Happy New Year!

Pickled Out

Today I went to pickleball. It was probably my last time there for quite a while. I played really well, probably the best I have ever played. I was tired the rest of the day though after 4.5 hours of nonstop pickleballing.

Path Wrath

Today my sister, father, dog, and I went to a local trail where people walk and jog. We thought since it is under trees, there wouldn't be much snow on the ground. We were wrong, there was a couple inches on the ground. We hiked through the snow for a little bit, then headed home. It wasn't exactly like we thought it was going to be, but it was still fun.

Movie Making

Today my brother, sister, father and I went to a movie. It was fun even if it wasn't my first choice of movie to watch. It took several days to be able to watch a movie. At first we couldn't get out of the driveway, and then the showings were sold out that we could go to. At least we could finally go to one, maybe we will go to another one soon.

Mountain Man

Today it didn't snow. The snow has been fun, but it wasn't fun being stuck at the house since we couldn't get out of our neighborhood. My sister and I were able to stand on the top of the igloo, it is that strong. It was a great view for watching the 'snowplow' go by, even if it only did one loop. The next two hours were spent helping neighbors shovel off their driveways and our own.

It was nice to get our driveway clear and road so we could leave our house. Our neighbors treated us to a Chinese buffet, it was interesting. I tried a bunch of foods I didn't even really know what they were, how to eat them, or if I even would like them.

SnoWii

Today it continued to snow. It was a nice day of relaxing and hanging out with the family. We borrowed a Wii from some neighbors. It has been a lot of fun playing. My little sister is pretty good at it, she evens beats me at times.

Merry Christmas

Today my family would normally go down to Oregon for Christmas. But with how the weather has been and the condition of the roads, we stayed home for Christmas. Last night, as is custom in our family, we opened our presents. We had a nice breakfast this morning. We played games and had a good time together the rest of the day. We got in the igloo together as a family to Skype our relatives. We had lights put up in the igloo and were able to connect to our wireless network, it was fun and will be a holiday memory. Merry Christmas everybody.

SnowMAN

Here is an early Christmas present from me to you. It is a sculpture of a man (not graphically gender specific) my brother and I carved out of the snow today.

Snow Wars

Today I added another thing to the long list of things I have done in the snow during this storm. At my father's school, snow piled on the flat roof and collapsed part of it. The damage wasn't widespread or massive, but the rest of the roof needed to be shoveled off. It took a long time, and was quite a bit of work. Thankfully, there were quite a few people shoveling. Tonight, my family ventured out to do some Christmas shopping in Olympia, the roads were really bad and in the parking lot I had to walk outside the car to push us when we got stuck.

I Iglood

The past couple days, it has snowed over a foot at my house. So therefore, the past couple days have been spent outside playing in the snow nearly all day. As you may have gathered from the previous picture posts, I've gone sledding and been turned in to a snowman/monster. I've also helped build a snowman, gone on walks through the snow, and been in a miniature snowball fight.

But nothing I had ever done or constructed in the snow compared to what was built yesterday. For the longest time, I wanted to construct a fort in the wilderness and sleep in it. Even better, an igloo on a mountainside. While being on my front lawn is a far cry from being stranded on a mountainside, I finally fulfilled a wish of mine.

My father, brother, sister and I constructed an igloo on our front lawn. It was finished around 2:00am this morning, is over 9 feet tall, has 18 inch thick walls, weighs over a ton, and took the four of us over 8 hours to complete. It looks quite impressive, neighbors we have never met stopped by to talk about it, the UPS man drove by and gave it a thumbs up, and numerous comments have been said about it by people going by.

We decided to sleep in it. This may have been a mistake. It was 3:00am in the morning when my brother, sister, dog, and I went to bed in the igloo. My brother and sister left at 6:00am in the morning to go inside, leaving just the dog and me in the igloo. Contrary to what I thought, igloos can be very cold inside, so cold you may as well be sleeping outside in the snow. It was a bit worrisome to read about the risks of sleeping in an igloo after we had already decided to sleep in it, about how an igloo that is too tall (like ours) can have all the heat trapped at the top which causes the snow to melt and the structure to collapse while you are in it. Not a great thing to fall asleep thinking about, wondering if I would even survive until morning.

I got a decent nights sleep in the igloo, the entire process of constructing and sleeping in it is something I will remember for a long time. Today my family went sledding down a steep hill at a friends house. It was a bunch of fun once we finally got there. It took around 45 minutes for us to get our car out of the snow once it got stuck on our way to sled. This snow has been amazing and it appears will be around for quite some time.

Abominable Snowbunny

Coming Down

Today the snow is really coming down. It may snow up to a foot. I blog now because the power may go out later. I can't wait to go sledding and play in the snow later.

Brother Back

Today my brother came home. It is nice to have the entire family together. It has now been one week since my break started, which means I only have two weeks left. Tomorrow it is supposedly going to snow a lot. I hope it does, but I have learned the hard way to not always believe what 'the man' says.

Sledding

Snow Day Of Fun

Today my sisters, father, and I played in the snow. We went sledding and built a snowman. I accidentally took out half of the snowman's face with a snowball, but it was rebuilt. We had fun playing in the snow, maybe there will be more tomorrow.

Nogged in the Noggin

Today I had my first taste of eggnog. My sister and I were tossing a ball in my dad's class while the students were gone. We were at my dad's class for a Christmas party. My sister threw the ball and it hit a full cup of eggnog. The eggnog went flying everywhere, all over me. Some of it went in my mouth. I am not sure if I liked the taste. I didn't like being covered in it though. Good thing we were able to clean it up before the kids and my dad got back; it would have been a good lesson on what not to do.

On Brink of Rink

Today I had fun playing outside in the snow/ice with my sisters. The snow was powder, and the streets were like a skating rink. We also had a good time having a family movie night.

Undefeeted

Today my sister had a soccer tournament championship game. It was over an hour away at a nice soccer park. There was snow on the ground, and it was freezing outside. With the windchill, well below freezing. So cold in fact, I eventually wore some sweatpants over my shorts.

The game was exciting. My feet were freezing. My sister played well, and even had an assist. Her team ended up winning the game and therefore were the tournament champions. Not a bad way to finish your last soccer game of your high school career. The ride home was scary, but thankfully we made it home safely.

