Spring Sports Already!?!?

It's so crazy that spring sports have already started! There is still snow on the ground! It seems way too early but it's a good sign. That means spring should be coming soon. And then summer. :) I think it's a good idea to get started early though. Then everyone will be in shape for the competitions. I'm not doing a spring sport this year. I kind of wish I were though. I did track last year just to try it and I was really bad! It was fun but I decided that I probably wouldn't ever do it again. I wish I would have given it more of a chance because now I'm regretting my decision. My boyfriend is in track and I feel like we won't get to hang out as much now. I'm sure we will but that worries me. When we were both in track we got to hang out during practice. Oooo... run together. Sounds like so much fun. Lol But it was actually fun and it was some time together. Oh, well I'm sure we'll still hang out and now that he won't be working as much I might get extra hours at work. That would be nice.

All-State Choir Auditions

All-State Audtions for choir are on Wednesday!! Ahh!!! I'm so nervous. My choir director told me that I should try out so I said, "okay". But now I'm wishing that I would have said, "no!". She must have thought I was a pretty good sight reader but I'm not!! I'm awful. I went in for a lesson a couple weeks ago and she had me sight read and it was bad. I couldn't do it. So, now that auditions are on Wednesday I'm starting to get really freaked out. I'll have to practice a lot at the beginning of this week and tonight. I don't think I'll make it but it'll be a good experience and then hopefully if I try out next year I'll make it. Well, I better get going on the practicing! Hope everyone has an awesome week. Spring break is almost here!!!!

State Wrestling Tournament

On Thursday and Friday I went to the wrestling tournament up in the cities at the Xcel Energy Center. It was so exciting! Our guys did awesome. We beat two teams to advance to the championship round. We wrestled Apple Valley last night and we lost. So, that made us second in the state. In my book we got first. Apple Valley recruits people! That is so unfair! Anyways, I'm proud of our wrestlers. They did a really good job and I hope they're not down about losing to Apple Valley. They shouldn't be. I hope we don't get a lot of homework for being gone, too. I can just see all of our teachers giving us tons of homework tomorrow and then we also get all the make-up work. That wouldn't be very fun. So, I had a great, long weekend cheering on the Tigers. They were awesome.

Vague

Do you ever suddenly flash back to a memory and you think about it for awhile and it doesn't seem real anymore?  It feels like you made the memory up and you don't know which memories are real and which ones are counterfeit.  This has been happening to me a lot lately.  I can't tell the difference between my dreams and my memories.  Maybe I'm just over-thinking everything but it's just weird.  Like today I was just sitting on the couch and my cousin Derek's voice just popped into my head.  I remember sitting around the table at my Grandparent's house playing cards.  I was the scorekeeper and I was writing all the player's names on a pad of paper.  I was probably 6 or 7 and my cousin was probably 20-21.  But I just remember him saying, "Hey, look you spelled my name right."  Idk why I remember that.  Maybe I was super proud or something.  Derek.  Pretty easy name.  As I was thinking about this memory I suddenly thought that it was all fake.  That is never happened.  Why?  It's just too weird.  I don't know what to think.  Crazy!

Music Makes Me Lose Control

Yesterday was the Cat'aclysmic show choir's first competition of the season.  It was at West Dubuque High School.  Crazy far away.  Almost 3 and a half hours.  We left at 6 a.m. and got home at 10:30 p.m.  I'm just part of the combo (band for the show choir) but it was still fun.  I thought they did pretty good.  They got 8th out of 13.  We didn't make it into the finals but I was kind of glad.  I know that sounds really bad but I had to work at 5:30 this morning.  If we would have made the finals we wouldn't have have gotten home until 3.  That would have been awful.  I would have died at work! 

