Yeah, I know it's a little early in the weekend to be talking about it already, so I guess this should be titled "Cleaning up Rockin on the River and Abby's soccer game". Oh well. I was up too late last night to care.
I was up late last night changing trash at Rockin on the River for a youth group fundraiser. Rockin on the River is sort of an outdoor festival that Cuyahoga Falls has. Lots and lots of people. And bass thrumming through your ribcage from the band. And smoke. And beer. And lots of trash. And lots and lots of people. It was really crowded. So I got home at like 11. So I can't decide if I want to go back to bed or go back to breakfast. Cuz we had to get up at like 7:30 so that we could get to soccer on time--which we didn't, cuz I wasn't thinking straight, so I brushed my teeth instead of just skipping cuz it was time to leave.
The first half of the soccer game was torture--it started at 8:45, so no one was awake. The other team scored 3 goals. The second half was really good. They woke up (unlike me). We scored two goals. So they won. But we had more close misses than they did. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. If all the times we shot we got it in, we would've creamed them. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I think it was good for the other team, cuz I don't think they had ever won a game. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
Tonight my dad's mom (Grandma Theresa) is flying in from Georgia. My dad's side of the family is all over the country. Mostly in Georgia. They all started here. We're the only ones that stayed.
I really seriously might go back to bed. I can't see myself getting through the rest of the day in this advanced state of stupor. But as soon as I lie down, I'll wake up because I'm not doing anything with my brain. So maybe I'll play the computer until I'm about to fall asleep. Or maybe I will have more breakfast. I don't know. Farewell.
PS: I'm done with school!
5.28.2005
5.25.2005
Casey at the Bat, a really good poem
Stick with it, it might be long but it's one of my favourites.
Casey at the Bat
Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it and the umpire said, "Strike two!"
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
Casey at the Bat
Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it and the umpire said, "Strike two!"
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
MY LIFE IS CRAZY!
American Idol, crazy schedule, school, cleaning, keeping track of it all, friends, choir, dance, and soon babysitting. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, it's a good thing I really enjoy my life, or I would hate it. But I really enjoy it. I got some of my schoolwork done for the year today--most notably 20th Century day by day (yes, such a book exists, and yes, I did read all of it). And Hannah says I've also said that before. Oh well. I'm done with it! I can't remember all of it, but the biggest thing I learned from it is there's a lot more to the world than what I'm used to here in America. So I'm done with that, I'm done with my last history and biology study guides, and I'm done with my last reading books. Yay! So I have math, which I AM NOT going to be able to get done by friday, so I'll be doing that this summer. And tests. And a report, which is finally up to nine pages. It was hovering at eight for an exasperatingly long time.
Mom and Dad are out buying a new refrigerator. The freezer doesn't work, and then the fridge wasn't either. So we're keeping the milk in the 40 degree freezer, and hoping that things will be cold enough in our 46 degree fridge.
Mom and Dad are out buying a new refrigerator. The freezer doesn't work, and then the fridge wasn't either. So we're keeping the milk in the 40 degree freezer, and hoping that things will be cold enough in our 46 degree fridge.
5.20.2005
Hello all you awesome people who regularly read my blog!
I haven't run since last time.
We're having a garage sale, and in order to have a garage sale, you have to do a lot of work, such as cleaning out innumerable closets and boxes to find the stuff you're selling. You also have to clean out the garage, put all the stuff in the garage, and set up tables to put the stuff on. And price it all. And get done with school a day early so you won't have to do work on the day of the sale. And make cookies and lemonade and coffee. "Hunh?" We girls always sell that stuff.
And I also babysat this morning for Maria. Maria has three older siblings, but of course they were all in school. I was going to babysit pretty much all day, till 4 or 4:30, but then one of her older brothers got sick, so her Dad had to come home, so my services weren't required. We came back and forth, back and forth, from my house to her house, and every time she had to change clothes, because she had a home outfit of a leotard-skirt and tights, but she had to wear jeans and a sweatshirt to come to my house. I suggested that she come over because she was the only one, and we're having a garage sale, but I have the feeling she'll be asking me all summer if we can go to my house. Her family is one of the ones I'll be babysitting this summer--I'll call them the S's. I don't want my name on the internet, why should I post theirs! I'll also be babysitting the M's and the F's. All the kids are in the age range of 5 to almost old enough to babysit.
I also babysat Sunday unexpectedly, for our neighbors, the triplets. (Their dad needed to get a suit for his grandma's funeral.) That was interesting. They painted. Not like one would think: paint goes onto brush, brush goes onto paper. They had another link in the chain: paint goes onto brush, brush goes onto hands and/or arms, and hands go onto paper. Fortunately they wanted to watch movies so I could clean up. I actually made it with only one splotch of purple paint on my arm.
