Driving

On Wednesday December 8th I took my intermediate test. I was sooo nervous. But like everyone told me I would, I passed. The only thing I wrong is when I was pulling out from parallel parking and I tried to go forward while I was still in reverse. I felt so stupid. But regardless, I passed. It felt so weird when I finally drove alone. There was no one to tell me what to do. I could listen to whatever radio station I wanted and no one could turn it off or change the channel. I was alone and it was nice. I love having the freedom to drive alone. It makes life so much easier. I can sleep in. I get home earlier. It is just all around better. I love it.

Finals

Ah the stress of finals is back again. It's the time of last minute grade checking, begging your teachers for extra credit, and just hoping you can average an "A" for the semester. So this semester is the first semester that I do not have the ability to excempt out of all my classes. I mean I would still have to take four of my classes but I had to the chance to choose which ones I had to take. This year I have a "B" in APUSH (AP US History). It sucks, but the final should be easy since we have a nine weeks test right before the final. Along with APUSH I am taking Floriculture, Computer Graphics, and Drama. That means I get to excempt out of Pre-Calc, Biology, English, and Spanish. These are four of my hardest classes. Even though I am taking my easy finals, I still have a lot of studying to do. That is most likely how I will be spending my weekend. Studying.

Winter

The air is changing and I can feel it. My skin is drier and my hair is darker. But not only is my physical appearance changing, so is the temperature. I love winter holidays and I enjoy an occasional snow day, but this constant below freezing weather I cannot stand. I hate waiting for the bus or having to start my car fifteen minutes before I am supposed to leave and then my car still not be completely warm. Clothing is another problem of winter. I like some of my winter clothes the only problem  is I don’t have very many winter clothes. If I had to pick a season to stay in it would probably be spring or fall. It's not too hot and it's not too cold. It's comfortable. I cannot wait until it warms up. But that is going to be a while. So I guess for now I will just have to look forward to a snow day.

GSA, GSP, and whatever else I have to sign up for...

GSA, GSP, NHS, Beta Club, Drama Club...it's just all too much. I'm sick of having to do all these different things just to help me get into college to go and do more work. I hate the requirements. I hate the deadlines. I hate constantly worrying about all of this. It just adds to the stress of school and I'm sick of it. I want to get into a good college and all but it is so much stress on me right now. I just need a break. I don't even get a break when we have a break from school. I'm still having to work on applications and crap. And on top of all the clubs and organization, I have to worry about the ACT. According to my mother I can never study enough. Its bad enough that I am wasting my Saturday away testing. I don't want to spend hours and hours on it every week. I'm just so sick of school!

Finding a Job

Does anyone ever realize how hard it is for a sixteen year old to find a job that is not in the fast food industry? Most people don’t care where they work but I want to work somewhere that I am going to enjoy. I don’t want to be one of those people who come home and constantly complain about their job. I have to find a job soon though or I might have to settle for the fast food industry. I have put in applications at American Eagle, Vanity, and Journey’s. So far I haven’t received a call from any of these stores. Next I am going to put an application in at Trunell’s Farm Market. I live in Utica and had Mrs. Trunell as a teacher. My parents know the owners, and I am just really hoping I can get a job there. It would be really convenient and close to home. I might also put in an application at Target. I just don’t know yet. I have to get a job soon though if I want to have money to buy Christmas presents. 

The Diary of Anne Frank: The Cast

On Monday November 22^nd auditions were held for our spring production, The Diary of Anne Frank. As you can imagine the part of Anne Frank was somewhere on every girls list of parts they wanted. There was a lot of competition and a lot of pressure to make your audition one to be remembered. So who was the lucky girl to be granted the lead of this play? Me. Out of everyone in the class they chose me. When I found out that I had been casted as Anne Frank, I about fell down the stairs when I went to tell my family.  I was so excited. This was a major role to take on and I was lucky enough to be entrusted with this responsibility. Now I’m not trying to brag. I don’t want to come off as boastful. I am just ecstatic and I just have to let it out. God knows I can’t say anything in drama; I would get attacked. I mean think about it, you have a room full of over dramatic teenagers. I mean isn’t that why we all got into drama? We’re dramatic. So yes there is drama in drama class but that’s just how it goes.

So to all those people who didn’t get the part they wanted, get over it. At least you got a part. You can’t change what has already happened. The past is the past. And then to those people who didn’t get a part at all, it’s ok to be upset but don’t be bringing other people down because they got the part that you wanted. It is not their fault that they got picked over you. I know how it feels not to get a part because last play I was in the lighting booth. You just learn to accept it and move on with your life. And trust me you won’t have near as bad of an experience with the lights as I did. At least you won’t have to sit back and watch your boyfriend make out with another girl on stage. But none the less, with every audition there will be rejection. It’s okay to be rejected and be upset as long as you go about it in the right way. Don’t make other feel bad and suffer with you. Eventually everyone will get over this and we will have yet another great production.

The following is the cast list for The Diary of Anne Frank:

Mr. Frank – Gray

Mr. Van Daan – Russ

Peter – Shaun

Anne – Alissa

Miep – Stephanie

Mrs. Frank – Korin

Mrs. Van Daan – Emily

Margot – Karissa

Mrs. Kraler – Marley

Ms. Dussel – Courtney

Technical Positions:

Backstage – Haley and Nolan

Lights/Sound – Kelsey, Briget, and Hope

House/Publicity/Props - Chase

Thanksgiving

Bring on the turkey, it is Thanksgiving time.  A time filled with food, family, and friends. I time for laughter and coming together. Everyone has their different traditions for Thanksgiving. Mine consists of either lunch or dinner, which ever works with everyone’s hectic schedules, at my mom’s parent’s house. Then usually the opposite meal, lunch or dinner, with my dad’s side of the family. We used to celebrate Thanksgiving for my dad’s side at his parent’s house but since my grandma died a couple years ago we haven’t spent a holiday in that house again. It’s too hard on everyone for it to be at my grandparent’s house, it is especially hard on my grandpa. So we decided that we would move all our holidays right next door to my aunt and uncle’s house. There may be less space but no one can handle being in my grandparent’s house around the holidays. There are so many memories and it is too painful to have them all rush back around the holidays. The holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness and that house would just bring sadness. Sure the memories are happy ones but it hurts to remember them sometimes. Regardless of where my Thanksgiving is spent, it is a time for me to look back on everything I have in life and to be thankful for it.

I have more than I could ever need, but don’t most kids now a days. Sometimes I need to stop focusing on all the little material things in life. If I only focus on material things, I will never be satisfied. There will always be something bigger and better out there. I need to be thankful for the simple things in life like a roof over my head, a family that loves me, parents that are still together and very much in love, friends who love and support me, and the love of a God who is so much bigger and more powerful than I could ever imagine. Thanksgiving is a time to just sit back and enjoy the little things in life.