Crazy Geezer

My Dad is crazy. Really really crazy. My Mom went out of town this weekend to visit my brother so I've been stuck at home with my dad. There have been a lot of problems. First he left his wallet in my Mom's car so we have no money. I can't believe he forgot it!!! :) I haven't really eaten anything either because we have no food at out house right now. All the bread is gone and I swear all we have is low sodium soup. Gross!!! My Dad buys the low sodium soup because he says it's better for you but then he'll load salt into it. He's pretty dumb. Oh, well. I'm glad my Mom will be home tomorrow. That will be nice.

So confused.

Recently I've been wondering where my life is going?  I  just don't know where I'll be in 5-10 years and that scares me.  Up until now everything has been planned out for me but now it's time for me to make my own decisions.  In middle school all my classes were chosen for me but now I have to decide.  I hate making decisions.  I'm so bad at it.  I'd rather have someone else just tell me what to do.  I'm so scared for the future.  I have no idea what I want to be.  I'm thinking of going into pediatrics but I don't think I'd ever be able to give shots or take blood.  I can barely get my own taken.  I'm so confused.  Oh, well I'm sure I'll figure it out someday.  And I've learned from a lot of people lately that tons of college students go undecided.  So, I still have plenty of time.   

Direct Deposit Devil

Okay, so my work, St. Johns's Nursing Home,  recently changed to direct deposit.  We have to fill out this sheet that sends our money directly into our bank accounts.  This is REQUIRED!!!!  WOW!!!!  Every other week when I got my check I would be so happy.  I got to go to the bank and cash it or put however much I wanted in my savings.  It was really nice.  I felt like a grownup.  :)  But now... we don't get that joy.  We don't get to see our money.  It just goes into our accounts and we might not even know about it.  I wish they wouldn't have switched.  It's a bummer.  

Hate Me

Okay, so today my english teacher told us that we need to write so that some people love us and at the same time some people hate us. ????? It makes sense I guess but that is so hard for me. I don't want to write so someone hates me. I want people to like me - to think I'm normal and nice. But I am definitely going to try. So, hate me... hate me because you don't agree with something I have to say, hate me because I try too hard, hate me just because you feel like it. Whatever the reason I guess it's okay to be hatin' sometimes. In all my blogs I've always tried to talk about good things and I've always ended my blogs on a positive note but I'm going to try to change that. I guess who cares if someone doesn't like what you have to say? It's your opinion and your entitled to it. No one else can change that. I'm just always scared that I'll write something that will hurt someone else's feelings. Maybe I'm too sensitive. Oh, well. Whatever. Anyways, this week should be good........ I'm not going to end this on a positive note... we have to go to school tomorrow. :( Great. Not.

Valentine's Day! xoxo

Okay, so Valentine's Day is this coming Saturday and I have no idea what to get for my boyfriend, Ray. He always gets me the nicest most expensive things. Last year for Valentine's Day he got me a sterling silver heart bracelet with "Ray and Kayla" engraved on one side and "Forever '08" on the other side. I wear it everyday and it was a really nice gift. I don't even know what I got him last year. It was probably super lame or I probably would have remembered what it was. I might get him a video game or something like that. He likes playing his Wii and his Xbox 360 so that's a possibility. Hopefully I'll think of something good. He told me he already got me something and that I couldn't look in his checkbook. So, I'm guessing it was an expensive thing. That makes me feel really bad because I don't have anything for him yet. Does anyone have any suggestions? What do you get for a guy on Valentine's Day? :)

Summer... where are you?

SUMMER.
I can't wait for it!!! I hate winter so much. It's just so cold and everyone gets sick. It's a bummer. But summer is so much fun. It's warm and everyone is in a better mood. Winter has some good things, too. There's Christmas, New Years, and the first snow but other than that it's pretty lame. It's too long. And of course in summer we don't have to go to school. That's probably why I like summer so much. It's actually pretty warm out today. My Mom just said it's supposed to get up to 35 degrees. So, maybe summer is on its way. I hope so!

Everything is over. What am I going to do this week?!?