Wons Gnillaf

Today it felt so good to be home. I must admit though, when I woke up, for a split second I thought I was still at college. I didn't even have to wait for the dining hall to open to get breakfast. It has snowed a little bit tonight, and there is possibly more on the way.

Home at Last

Today has been a great day. I was so happy to be going home, I didn't even care when I was up at 1:00am this morning, had been studying for hours, had a final that was 45% of my grade to take, and my alarm was set to go off in less than five hours.

I felt like my final went well, to be honest, I was just happy to be done with the quarter and be able to go home. Not even textbook buyback could get me down. After a walk to the bus station, a bus ride to a train station, a train ride, and meeting my family for a car ride, I finally reached home. And boy does it feel good.

Trying My Worst

Today is my last day at Western for quite some time. I wish I could say it was a really fun day filled with amazing adventures, but that would be far from the truth. I even wish I could say I spent all day studying for my last final, but that isn't true either. I spent most all of today trying to buy and sell textbooks for next quarter and trying to study for my final tomorrow. The keyword in both these statements is trying. My final is at 8:00am tomorrow, so thankfully it will be over soon and I'll be headed home.

Two Down, One to Go

Today I had a final at 3:30pm. I studied practically all yesterday and all this morning. I was more than prepared, and just wanted to get it over with. The test was two hours of nonstop writing. I feel like it went really well. Two tests down, one to go.

The past two days, I have had someone on the other side of a door right when I opened it. Both times, the people screamed and looked really scared. Hopefully, they weren't scared of me or my looks, but just that a door got opened right in front of them. I'll hope the latter.

Bad Feeling

Today after breakfast I studied for my next final. After a couple hours of studying, I took a much needed break and went with some friends to walk around the waterfront. I had a good time. When I got back, I studied for an hour and then went and ate dinner. After dinner, I studied for a couple more hours. I needed a break, so I went to the Rec Center and worked out. I got back and need to start studying again. The past few days have felt like ages, and it feels like finals will never be over. It is not a good feeling to have.

Two To Go

Today I had my philosophy final. I had been doing really well in the class, so I wasn't that worried about the final. The test went fine, and I knew I did well on it, which I did. The rest of the day, I tried to study for my next finals, but it wasn't easy. One down, two to go before I go home.

Taken Down

Today brunch closed at 1:30pm. I got there at 1:27pm. It was a sign of bad things to come in the very near future. Dinner closed at 6:30pm. I thought my roommate and I were going to make it on time, but we got to the dining hall just in time to see the door close right in front of us. This was the first time all year I missed dinner on accident. I have missed breakfast before on accident, but never dinner.

I didn't really feel like eating Top Ramon or a microwaveable pizza for dinner, so I went to a Chinese restaurant near campus for takeout. I was able to get there, order the food, and get back to my room in 26 minutes. The food was good. It wasn't really my plan to celebrate the start of finals week by eating a nice meal because I missed dinner, but it just worked out that way.

In the Neighborhood

Today my sister came to Western. It was really fun. I enjoyed showing her around, where I hangout, study, my classes, etc. I probably enjoyed it more than she did. We ate a meal in the dining hall, and got drinks at a coffee place. I am really glad she got to visit, and she (and the rest of my family) is invited any time.

Thankswinging

Slammed

Today one of my classes had our final meeting before the final. It feels good to almost be done with my classes. What didn't feel so good was getting destroyed at ping-pong and pool. To make matters worse, I was losing money in the process.

Final Classes

Today I had two classes. I now just have each of my classes once, and a final in each class before the quarter is over. I am excited for winter break and new classes, but also a bit nervous about finals. I don't think they will be that hard, but that may be the problem.

Drag Race

Today I had one class. In it, we learned about our neighbor to the south, Mexico. It was interesting, even for the entire two hour lecture. I planned to, and even tried to, finish the required reading for my class tomorrow. I got sidetracked, and then busy, so it still isn't done. I don't really feel like completing it, but I just keep reminding myself how close I am to the end of the quarter. No reason to drag myself across the finish line.

Classes Resuming

Today I returned to the classroom. To be honest, I am more than ready for this quarter to be over. I bought a train ticket home, so at least I know how I am getting back for winter break. Now if I could just figure out an easy way to get my TV home with me.

Western Return

Today I returned to Western. It was nice when I was at my real home, and I had a great time with my family. I already miss them, but thankfully I will be home soon for winter break. What I am not so thankful for is a class tomorrow morning at 9:00am.

Here and There

Today our family returned home. It was nice to have our entire family home for the first time in months. Now that I am used to being home again, I go back to school tomorrow. At least I only have two more weeks of class before winter break. Unfortunately, that means I need to start thinking about finals.

Black Friday

Late last night, and very early this morning, I really didn't feel well. I think it was a combination of a lot of food and lack of water. Thankfully, I felt better this morning. As is tradition, we had our annual Turkey trot the morning after Thanksgiving. The jog, and sprint in the middle, was fun even if it was a bit painful.

Thanksgiving

Today our family went to Oregon to be with my dad's side of the family for Thanksgiving. It was a very nice meal and nice to be with family. I told myself I wasn't going to eat too much, and I didn't during the meal. But when dessert came around, I had to try a piece of everything. I am still feeling the ramifications of my dessert overindulgence.

Home Again

Today it was nice to be home, very nice. It almost felt like I hadn't even been gone. I took our dog for a walk to my dad's school. I enjoyed seeing his class again, they enjoyed seeing the dog. Our family went to Olympia, it was fun going to places I hadn't been for quite some time. I am really excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Going Home

I am about to get a ride home. Pending something unforeseen happening, I will be back home with my family for the first time this quarter in a couple hours. I am excited.

bu5 st0p f0und

Today I had one 50 minute class, that was it. Being done with classes for that day at 10:00am, there was a lot of day left to do something fun and exciting. I chose to ride the bus to the mall which was not too much fun. Exciting doesn't quite describe the trip either.

I walked around random streets looking for a bus stop, but I couldn't find one. I saw a bus in the distance in the mall parking lot, and went sprinting through the parking lot after the bus. I never did catch up with it. Eventually, after circling the entire mall perimeter, I found a bus stop. I almost got on the wrong bus though.

Eventually, I got on a bus headed in the right direction. Overall, I spent two hours on the bus, an hour trying to find a bus, for a four hour total trip. Not exactly productive.

On a happier note, today is my 500th post. I thought it was several days ago, and had planned to post something special. Then I discovered some drafts I don't even remember creating and still had three more days until my 500th post. Now, I can't think of what special thing I was going to post, or if I had anything special to post at all.

