Senioritis? How do I sign up?

As the days wind down, and months turn into weeks, I find it harder and harder to concentrate on being a high school student. Senior year is so different than every other year. For one, probably the most obvious reason, we don't have to come back next year. For most people that is cause for them to set their timers for May 14th at 3:30, switch on auto pilot and just make it through the year. Oh how I envy them. To be able to just skip to the end of the year would be a great stress reliever, But being me, If I'm not busy, I feel like I should be, so of course My schedule is packed. Academics is a big thing. Being in calculus kinda speaks for itself. When only tests count toward your grade then you kinda get in a bit of trouble when you procrastinate until a week before the test... (you think i would learn after the third or fourth time... nope) so then we add in the wonders of Brit Lit, reading assignment every night, and a huge end of semester paper, yay... Spanish 4 luckily has slowed down a little because the most difficult assignment we have at the moment is how to shape a paper mache balloon into a tulip (pinatas). Band and choir involves mostly getting ready for end of the year performances and government is mostly just trying to pass the class in order to graduate. Creative writing is mostly the reason I get no sleep because for some reason I find that I do most of my best work at 1 am. Now looking at academics, It's seems completely manageable.... Well remember i enjoy being busy so... track after school takes some time, same with play, all though that is now finished, and Mondays I have dance, and Wednesdays I have youth group. So that adds more to my plate... but remember I've been doing most all of this since freshman year so it's not that big deal. What really pushes the envelope for me is all of the scholarships and housing forms and paperwork I must fill out for college. I pretty much have to prepare for one busy life while still living another. It is crazy... to say the least...
Luckily while my school year seems to be coming to a climatic ending once it's over there will be a short break before the next storm, aka summer. I figure If i do all I can now then I won't regret not doing something later... besides who really needs sleep? I sure don't, but my 3000 kinda says differently. The rest of this year will definitely be great practice for the next 4... Wish me luck

Planes, Trains, and lost luggage...

Everyone has their nightmare travel stories, i bet you mine trumps most of yours. Delays are usually the bad part of people's trips, a delay would have been a welcome change in mine. Because honestly you are better off not having taken off at all, then to get in the air and not be sure whether or not you will be able to land, but lets start at the beginning...
It's my senior year, on my way to New York, the place I have always wanted to visit, i have my tickets, now all I have to do is get there. On Saturday I started my day by going to my day by speeching at the state speech competition. Of course it was all the way in Glenwood (for the geographically challenged like myself that's about 2 hours away) so after my speech we had to race home get my dad then get to Des Moines to the airport. Everything started out fine we got our tickets, waited at the terminal, we even saw my aunt, uncle, and cousin waiting for their plane to Chicago. They had horrible delays and were pretty ticked about that, Chicago, the windy city, seemed to be living up to it's name. My flight was on time so we were set. So we got on the plane and headed for Milwaukee.
That plane trip was fine. We started out alittle later than we were supossed to but we made up some time in the air (isn't that called speeding?). But we made it to the milwaukee airport without out too much of a problem. Once in the airport we found that we were delayed 2 hours. This was alright because it gave us time for a little dinner. (mmm... airport food) But after dinner we got back to the terminal and sat for awhile. We actually started boarding the plane a little earliar than the delay said. While we were boarding i heard some one say something about a storm in new york, The thought running through my head went something like this "Ha at least we will be on our way before they start canceling flights." And so we boarded.
The trip was pretty good while we were in the air. Our biggest complaint was that this man beside us really liked to talk. He was from New York and when he found out we were from Iowa all he wanted to talk about were the Corn Huskers (Oh Cause everyone in the midwest shares one team, obviously.) but other than the distraction from studying my lines It was a good trip.... Until we got closer to New york City that is. As we got closer we felt the turbulance. the captain came over the intercom and said something along the lines of "okay folks"(cause i'm pretty sure they are taught to use the word "folks" in flying school) " we are going to be doing a special landing today, it's really windy at Laguardia so we are going to be relying heavily on our breaks to get stopped" In simpler words "this landing is going to be bumpy. As we began our decent It seemed to take forever to get through the clouds When we finally got through them I saw the lights I also saw that we were getting closer to the ground. I was so excited to almost be in NYC! There was a bit of turbulance but nothing to horrible. We got closer and closer then all of the sudden the engines roared and we started going up. The captain came over the intercom again and explained that it was so windy he couldnt land just then. He told us we would circle the city then try it again. We did. And again as we got closer and closer to the ground I heard the same roar of the engine. Once we got up to a good altitude again the intercom came on and "Well Folks thats enough for me! We are heading to Albany. "(once again for the geographically challeged that is 100 miles north of NYC) So we headed to albany. The best way to describe that trip is to compare it to the movie "Airplane" Yah believe it or not their interpretation of bad turbulance isnt that far from the truth. And to make a great trip even better. People behind us began filling up the little white bags from the seatback pockets with their lunch. It was GROSS!
Once in albany we finally did get to expierience that rough landing. Even better was once we got on the ground we got to sit on the plane smelling the disinfectant for, oh idk TWO HOURS! When the finally got us out of the plane It was 3 am. We were all tired and glad to be alive as the led us to the baggage claim. Once we were through the security cheak point we got another surprise. SORRY FOLKS NO LUGAGE! So then we were sent to a hotel to sleep, the next day we were to get back on that same plane and try the trip over again. Needless to say my mom and I took the amtrack. Doing this we didnt get our bags until tuesday night(good excuse to go shopping). After this fiasco the trip was awesome and I can wait to visit new york again (maybe I'll drive next time) Also we got a free round trip flight to anywhere in the country... woo hoo can't wait to get back on an airplane... not.