Dance, Dance

Yesterday was also the winterfest dance where the Student Council crowned Winterfest Royalty. It's always fun to see who wins. For my grade Callen and Jocelyn won. I don't really know either of them very well but they seem really deserving and nice. So, that's good. The dance part of the dance was fun, too. There were a lot of good songs that got played. We got our grooves on! That's for sure! After the dance we went to Perkins to eat with a group of friends. I was so hungry! I had 3 pancakes, a side of bacon, and a side of hashbrowns. YUM! Ray got a strawberry Belgian waffle. He said it was good. It was funny though because we got there last and we got our food first. They must have liked us better than everyone else that went. :) Oh, and I almost forgot... when Ray picked me up for the dance he walked around and opened the truck door for me and closed it. I thought that was the cutest thing and I asked him if his parents told him to do that. But he said, "no." He just decided to do it himself. Adorable! We were so pooped by the end of the night. I got home a little after 12 and I'd been up since 5. It was a long day but a good one. I had been looking forward to the dance all week. It was a lot of fun.

Contests are OVER!!!

I am so happy!!! Solo/ensemble contests are all over and I don't have to worry anymore. The contests were yesterday at Lakeville South High School. I got up at 5:00 to get ready. I drove up with Ray and his Mom. We left at about 6:30. When we got to Lakeville South High School we found the room where Ray would be playing. He did a snare solo at 9:00 and it was amazing! He did very well. We were so proud! It was fun to watch him play. I could tell he was a little bit nervous. After he was done with his solo we went to the Burnsville Mall and Red Lobster. We had a lot of time to do whatever we wanted because my vocal solo wasn't until 2:30. We had a lot of fun at the mall and the food at Red Lobster was really good. I don't like seafood so whenever we go there I just get chicken strips but they are still really good. We got back to the school at around 1:00 and I started getting warmed up. I was so nervous!!! I don't think my solo went very well. I don't know what my score was yet but I'll find out tomorrow. I had an awesome day. Contests are always a good experience even if it's really nerve wracking.

My Hair.

My hair has been driving me crazy!!! I have super curly hair. You'd have to see it to know how curly it really is. It's blondish-brownish with psycho corkscrew curls. It's so frizzy and gross. I can't do anything with it. Everyone always tells me that it's so pretty and so easy. It's not at all. I've tried everything to control it - flat irons, chemical straighteners, and all kinds of different styling products. I've always had curly hair but it's gotten curlier every year. Straight, beautiful, sleek hair is my dream. :) It really is. I just get so frustrated with my hair and it always looks awful. HELP!

2nd Semester has begun!

It's 2nd semester already! It's hard to believe. Only half a year left of school... I can't wait. There's been a lot going on at the beginning of this semester. I went to an Honor Band yesterday with four other kids from my school and we had a pretty good time. We were excited to go home though. :) Next Saturday is the Solo/Ensemble contest in Lakeville. I'm not looking forward to that. I'm singing a solo and I'm not ready. A lot of kids from my school are involved in contests. We can do solos, duets, and all kinds of different groups for band or choir or both. It's a good experience. I need to practice this week!!! Hopefully I don't get a lot of homework this week. This week is Winterfest at our school, too. It should be fun. We have a dodgeball tournament on Friday and on Saturday night is the dance. They crown the royalty at the dance. I'm especially excited for the dance! I just got a dress yesterday so I'm excited to wear it. So, anyways my 2nd semester is going good and I hope everyone else's is, too.

Late Start - 1/12/09!

Yay! Today is a late start for school and yesterday we got out of school after 3rd hour! It was awesome. I got to sleep in today and right now I'm sitting in the library and school hasn't even started yet. After school let out yesterday I went home and took and nap. It's funny how we get snow days and we don't even stay home. :) After I took a nap I went and hung out with Ray. He needed some help studying for his math test so we did that. Then we watched the movie House Bunny. It was a really good movie. I liked it a lot. It's hard to explain what it's about but it's super funny. So, that's what I did yesterday and today I just got to sleep in. It was definitely nice to have some school off. Tonight I'm going to the boy's hockey game at 7:30. They are doing really well and they're so much fun to watch. I think they play one of the Mankatos tonight. It should be good. I've heard we'll probably win. Anyways, I hope everyone has a good day!