Shutout Shootout

Today my team had a playoff game, if we won, we would be in the finals. Our team, in my biased opinion, was the better team. We had quite a few close scoring opportunities, but we didn't score. Neither did the other team. I almost scored once, I got past the goalie, but the ball went too far ahead of me and a defender got it.

It went in to a sudden death (golden goal) overtime. Neither team scored, so it went in to a shootout. After five rounds, the shootout was tied. It then went in to a sudden death shootout. It went back and forth, and eventually the other team won. It was disappointing, especially because I feel like we should have won our game, and could have won the championship against the next team.

Lost if Won

Today my soccer team had a playoff game. Quite a few of the players on my team are also on another team, and they had a game right before mine. I found myself rooting for the other team, even though it was against some of my teammates.

I wasn't trying to be mean, but if their team won it wouldn't have been good. That would have meant that the next game, assuming my team won as well, quite a few of the players would have been on both teams, and it would have not been good for either team.

It turns out, a major catastrophe was avoided because their team lost. Now, my team just had to win. I had a nice assist that led to the first goal of the game. The game went back and forth, but in the end my team was victorious 5-4. If we win our next game tomorrow, we will be in the championship.

Gladiator

Today is Friday and I am glad. It was extremely windy today and this makes me glad as well. I battled the elements, and was victorious.

Lasting Laundry

Today I finally decided it was time to do laundry. I went up to the laundry room to see if the washer was in use, not surprisingly, it was. I returned later when the load should be done. Someone else was just putting their first of two loads in. I returned when two loads would have time to be done in time to see another person putting their load in.

When their load was done, I finally got mine in. But when I put my load in, the only two dryers were just starting. This meant I had to wait an extra 32 minutes to be able to put my clothes in the dryer even though they were done with the washer. Eventually, my clothes will be washed and dried. I am still waiting, and I first tried to put my clothes in over four and a half hours ago.

Acrostically Awakened

Today I vaguely remember my alarm clock going off at the normal Wednesday time. What I don't remember is turning my alarm off, I think I thought I was hitting the snooze button. I somehow woke up 20 minutes later and was still able to make it to my class. I am really surprised that I only slept 20 extra minutes and voluntarily woke up in time to still get to class.

With some of my free time today I decided to do something I have wanted to do for the past couple days. The other day I tried drawing, today I tried poem writing. I believe it was the first time I ever decided to write poems by my own personal choice. The first poem I really struggled with creating, and only ended up happy with the title. Here is the second poem I wrote after winning a game of ping-pong that went in to decuple (10) overtime.

Battle of the Paddle

Players choose a side
Initiate game
Net is crossed by ball
Got to get it back

Points are scored
On and on it goes
Neither player wants to lose
Game Over

Schedueling

The past few days, I have been trying to figure out my schedule for next quarter. It is a slow, difficult, and tediously mind numbing process. There are classes I should take, but don't really want to. There are classes I want to take, but can't for various reasons. The classes I do choose also can't conflict time wise. Thankfully, I have a few more days to hopefully find the perfect schedule if such a thing really exists.

Liberated

Today I had some free time, so I decided to draw. I don't usually draw, actually I do very rarely. Maybe you remember last time I did so or the last time I artistically rendered the Statue of Liberty.

I was happy with how it was turning out, that is until I finished her. I got in a bit of a hurry to go to dinner, and the last part didn't turn out. Lady Liberty was rather short and the proportions were off. I erased her lower half, and was happy with how it turned out.

Game On and Off

Today my soccer team had our first playoff game. We won 2-0. People on my team said our next game was tonight at 7:00pm. I didn't think we had another game in the same day, but I thought maybe they knew something I didn't. I showed up at 7:00pm, and was the only person from my team there. Turns out, we didn't have a game at 7:00pm. At least we won our game today and do play another game eventually.

Satireday

Today I wanted to do something productive with the day. I decided to ride the bus to Fred Meyer and return something I had bought that I didn't use. It took almost 60 minutes to get there. I was there for 30 minutes, and then 45 minutes to return. It took over two hours to get to a store and back. I did get the thing I wanted returned, but I exchanged it for something else, only making two pennies in the process.

I then thought since I had spent so much time already today on the bus, I might as well spend some more time on the bus. I rode the bus to another store where my bank is located to deposit some money, but they were having technical difficulties. So my productive Saturday really wasn't very productive, but a majority of it was spent on a bus.

Time Troubles

Last night when I went to bed, I finally decided to set my clock back an hour so it would be showing the correct time. I didn't change my clock after fall back. I was worried I would not be thinking when I set my alarm, and either wake up an hour early or late if I left it at an hour ahead of time.

While I did set my clock to the correct time last night, I forgot to set my alarm. It didn't go off this morning. Thankfully, I woke up 10 minutes later than my alarm would have gone off, and I was able to make it to class on time.

Break Halted

Today I didn't have class until noon, and the class at noon was my only class of the day. The class is two hours long. Sometimes, the class can be interesting, but after two hours of lecture, I am more than ready for the class to be over.

The professor used to give us a five minute break after the first hour was over, notice I said used to. The five minute break I would look forward to for the first hour no longer exists because we have so much to cover. The lecture pace and amount covered has increased drastically. I was taking notes at such a furious pace today during his two hour nonstop lecture that my hand hurt after class.

Walk Around

Today I went for a nice stroll. It wasn't raining out, and it was pleasant to walk around the campus. I was also talking to my family on the phone as I wandered around somewhat aimlessly.

I decided to be adventurous and walk off campus, to places I had never been before. I was walking for a ways and then I saw a big building with flags by it. I wondered why I had never seen this magnificent building before.

As I got closer, I finally figured out that I had walked in a big circle and was back where I had started. I had never really left campus like I thought. The building was one I walk by daily, and the flags were the ones they raised for the first time today. I had never approached the building from the side. Hopefully, on my next walk I will truly find something new and actually leave campus.

Cleaned House

Today I cleaned 'the room'. It was in need of a clean for quite some time, and today was the day. Not only did I organize my clothes and desk, I took out the garbage, recycling and swept. After two hours of cleaning, it looks a lot better. Hopefully, it stays this way for quite some time.