ALL BECAUSE OF A STUPID POSTER

I am a Geek. Plain and simple, there is no better way of putting it. I saw a poster once and it was of a bunch of people and above each of their pictures were the words "I Geek..." then each of them had what they loved to do. When I saw this poster i thought "What Would I put on a poster that i Geeked?" (I don't know if geeked is a verb... but it is now). Well I love to run, long distances... Thats about as geeky as you can get with running. (farrell that isn't a bad thing). I've spent a lot of time in cross country, 6 years in fact. Made it to state twice with my team. Made it to state in the 3000(two mile) in track. So in other words I LOVE RUNNING... me gusta correr... Or I geek running.
So now that i had my poster quote all picked out i was.... oh wait i also enjoy music, well hold on I might need to add that in something about that cause in band i play the flute and i sing soprano in choir. I LOVE band trips and band camp (wow i hear the geek police sirens going off now) And there is something about makeing just the perfect harmony in choir that makes me want to jump with joy. SO I really like music too, so i think we can fit this in somewhere, maybe rephrase just alittle. "I am a 3000 running, soprano singing, band geek." A little wordy but it will do... Speaking of wordy my goodness i almost forgot i enjoy writing. I've been writing stories since before i knew how to write (I would come up with the stories and my brother would right them down then i would draw pictures with them). Not to mention the countless unfinished masterpieces in old notebooks scatered around my room (plus one story that is probably in timbuctoo after falling of the back of my dad's truck in 5th grade (sorry Hope)) So I also REALLY, REALLY like to write, oh wait and read... This Could get tricky. Jane Austen You are My weakness not to mention Charlotte Bronte. OK This is extremely difficult! OH NO.... Theatre... probably my biggest geek of all... whether i'm on stage or backstage or even just watching the play!!!!!! omg am i a theatre geek... this will definately not fit on a little square on a poster...
From this stupid poster i saw hanging in some hallway or classroom ive found that I can classify myself into one thing. I dont think i could give up very many of my activities to just focus on one. Ever since i was little i've just always been busy and thats how my life will hopefully always be. So what do you call a Cross country running, soprano singing, story writeing, classics reading, thespian,band geek? Well I guess you could write that out everytime you wanted to say it... if you had the time. But I would say it can be simply stated as geek, Even more simply put... Me.

How to have a great day... Wait, WHAT? It's Valetine's day?!?!?! OMG i'm single!!!!! What ever will i do???? (And other sarcastic comments)

"Will you be my Valentine?" Asked the boy.
"Oh I thought you would never ask! Of course i will!" The girl answered with a smile.
With that the couple exchanged a hug, they then proceeded to spend the night doing romantic things such as going out to eat, where the boy paid for the entire meal. Then later they walked along the beach holding hands. Of course they came upon a small carnival were the boy won the girl some sort of prize at some game. After buying tickets they then get on the Ferris wheel, the girl is afraid of heights but this fear vanishes when the boy puts his arm around her. As the ride comes to an end the wheel slows and when it finally stops the couple is at the very top. Here they share their first kiss, then the boy drives the girl home where they again kiss good night and the girl goes inside and she goes to sleep with a smile on her face.

Well that's what most would call Webster's dictionary definition of the perfect Valentine's Day, and in all reality it could be, but really must your Valentine's Day resemble this to make it a great day? February 14Th is just another day, and on any other day you can have a great day whether you are single or not, so you can be perfectly happy being single on Valentine's Day. Rarely do you see someone who loves summer go into a Ben and Jerry's eating fit just because Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on groundhogs day. Summer still comes and the feeling is almost sweeter because of the wait. The same thing with Valentine's Day just because your true love doesn't show up with a dozen roses and the biggest box of chocolates Russell Stover makes doesn't mean it's never going to happen. Plus it may not even happen like that, holidays are so overly commercialized that, to me, someone sending a heart shaped box of chocolates doesn't even seem personalized. What if a new tradition was that you were supposed to send a thank you note for Valentine wishes, am i supposed to send it to the guy who shelled out the five or six bucks, or to Bob who is sitting in the Russell Stover's marketing room thinking up ways for other people to say how they feel about someone else. Hmm who is doing more work here? I think i can guess. If you really want Valentine's Day to be more than just an ordinary day with a hallmark sticker on it, get original. Cover her locker in sticky notes stating all the things you love about her. Make her a sound track of her favorite songs and add in a few of your own. Just don't let Bob be you messenger.