Mall of America Trip

Yesterday I went to the Mall of America with my boyfriend and his family. It was a lot of fun. It's always nice to go up to the cities and I love to shop! I didn't buy much - just one T-shirt but it was still fun. We just roamed around for a lot of the time. We went to the Apple Store. I'm hoping to get a new iPod for my b-day in May. We went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. It's so cool in there! There are fog machines and everything. The food was really good, too. We had burgers. We came home pretty early because Ray - my boyfriend had hockey. Ray's Mom and I watched him play. After that we just hung out. It was a fun day and I'm looking forward to this week. Finals are this week but I don't have to take any of mine. :) That's a relief!

Valkyrie - the movie

This weekend I went to see the movie, Valkyrie. It was about an assassination attempt on Hitler. I thought it was really good and kind of scary. The people trying to kill Hitler were a part of the German Army but were not a part of the Nazi Party. I didn't really think there was a difference but there is. A HUGE difference. They got so close to killing Hitler. I was thinking throughout the whole movie, "What if they did kill Hitler?" "How different would everything have turned out?"
I really liked the movie because it was a true story. They even shot parts of it in the actual places where the events occurred. That is so cool! Tom Cruise played the part of the General in charge of the operation. I thought he played the part really well but my Brother thought he was really bad. Whatever, I guess - to each their own. Anyways, you all should check out this movie. It's very good and you'll even learn something.

New Year's Resolutions

Okay, so I've decided this year I'm going to publicize my resolutions so that maybe I'll follow them better.  :)  Hopefully it'll help.  Anyways, here they are:

1.  Exercise!!!!  At least every other day I am going to go running.  I need to get in shape.

2.  Relax!!!!  Don't let homework and school stress me out.  I need to lower my blood pressure.

3.  Pay more attention to my family and friends.  I take them for granted so often.  They are the most important part of my life and I need to show them.  

4.  Have fun!!!!  I need to let loose a little bit.

Happy New Year everyone!  Have an awesome 2009.

All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

By: Erich Maria Remarque 

"The Greatest War Novel of All Time"

I read this book over break for extra credit in my history class.  We are just starting to study WW1.  I didn't think it'd be very good but I decided to give it a try.  I loved it!  It was very good.  It was a little hard for me to get into but it got better as it went along.  The book is about a young soldier named Paul Baumer who joins the war with his classmates.  They are in the German Army during WW1.  The book takes you through the young man's struggles and the horror of the war.  All of his friends are taken from him.  He is the last of his classmates.  The author fought in WW1 so I think that is part of the reason why the book is so good.  The author really knew and felt the horror.  I would definitely recommend this book. 

Christmas and New Year's This Year

Christmas and New Year's this year was awesome!  I had an amazing time with my family and friends.  Plus this year we got 2 weeks off from school.  That was definitely nice.  For the first few days of break I just relaxed.  I had to work a couple days but that was okay.  I like to work and I can always use the money.  Then on Christmas Eve we went to my Aunt's house for my Mom's Christmas.  I have a lot of cousins on that side of the family so it's always fun.  We went to church on Christmas Eve, too.  I think sometimes we get a little carried away with all the gift giving and getting that we forget what Christmas is really for - Jesus.  Last Saturday we went to my Grandma and Grandpa's for my Dad's Christmas.  I had a blast!

For New Year's this year my family was planning on going to my cousin's but that didn't work out.  Instead I went to my Boyfriend's house and we had some people over.  We had a lot of fun.  We bought some sparkling grape juice and some non-alcoholic champagne.  We all liked it a lot.  We even toasted at midnight.  So, I've been having an awesome break.  The only thing I'm not looking forward to is going back to school.  :(  2 more days...