Sleep or Study

Today I only had 50 minutes of class. It was my philosophy class at 9:00am in the morning. I must admit, I was really tempted to skip class and sleep in. Though I was tempted, I decided to go. I wish I could say it was important that I went, but it really wasn't.

Soccer Matched

Today my co-ed soccer team had our last game. It was also our first game on the grass instead of on the artificial turf. Our team was undefeated going in to our last game, but so was the team we were facing.

Our team was outnumbered, as we had 8 eligible players and they had 10. This was because a few of the women on our team were gone, and there must be an equal balance of men and women on the field at a time. Our team went up 1-0, but being outnumbered, we ended up losing 2-1. We played well this season, and I think we will make the playoffs.

Along for the Ride

I had it all planned out to go home for the weekend. I don't have classes on Tuesday, and my main Monday class was cancelled. I could leave Friday, and be with my family until Tuesday. It would have worked out great, except that my family went down to Oregon to visit my brother during his college's family weekend, so nobody would be home. It is disappointing not to be able to visit my family.

But tonight, I was able to "be with them" using Skype. It was fun, yet slightly bizarre, to see my family and cousins my family are staying with. It was probably more weird for them carrying me around on their laptop. I almost got dizzy when the spun me around on the lazy susan. While it is too bad I didn't get to be with my family literally this weekend, it was nice to get to be with them through Skype. And thankfully Thanksgiving is coming up soon so I can actually see my family and relatives face to face.

Still Here

Off to play a game of Risk, and I don't know if I will be back before midnight. Therefore, I may or may not revise this post when I return. Stay tuned...

Rain Again

Today it rained. This is not unusual this time of year, especially in the Pacific Northwest, but it hasn't rained that much since I got to college. Rain it did, it was also windy. I think more days ahead are going to be wet and windy like today.

Walking Awakening

Today I went for a walk around campus. It was nice to go for a stroll with no destination or time restraint holding me down. I would like to go on more of these expeditions around campus, but it is doubtful these will continue once the weather starts to get worse.

Portal

Free at Last

Today I had my last midterm. All morning/early afternoon before the test, I was studying (sort of) and worrying about the test. I thought this would be the hardest one of the bunch. When I finally got the test, I actually sort of enjoyed it. Not just because it was my last one, but for some bizarre reason I can't explain, I just enjoyed taking this test. I got a bit carried away on my last essay, and ran out of time towards the end, but overall I feel like things went well.

I had big plans for how I was going to celebrate freedom from midterms day, but they were wrecked by it taking literally three hours to get my laundry going and done. I guess freedom from midterms day can be celebrated tomorrow. I also voted today. Overall, it was a busy, productive, and enjoyable day.

Fall Back

Today another weekend came to an end. So too is my time left to study for my last midterm. After 3:50pm tomorrow, I will finally be free of midterms. I am not sure quite how I will celebrate freedom from midterms day, but a trip to the hot tub probably is in store.

Today was also fall back, one of the more glorious days of the year. It has to be in the top 7 best 'holidays' of the year. That "extra" hour of sleep sure feels good. I can't wait. In fact, I am going to bed right now just to enjoy fall back.

Lost in the Library

Class Pass

Today I only had one class. It was a bit unfortunate that it also happened to be my earliest class, so I didn't get to sleep in. The class got out early, and it was my only class of the day, so I am not complaining. I also got back my midterm, and did quite well. So all in all it was a good day class wise.

Drill Thrill

Today I only had one class. With five minutes left in the class, the fire alarm went off. I don't think it was a planned drill, but I also don't think it was a fire. I wish it could have gone off a bit sooner though so that class could have been over sooner.

Mid-Time is Out

Today I had another midterm. I tried not to stress about it too much. It was in my Philosophy class. I felt like things were going well until there were five minutes left before we had to turn the test in.

I was checking my answers and the last one seemed wrong. I tried to hurry and quickly redo the problem, but then it seemed even more wrong. I changed it again, the professor said only two minutes left. I changed my answer multiple times in the last few minutes, I wish I could say to the right answer, but I am not sure.

I felt an incredible sense of relief this afternoon not having any homework, or a midterm to worry about. This relief is only temporary because I need to start thinking about my last, and probably hardest midterm, coming up on Monday.

Midterm Down

Today I had my first midterm of the quarter. I was a bit nervous, not knowing what it was going to be like. I got up early to study for it, but being up early just gave me more time to worry. I feel like I did well on the test, but only time will tell.

After it was over, I felt overjoyed and on top of the world. This was short lived, as I remembered I have another midterm tomorrow morning. I wish I could say I studied a bunch for it, but that wouldn't be truthful. After my midterm tomorrow morning, I have 4.5 hours to forget about midterms until I get the study guide for my final midterm tomorrow afternoon.

Time Out

Today I studied for my midterm. It was not fun. I spent hours studying. The longer I studied, the more I felt like I didn't know anything. It was overwhelming and stressful. I wish I could say things will be better after tomorrow, but they won't be. It is only the first of three midterms.

(picture of my desk/gallery/footrest/table/study cubicle/office)

Weakend Over

Today my weekend came to an end. I had grand plans of studying a bunch this weekend for my midterms. While I did study some, I didn't nearly study as much as I had hoped or planned. There is always tomorrow, but I am running out of those.

My soccer team also had a game today. My team won, and we are undefeated. It was basically inevitable what would happened with the rat trap I bought yesterday, especially when I have midterms I should be studying for. See a video of it here on my roommate's blog.

Trapped

Today my roommate and I rode the bus to Fred Meyer. He had some stuff he needed to buy for a class, I bought a large mouse trap. No, our room isn't rat or mouse infested, I just couldn't pass up on the trap. I also went to the Rec Center today and jogged for an hour straight, or about 70 laps. The track is around a tenth of a mile. I also found some time to study for my midterm, more time needs to be found tomorrow.

Weekend of Stalling

Today is Friday. I am really glad it is the weekend. The only thing I am not super glad about is I need to study for my midterms. I know I should, but I really don't want to. But the sooner I do, the sooner I get it over with.

Midterminator

Today I started to think about midterms. Next week, I have two of them. The week after that, another. I probably should start studying for them soon, as in yesterday soon.

Practice Pitfalls

Today is already Wednesday. The days are going by really fast. I thought I had soccer practice today. It is a bit of a long story, but I didn't have practice. Another team, which a lot of the people on my team are on, had practice. I could have joined them, but I got to practice a bit too late. At least I know my team has a game on Sunday.