So if you are single this Valentine's Day how can you be happy, you ask? First you must answer the question, what makes you happy every other day? For me my family and friends. Everyday I count on them to make me smile or keep me on track. So though i hope you use everyday you have with them as a day to tell them how much you love them, use Valentine's Day as a day devoted to this. I've never had a "Valentine" but yet every time i wake up on February 14Th I find a box of chocolates sitting on the kitchen table just for me, and even though Bob wrote the message on the box, He's not the one who puts up with my hectic schedule, cooks me dinner, or is the one who takes care of me when I'm sick. That thank you note definitely knows where its going. And as much fun as dates can be, I always know I'm going to have a good time with my friends. We could be doing anything together whether it be having a movie night or simply drinking tea in my living room, it's always fun. We all love each other and even though we may not give the roses or sweets it doesn't even matter. Valentine's day is supposed to be a day to celebrate love and be happy. So the best way to do that is to be with the ones you love and to do something that makes you happy. Maybe it's just my fear of heights, but that sounds a lot better that being trapped at the top of a Ferris wheel any day.

As a senior I have a lot to think about in the next few months. First of all i have to pick a school. Second I need to apply for a ton of scholarships. Then i need to fill out housing forms and roommate surveys and so on, and so on. I would love to say that i have all these things done, that i could mark checks next to all of the above. Sadly i can't check yes to any of these. While i have applied to 5 schools and been accepted at all of them, I can't say I've chosen one. I have however Narrowed i down to two. Clarke college in Dubuque, Iowa and St. Benedicts in St. Joesph, Minnesota. As far as scholarships go i have about two started, not exactly what i call "a ton". Luckily I have my ACT done and am happy with my 30, so i can forget about that. As far as everything else goes, I haven't even started on that yet. Looks like I'm going to have a very, very busy rest of the year.
In college I plan to run both cross country and track. That will most likely keep me really busy, but what else is new. As if that's not enough I plan to double major in English and Theater. As a theater major the plays will also add to my hectic life. If you add in all of my classes, possibly a social life, and heaven forbid sleep, this next year will be in a word, fun. I plan to be a big fan of naps and an even bigger fan of caffeine. I'm both excited and frightened by this new venture, but one thing I do know is that College is going to be a great adventure and i can wait to start.
As for the rest of this year I plan on being extremely busy. Being the lead in Alice in wonderland, plus track, and not to mention school and graduation I won't have much free time. I can't wait until summer when I'll have more time to hangout with friends, although with all of this snow all of my younger friends will still be in school until late June. I also plan to work a ton to make money for college. I also want to council at my church camp for a week or two. My mom is also planning a trip to Ireland, so that will be another thing to look forward to this summer. Cute Irish Boys, pretty green country side, and driving on the wrong side of the road. I can't wait! As busy as I'll be the rest of the year I think it will be one of the best years of my life.

Movie nights with the band kids...

Most high school student have been to the typical "movie night", late nights, lots of junk food, highly caffeinated beverages, good friends, and a pretty awesome movie. Movie nights at my house are the same only we add in the "band kid" effect. Believe it or not band kids really don't fit the American Pie "band kid" stereotype. What we can do is throw good movie nights. Not only do you have the camaraderie that comes with spending early mornings and long bus rides together during marching band season, but because the band consists of fairly artsy students, well let's just say we know how to pick movies. It's amazing that you can be comfortable while sitting on the floor in a small, over crowded room, but i'm here to tell you it is. The one thing that hinders our movie nights is my lack of movie selection, our first movie night we watched Night at the Museum it's a pretty good movie... for kids. But even in the wake of a less than perfect movie the "band kid" effect prevails. We were still able to have a great time and start planning the next one before we had even left the first. Now a couple of movie nights later my collection has grown with the help of christmas and half price books. At the last movie night we watched Watchmen. Watchmen was really good, gory, but good. Along with the improvement in the quality of the movie we also enjoyed bashing and praising the snuggie, as much as i hate to admit that we have not only one, but three laying around our house they are outrageously cofortable and warm. So with Watchman in the blueray player and our snuggies on we enjoyed another awesome movie night. Can't wait for the next one.