I have two more biology tests, one history test, and two dissections left! All in 5 days! I don't think it's thouroughly sunk in yet that I only have 5 more days of regular school! Of course, I can't count my chickens before they hatch, because I have spanish and piano in the summer too. And probably Algebra. Algebra 1 I finished before the schoolyear was done, Algebra 2 is taking longer. Because, of course, it's harder.
(Life is good. Pass it on.)
We're having a garage sale, and in order to have a garage sale, you have to do a lot of work, such as cleaning out innumerable closets and boxes to find the stuff you're selling. You also have to clean out the garage, put all the stuff in the garage, and set up tables to put the stuff on. And price it all. And get done with school a day early so you won't have to do work on the day of the sale. And make cookies and lemonade and coffee. "Hunh?" We girls always sell that stuff.
And I also babysat this morning for Maria. Maria has three older siblings, but of course they were all in school. I was going to babysit pretty much all day, till 4 or 4:30, but then one of her older brothers got sick, so her Dad had to come home, so my services weren't required. We came back and forth, back and forth, from my house to her house, and every time she had to change clothes, because she had a home outfit of a leotard-skirt and tights, but she had to wear jeans and a sweatshirt to come to my house. I suggested that she come over because she was the only one, and we're having a garage sale, but I have the feeling she'll be asking me all summer if we can go to my house. Her family is one of the ones I'll be babysitting this summer--I'll call them the S's. I don't want my name on the internet, why should I post theirs! I'll also be babysitting the M's and the F's. All the kids are in the age range of 5 to almost old enough to babysit.
I also babysat Sunday unexpectedly, for our neighbors, the triplets. (Their dad needed to get a suit for his grandma's funeral.) That was interesting. They painted. Not like one would think: paint goes onto brush, brush goes onto paper. They had another link in the chain: paint goes onto brush, brush goes onto hands and/or arms, and hands go onto paper. Fortunately they wanted to watch movies so I could clean up. I actually made it with only one splotch of purple paint on my arm.
I have two more biology tests, one history test, and two dissections left! All in 5 days! I don't think it's thouroughly sunk in yet that I only have 5 more days of regular school! Of course, I can't count my chickens before they hatch, because I have spanish and piano in the summer too. And probably Algebra. Algebra 1 I finished before the schoolyear was done, Algebra 2 is taking longer. Because, of course, it's harder.
(Life is good. Pass it on.)
5.13.2005
Running update
So, I tried to run harder today. But I walked at the end. So it took me 2 minutes longer than usual.
SCRATCH THAT, REVERSE IT
So, I ran harder today. And I walked a little bit, but I sprinted about as much. So it took me two minutes shorter than usual. 15 minutes!
Now I know how Hannah sprints the last leg. (No pun intended). Not with my brain, but my legs know, so that's all that matters.
Hannah and I both feel like our legs could go on forever but our lungs couldn't!
SCRATCH THAT, REVERSE IT
So, I ran harder today. And I walked a little bit, but I sprinted about as much. So it took me two minutes shorter than usual. 15 minutes!
Now I know how Hannah sprints the last leg. (No pun intended). Not with my brain, but my legs know, so that's all that matters.
Hannah and I both feel like our legs could go on forever but our lungs couldn't!
5.11.2005
Baby spiders
That's right, baby spiders. About 150 of them. As big as the head of the pin. All lumped in the corner of the screen door. They were reddish (actually a lot like this color) with a black spot on their rump. Or vice versa, I can't remember. Mommy Spider was all black. And creepy. But not too big. So if any of them survived Mom's purging and end up in the house, they should be manageable. I took some pix, but I don't really have time now to post them too, it's kind of an ordeal. (black spot) Much easier to post a lot of pictures at the same time. I like. Incomplete sentences today.
Running today
Man, I hope no one tries to search my blog for an entry titled "Running" etc because they'll get about 10. I ran hard at the end, but it was still 17 minutes. And approximately 15 seconds. But I got a good workout. And I didn't stop. And it was hot. But windy. It was like the AC in our van when it's not working right. Just blowing air. I think I like winter better than summer, temperature-wise. And the humidity!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Arg!! Last night it was so humid. I wasn't even hot. It was cold and clammy. Bleah. If I'm going to keep using that "word", I guess I'd better clarify that it's pronounced "bleh." Short e.