Presentation Presented

Today was the day of my group presentation. I was a bit nervous about how it would go, but I think our group did a great job. Things really came together. It made the late night group meeting last night more than worth it. Hopefully, my professor thinks we did as good a job as I do.

Meetings Matter

I just got back from my group meeting. It went a bit later than I hoped, but finished earlier than I expected. I would say it was an extremely productive meeting, it may have saved our project.

Hopefully everything goes smoothly tomorrow when I present. I hear my youngest sister has to give her first oral report in her third grade class tomorrow. It seems ironic we both have three minute speeches to give in our class tomorrow. I hope we both do well.

Best of Both Worlds

Today started out glorious. I had a soccer game at 10:00am. My team played quite well, and we won 5-0. I then decided to go to the rec center. When I got there, I saw some people playing pickleball. I felt like crying; I was so happy. I went over, and played a game. I didn't even care that I lost 21-5. Then, I went and relaxed in the hot tub.

After that, the day was a little less glorious. I worked on homework for a while. Then I had a three hour meeting for a group project. The only thing worse than a three hour group meeting is one in which you don't get much accomplished and know you have another group meeting tomorrow night, the day before the project is due, starting at 9:00pm. I can't wait.

Forest Gumption

Today my roommate and I went exploring the forest, we went to the top of Sehome Hill. It was quite the adventure. At times, we blazed our own trail, other times we followed ones already made.

After we had conquered the forest, we turned our efforts to the library. The library was nearly as big as the forest, and just as easy to get lost in. It was my first time exploring the library, but it definitely wasn't my last.

Blogging in HD

Today is Friday, this pleases me. Everything is better in HD.

Unpacked

Today I finally finished unpacking my stuff. I had left a big pile of stuff in the closest. Some of the stuff I hadn't even remembered bringing. It is nice to finally be completely unpacked and more organized.

Group Projecting

Today I had a group meeting for a project. We met at a Starbucks about a mile from campus. I was able to catch the bus and get there just in time. I am not a huge fan of group projects, but maybe college group projects will be better. I at least feel like everyone in the group is trying to do their fair part, they better when it is worth 15% of our entire grade for the class.

Homework is Work

Today I was able to sleep in, it was quite nice. I also had quite a bit of homework. It seems the amount of homework I have is growing exponentially as the school year goes on. I guess having homework at college can be expected.

Midterms?

Today it was back to the classroom. Fairly soon I have to start thinking about midterms and such. But right now, things are going fairly well.

Game Off and On

Today my rec soccer team had our first game, quickly followed by our second game. The first 'game', the other team only had four people so it was a forfeit. We added some people on their team and had a scrimmage just for fun.

An hour later, our second game started. This time the other team actually had more eligible people than us. It didn't matter, our team won 6-0. I even scored a goal. It was a lot of fun. I didn't even mind getting up early to play.

Bus Adventure

Today my roommate and I went on a bus adventure. We wanted to get to the mall. This is a bit harder than it sounds when you don't really know where things are at, or the bus routes. We were able to make it to the mall eventually.

I spent most of my time in Target. It was also strange because the Target was exactly like one in Olympia. I felt like I if I walked out the front doors, I would be in Olympia. It kind of was freaking me out.

On the way back to campus, we probably didn't take the most direct route. Also on the way back, I finally started to regain my sense of smell after being sick all week, only to smell the feet of the person next to me who took their shoes off.

After around an hour, we made it back to the campus. We were gone almost 5 hours, nearly 2 of which were spent on a bus or waiting for one. The other 3 were spent wandering around Target and trying to decide what to get for lunch. I think getting lost downtown might become a weekly habit.

Practice Postponed

Today I am so glad it is Friday. I am still not feeling 100%, but hopefully I will feel better after the weekend. I thought I was supposed to have soccer practice today, but after looking around for people for 30 minutes, I figured it was cancelled. Sure enough, I later read an email saying it was cancelled. Our first game is Sunday.

Ping Ponged Out

Today I only had one class. I really enjoy Tuesdays and Thursdays. I played some ping pong with one of my suitemates. It was fun until the area got invaded by indoor soccer players. I almost got hit in the head with a soccer ball, pretty soon after that we quit playing.

Practice Doesn't Make Perfect

Today I had soccer practice. It was fun, although I haven't been playing that well. We played until it was so dark it was hard to tell who was on your team. I played a card game with some people that was fun even though I lost. The past few days I haven't been feeling 100%, closer to 87%. It isn't that bad, but hopefully it won't last too much longer.

Breakslow

Today I was running a bit late to breakfast. I got there right after they closed. It wasn't that bad though, I just had to wait 30 minutes for lunch to start. I only have one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is nice.

Philosophy, Poly Sci, and Pool

Today it was back to the classroom. Philosophy is getting harder, and political science is getting more interesting. I also played some pool today. I played good for about five shots, and then I couldn't make anything.

Sunday Funday

Today it was nice to relax, and enjoy the end of the weekend. I did find time to do a little bit of homework. My soccer team also had a practice. It was fun. I'm really glad I got on a team.

Windy Walk

Today I walked to the store. It was extremely windy. I bought an umbrella for walking back in the rain, but it was so windy I didn't want to use it. I didn't want it to break right after I bought it. I have now been at college for two weeks.

Pop Quizzed

Today I was glad it was Friday. I turned in my first assignment in Philosophy. I also had a pop quiz in my Political Science class. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was involved in a picture scavenger hunt. It was fun, and a bit bizarre.

Alarm Clocked Out

Today my alarm clock didn't go off. I woke up an hour later than I had thought I was going to wake up. It all worked out, my first class wasn't until noon. I also did some laundry for the first time. For quite a while I have been wanting/needing to do some laundry, but I never found the time to. Either that, or the one washing machine was in use.

Fire Drilled

Today was a good day. I didn't have a pop quiz in my political science class like I thought. It will happen on Friday. During my team's soccer practice, I scored a goal off a header. Tonight, our dorm had a fire drill. It was not fun, it happened in the middle of the TV show I was watching.

Today is Tuesday

Today I didn't have a class until noon. During this class, I felt really sick. I contemplated leaving, I felt that bad. In the end, I made it through the class, barely. Now I feel fine, a bit tired, but it is getting late.

Monday Mania

Today was back to the classroom. I am starting to like my classes more and more. We shall see how long this feeling lasts. I also had my first practice for intramural soccer. It was a lot of fun after I was able to find it.

Sunday of Relaxation

Today it was nice to relax and take it easy. I did find time to finish most of my homework as well. Back to classes tomorrow.

Bizarre Birthday

Today is my 19th birthday. It was strange and a bit sad to have a birthday away from home. It made me miss my family. It was also strange having my special day not be special to anyone else except for myself.

That being said, today was a fun day. Nothing special though, it just felt like a regular day. Besides missing lunch and being hungry all day, my birthday went well. I have been at college for a week now.

No Food For Thought

Today I was almost late to both my classes, keyword almost. I made it to both with about 30 seconds to spare, although it was really hard to find a seat.

I received a birthday gift from my family. I was thankful, but it wasn't fun carrying around the diaper box they sent stuff in. I had a few strange looks and comments.

Tonight, I missed dinner. I thought for sure places would be open later on Friday, but they actually close earlier. I also joined a pickup game of soccer. It was really fun. I would probably still be playing right now but 'they' turned the lights out on us. It was a fun day.

Classes Continued

Today I had another political science class for the first time. I also went to the REC center for the first time. It was really fun.

Fairhaven Domination

Today was my first day of classes. My philosophy class seems like it will be interesting. I also had a political science class today. It is about world politics. I think it will be interesting, but it will be quite a bit of work.

Tonight, my dorm (Fairhaven) faced another dorm in a game of capture the flag. It was the funnest thing I have done at college so far. We won, no problem. What do we eat, what do we eat? Meat! Meat! Meat! How do we eat it? Raw! Raw! Raw!

Never Ending Party

Today I left campus for the first time since I arrived here. It was also the first time I took the bus, and it sure was full. I went to a store to get some supplies I needed.

Tonight was convocation for the freshman. After the ceremony, we all walked along a path filled with cheering, screaming, and high-fiving people. I was in the very back of this long path of people because I wanted to sit in the front at the ceremony, and I mean the very back as in the caboose of the long train of people.

There was also a fireworks display that I thought would never end. Just when I thought it was over, another small firework would go off. I couldn't really see much of the fireworks anyway, but it was still fun. Tomorrow I have my first classes, I wish I was excited.

Full Classes and Belly

Today I had to take my first college test. No, classes haven't started yet. I decided to take the math placement test early in the morning. I am not sure what class I placed in to, but not a single math class had any openings anyways. Neither did hardly any other classes. I spent a couple hours trying to rearrange my schedule, but practically every class was full. Speaking of which, the food in the dorm rooms has been quite good.

Hungry Hike

Today I went on a hike in the morning. We hiked to the top of a hill and had a light breakfast. There was a really nice view of Bellingham from up there. The dining halls finally opened tonight. I have been hungry the past two days as nothing has been open, and I haven't had much food. I also met another suite mate who lives in the room next door this afternoon.

First Day

Today I arrived at college. It took a little over three hours to get here. I went to a few orientation type events. It was sad when my family left, I will miss them. Tomorrow morning I have a breakfast thing to go to so I hope I get a good nights sleep.

Last Meal

Today was my last day home before I go to college. That being said, much of today was spent packing. It is hard to know whether or not I am forgetting something I need.

We had a goodbye dinner and dessert at my grandparents' house with both sets of grandparents. It was a fun time being together and eating good food. I am slightly nervous about how tomorrow and the rest of tonight are going to go.

Pickled Out

Today was my last day at pickleball for quite some time. I rode my bike to pickleball, and left earlier than I normally do, as I usually get there after it starts. I played fairly well.

After everyone left, the man challenged me to some one on one as it was my last time there for a while. We ended up playing three games. Although I played well and battled as hard as I could, I lost all three games. After over an hour of one on one, I left for home.

On the way home, my bike broke. The gears no longer work. The same bike I planned to take to college. I think I played a bit too long and too hard at pickleball, because I felt sick the rest of the day. I think playing from 8:45am to 1:00pm was a bit too much, but I still had fun my last time at pickleball for a while.

Thinking and Dining

Today we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Olympia. It was nice to go there before I leave for college. Most of today I spent thinking about getting ready to go to college. Not really doing anything, but just thinking about it.

Liked Hike

Today I went to pickleball for a little under an hour. I hurried home to get ready to go on a hike with my father's class. It was a fun hike, the weather was nice. After we got back, my sister, dog, and I went swimming. We all had a good time, although our dog didn't want to jump off the dock as I had hoped. After swimming, I went to my sister's soccer game. She played well. Overall, it was a fun, busy day.

Happy Birthday x2

Today was my little sister's 8th birthday. It was also my older brother's 21st birthday. They were born on the same day, 13 years apart. My brother was away at college, but my sister had a birthday party today. It was neat to be here for that. I ate an extra piece of cake not only because it was so good, but in honor of my brother at college and for my birthday which will happen when I am at college. Happy birthday brother and sister.

Funday

Today was my last Sunday home before I leave for college. I leave for college on Saturday. It was a fun Sunday, but a bit sad as it is my last at home. I am happy/sad, nervous/excited, and dreading/ looking forward to going to college all at the same time. It is a rather strange emotion, and hard to explain.

Salmon and Soccer

Today I went to a Western alumni/new student salmon barbecue. The food was good and it was nice to meet people from the area who have gone to/are going to Western. We then went to my sister's soccer game. It was fun to get to watch her play. The game ended up a 1-1.

Shots Taken and Not Taken

Today my father and I went on our once annual golf outing. It is almost always a spur of the moment thing, but we always go golfing at least once a year. I won't be home much longer, so he decided we would go today.

We don't play golf enough to be super good at it. That doesn't mean that we don't get a good shot every now and then. At first we were in a rush because there were people behind us and we didn't want to get in their way. It turns out, there was an army of golfers behind us, around 20 with at least 5 golf carts. At one point, this group was teeing off about 15 feet behind me while I was trying to get out of a sand trap. Golf balls were literally whizzing by my head at fast speeds. I was scared for my life.

I brought our camera so I could take some pictures. I handed the camera to my dad because I didn't have room for it in my golf bag. When I went to get the camera from his bag, we couldn't find it. We looked in every pocket, of which golf bags have quite a few. We took out all the clubs and shook the bag. Several items my father didn't even know he had fell out of the bag, but not a camera.