Hi. I feel like I haven't posted in ages so I decided to post while everyone else is still getting ready for school. Of course, if I just got ready for school, I might get done sooner, which would be a definite bonus! I haven't practiced piano, like, since my last lesson, because I have had NO TIME. I've run over the songs a bit, but I haven't done the whole process of warming up and practing for days, because studying and getting my research report done has been the main priority. By the time I'm caught up in studying and done with my report, school will also be done. Which is good. I won't be working in summer. I can't imagine--ok, well, I can imagine, and do imagine, with great relish, what I will do with free mornings!!! The question is, when I have all the time in the world, will I still do what I think I'm going to do with it? I hope so, because the stuff I want to do is all very worthwhile. Like, piano, guitar, spanish, call my friends and talk for hours...and then do all the other stuff I never have time to do, like post on my blog, write in my journal, and read a whole book in one day.
Well, I can't forget that I'll be babysitting a ton, and I'll be on vacation a ton, but on the days when I'm not, I can just do whatever I want. And I bet we might be seeing friends more often.
But, anyway, I have to go do my schoolwork before summer comes. Or I'll be doing schoolwork instead of all the things I described above. Bleah.
Well, I can't forget that I'll be babysitting a ton, and I'll be on vacation a ton, but on the days when I'm not, I can just do whatever I want. And I bet we might be seeing friends more often.
But, anyway, I have to go do my schoolwork before summer comes. Or I'll be doing schoolwork instead of all the things I described above. Bleah.
5.05.2005
17 minutes!!
We're down to 17 minutes! That's 3 minutes off our "record," which would be kinda amazing if we ran an 8 min mile or something. That's only like 15% off. I didn't mention that I haven't been having time to run.
The only bummer is my knee hurts. Not the front, the back. It's been hurting since I walked for 4 hrs on sunday, but it hurts more after running for 17 minutes. It's weird. I'm weird. It fits right into its environment. BUT I'M NOT PAINFULLY WEIRD!!!!
The only bummer is my knee hurts. Not the front, the back. It's been hurting since I walked for 4 hrs on sunday, but it hurts more after running for 17 minutes. It's weird. I'm weird. It fits right into its environment. BUT I'M NOT PAINFULLY WEIRD!!!!
Name the movie the title's from.
It has been kinda working all the time these past two days. I'm semi-grounded, which means I have to get all my work done before I can do anything else. (Unfortunately, my parents decided I had the right idea about grounding me). Guitar is languishing, piano is gasping, spanish is on its deathbed, and makeup is nowhere to be found. Studying for Biology, studying for History, and writing my Vitamin research paper have taken their place. Fortunately I have very little "usual" work. Yesterday my day was: school, Abby's soccer game (4-0 us) (it was at 5:00, if that gives you any idea how long school took me) and then watch Scott Savvol go bye-bye. I was as tense during that results show as I was the first time I heard the climax of the Goblet of Fire. Now I'm happy, my top three were the top three, so yay. Mom predicted correctly: the week Scott has a good week, he goes. I bet that means he was getting pity votes, which were outlawed in this house this season.
But back to work: I guess this is just the same as going to public school, having homework. This is why I'm homeschooled. I'd go insane if I had this much work to do all year.
And tonight, I start dissections. Frog, worm, fish, crawdad, and I think that's it. But I'm not sure. Fun fun.
It has been kinda working all the time these past two days. I'm semi-grounded, which means I have to get all my work done before I can do anything else. (Unfortunately, my parents decided I had the right idea about grounding me). Guitar is languishing, piano is gasping, spanish is on its deathbed, and makeup is nowhere to be found. Studying for Biology, studying for History, and writing my Vitamin research paper have taken their place. Fortunately I have very little "usual" work. Yesterday my day was: school, Abby's soccer game (4-0 us) (it was at 5:00, if that gives you any idea how long school took me) and then watch Scott Savvol go bye-bye. I was as tense during that results show as I was the first time I heard the climax of the Goblet of Fire. Now I'm happy, my top three were the top three, so yay. Mom predicted correctly: the week Scott has a good week, he goes. I bet that means he was getting pity votes, which were outlawed in this house this season.
But back to work: I guess this is just the same as going to public school, having homework. This is why I'm homeschooled. I'd go insane if I had this much work to do all year.
And tonight, I start dissections. Frog, worm, fish, crawdad, and I think that's it. But I'm not sure. Fun fun.
5.02.2005
My marathon weekend, afterword
It went quite well. I walked for four hours passing out flyers, got someone to fill out an estimate thing, met quite a few loud dogs and one loud cat. And babysitting was fun, I didn't stay up late, which was good cuz I would've fallen asleep on my feet yesterday. Choir went well. And I got to see my friend Meghan (iluvccrunners).
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