We asked other golfers and the manager at the club house if anyone had seen a camera. Nobody had. We shook down the bag one more time, but couldn't find the camera. We felt like leaving, the joy had been taken out of our trip. We decided to play a few more holes and forget about the camera and just have a good time.

The last three holes were some of the best either of us had ever played. I mean we made shots you would expect to see pros make. We had a great time, then we remembered the camera. During one last shakedown/beat down of the golf bag, the camera popped out. What followed was a joyous celebration after a strange, but memorable day of golf. Thanks Dad.

Day No Play

Today pickleball was cancelled. It was a bit sad. My sister had a soccer game which I wasn't able to go to. Too bad because they won and she played well. But I'll probably be able to go to her next game.

Knife Knows

Today I learned a valuable, and somewhat painful, lesson. I was getting a peeler out of the knife drawer. I reached to grab something and got poked in the finger with something sharp. This isn't surprising when dealing with the knife drawer.

What was surprising, was when after yelling out in pain and explaining what happened to my family, I did the same thing again. Another finger got stabbed by the same sharp object. And this is where I learned my lesson. It reaffirmed the lesson of always being extra careful when reaching into the knife drawer, and taught me it is painful to both finger and pride to get stabbed by the same knife twice.

Going to Game

Today I rode my bike to pickleball. I played fairly well today, and had a good time. It was a bit sad thinking about how I only have a few more times to play. And with pickleball being cancelled this Thursday, one less time to do so.

Blackberry Bounty

Today my mom made some jam and a dessert with the blackberries we picked yesterday. The dessert was very good, almost too good. I haven't tasted the jam yet, although it will probably be excellent. The reward from the berries is well worth the time and pain put in to picking them. Thanks for the jam and dessert mom.

Barbecue and Blackberries

Today we went to a friends house for a barbecue. We had a nice meal, and then we picked blackberries at their house. It was fun picking berries. It was not easy getting the good berries without getting stuck by the stickers. Although, it probably would have been easier to avoid this problem if I wasn't in shorts and a tee shirt. Thanks Deakins for having us over.

No Ray of Hope

Sometimes, I've gotten really good deals from eBay and craigslist, but not today. It may be awhile before I try to buy something from craigslist again. Especially something that is far away, and takes up all my day driving to buy. Oh, and I won't be going to the Mariners game tomorrow against the Yankees.

Good Food

Today my mom and sisters made an excellent dinner. They made calzones, one of my all time favorite meals. It was a great meal, but it made me think of how much I will miss them, and not just their cooking, while I am at college.

Pickleball Playing

Today I rode my bike to pickleball. I played fairly well. I faced the man again. This time, with an audience watching, I lost. It was a bit disappointing, but it was a good game.

I am sad I don't have too many more days of pickleball before I go to college. Hopefully, I will be pickleballing at Western.

Bugs Galore

Today I accidentally left one of the windows down in our car. I picked a bad day to do so. My sister came home from soccer practice and told us there had been swarms of bugs outside where she was practicing. She then said she saw some on the car.

We went out to the car and there were little bugs crawling all over it. I grabbed a flyswatter and killed over 25 of them. Thankfully, only one went inside the car that I know of. There sure were a lot of bugs out today. It was really quite bizarre.

Summer Ending

Today my dad's school had a back to school barbecue. It was fun to go to and see his new students and old ones. It was also a bit strange. Summer is ending. I still have a few more days of summer left, but summer is rapidly coming to an end. This makes me both and happy and sad.

Shopping Spree

Today my mother, sisters, and I went shopping. We had a good time, and got some nice stuff. How can you beat an extra 60% off of clearance?

Family Game Night

Tonight was a fun family game night. It was interesting the different strategies people did and didn't use. We should have games nights more often. Although one more round of Phase 10, and I would have missed posting today before midnight.

Bye Bro

Today my brother went back to college. I stayed home and watched my little sister. My sister and I had fun, but we are all sad my brother is gone. We miss you Harrison. I hope you have a good time at college.

Last Hoorah

Today my cousins headed back home to California. This time, I didn't go with them. It would have been fun though. It was fun having them here, and I miss them already.

Today was also my brother's last day here. Tomorrow he heads back to college. It won't seem the same here without him. Yes, it was a bit of sad day.

Battle of the Paddle

Today it finally happened, I beat the man at pickleball. After battling him for nearly a year, I finally won. The first game we played today, I was down 1:8. I rallied back to take the lead 10:8 in a game that goes to 11. I eventually ended up losing. I was crushed. I had been one point away from finally beating this guy.

He asked to play again later. A fellow pickleballer said I had no chance. The second game, I ended up winning 11:8. It was unprecedented. Nobody had ever beaten this guy. Fellow players were congratulating me. Hopefully, this is the first of many more great battles. Well, at least until I head to college.

Movie Mania

Today I continued to work on some of the things I need to do. I am practically finished. We also had a movie night with the cousins. It was fun, even though I had already seen the end of the movie.

Going to Games

Today I went to pickleball. It had been a while since I last played. After a few games, I played better. The only problem, I didn't get to pickleball until it was half over. I guess there is always next time.

Close Completion

Today I worked on some stuff I've been needing to do for quite some time. I wish I could say I finished everything, but I haven't. I am getting closer though.

Delicious Dinner

Today our family was treated to an amazing dinner cooked by my uncle. It was delicious. After having thirds, I had to call it quits. Although I wanted to eat more because it was so good, my stomach was telling me it was time to quit. He also cooked up some onion pancakes which are always a hit. Thanks Uncle Ed.

Big Bad Branch

Today I cut down some branches from a tree. This wasn't something completely out of the ordinary for me, but being 15 feet up in a ladder while doing so was. I am not afraid of heights, but I don't like feeling unsecured up high.

The two branches took for ever to cut down. Ants were crawling all over my arms, which I couldn't even feel after sawing for 20 minutes with a dull blade at an awkward angle. When the second and final branch was finally cut, I was relieved. That is until it started to lean against the ladder and push it sideways. I was able to get down the ladder safely and be on land again. It was nice to have those branches cut down, but being off the ladder was even nicer.

Took Trip

Today I went with my cousins and grandparents on a trip to Ikea. It was a fun trip, but it was a long trip. We were gone all day. I hoped to find something for my dorm room, but I only ended up buying a pillow. A very soft, squishy, amazing pillow.

Rad Reunion

Today one set of cousins left for home. The past few days have been really fun. It has been nice to be around family. The food has been incredible, but being with each other has been even better.

Wonton of Fun

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Lake Bake

Today I was at the lake with family. It has been fun to be with everyone. We had a great dinner made by my sister and mom. Dessert was provided by my aunt. Good times were had by all.

Family Reunion Begins

Light Slumber

The past three nights in a row, I slept outside on our trampoline. The first night, I didn't get much sleep, but the second night I slept quite nicely. Surprisingly, on the third night it wasn't rain, snow, or hail that made me head inside the house at 3:30am, but lightning. I think I will sleep inside tonight.

Swimming Lesson

Today my brother, cousin, and I went swimming. My cousins are visiting from L.A. We were playing a game where someone would throw an object, and another person would swim to retrieve it.

We were using a part of a boat paddle. I will remember next time to test whether the object floats, because the part of the paddle we were using eventually sank. This meant our game turned in to more of a mad search for the paddle. After over 30 minutes of searching for it, completely exhausted, we found it.

Stain No Pain

Today I helped my dad paint. Actually, he painted while I stained someones shed. It wasn't too bad of a job. Thankfully, it was in the shade because it was around 90 degrees outside. It is supposed to be hot again tomorrow.

Bouncing Bed

Tonight I am going to try sleeping on our trampoline for the first time this summer. It was hot all day, and it is still hot inside our house. Hopefully it doesn't start raining, hailing, or snowing tonight.

Remotely Successful

Today I programmed a universal remote for our DVD player, but this was much easier said than done . The original remote quit working , and it was very frustrating trying to watch and navigate through DVD menus without a remote.

I tried to find the correct code for our DVD player, but I couldn't find it. The directions said to turn on the device you were trying to program, and then press a button on the remote up to 300 times while it found the correct code for your device.

I sat there pressing play on the remote countless times. It finally played, and I was overjoyed. The only problem, I didn't know what to do next. Once it played and had found the right code for our DVD player, I didn't know how to set this as the code. It took four times of pressing the play button up to 300 times for me to figure out you pressed the mute to program it when it played. I am glad we finally have a remote for our DVD player, but it was a lot of work getting it to work.

PickleFall

Today I played pickleball for the first time in around a month. My first game back went quite well. My team won, and I was playing almost as if I had never left. Almost every game after this until my last two games I didn't play as well, it really showed I had been gone for so long. The last two games, my grandpa and I played really well. We won a match that went in to overtime after being down big. It was fun to finally play again.

Trim Time

Today I helped my dad paint my grandparents' house. I painted the trim around the windows. In years past, I was too much of a perfectionist for this job. I would spend hours on things that should take minutes. I have gotten better at not compromising on quality, but speeding up my ability.

Green Team

Today I did something I have never done in my life. I put clothes on a line to dry instead of in a dryer. It is a new thing my family is doing, but it was the first time I put the clothes up today.

Preprogrammed

Today I watched some of the Olympics. I was waiting to watch one event "live", and it was really the main thing I wanted to watch today. I went to another channel during commercials just in time to see the results of the event I was waiting to see. It was disappointing, not the event results, but knowing them before I watched it.

Olympics Opening

Today my brother and I went to the theater to watch a movie. We had a good time. Tonight, we have enjoyed watching the Olympics opening ceremonies. The performers and their performances were amazing. The precision, timing, manpower, and money needed to pull of what they did is mind boggling, and was visually stunning. The parade of nations, though long, was fun to watch.

Start Over

Today I got back from my tour of Western. Overall, I was impressed with the campus and things it has to offer. The biggest disappointments of SummerStart were being extremely low on sleep, feeling sick, and not getting registered for the classes I wanted. But in the end, I am glad I went, and am excited to go there in the fall.

SummerStarting

Today I am at Western Washington University for a freshman program called SummerStart. It is a two day program, meaning I spend the night tonight. It has been a long day, starting at 5:40am, on less than 5 hours of sleep, to get here before 10:00am. I have learned some important things, but I am all seminared out.

Unplain Plane Trip

Today I drove my sister to the airport. She is going to spend ten days down south in California. After dropping her off at the airport and helping her check in, we left. Our car was very low on gas. As in the gas light was on so long, it wasn't funny. After driving until the tank was dangerously low trying to find gas, we finally found a gas station.

We also stumbled across and Ikea, so we stopped there. I was probably six the last time I went to Ikea, and only vaguely remember the food and play area. We had fun looking around. What was not as fun, was spending over 30 minutes trying to get what we bought in the car. We finally ended up getting it to fit by opening the box and moving parts around and having nobody in the passenger's seat. I hope my sister has fun in California, but I *know she will.

*know as in I am 97.2% sure she will

Blog Off

Today I came the closest I ever have to not blogging. I have not missed a single day in the over a year this blog has existed. So what caused me to almost not blog? Was it a mad dash to get home before midnight, computer problems, a strange illness, or somethings else?

No, nothing of that sort. I simply nearly forgot to blog. I was on my way to bed, and didn't even think about blogging. This is the first time I can remember this happening. Maybe it is the start of something new, maybe I won't blog everyday. Whatever the cause of my forgetfulness, I am glad I was able to blog and keep my consecutive days without a miss streak alive for at least one more day.

Thanks

After being gone for over three weeks, it will take a while to adjust to being back at home. It is nice to be home, but it was also nice to be in Oregon. I had a great time.

Thanks for having me at the farm cousins and family, and on the fishing trip other cousins and family. It was nice to take a break from TV and the internet while I was gone, and to start reading more. Thanks also goes to my mom for posting a picture a day while I was gone, and to my aunt (and uncle a few times) for taking the pictures.

Home Again

Camping Out in Corvallis

Blueberries

On the Hunt

Cheap Entertainment

Feed the Sheep

Safety Lesson

Night Fishing

Follow That Van

From Corvallis to Sandy

Get a Load of That

Jump On It

I'm working on a house in Corvallis, Oregon this week.

Back with my Cousins

Reflection

one year of blogging today

The View

Gone

fishing and camping with my Uncle Jim

Chickens

Firewood

Hitchhiker

How Would You Like Your Eggs?

Just Cuz

 

Chicken Little

Hay Day

On Trip Part 1

Today is the day I go down to Oregon. Seeing as I am not sure about internet use, I am writing this before I leave. And also seeing as I have been writing about taking pictures at Summer Hummer all week, here is a link to their website. Be sure and stop by the photo section to check out the pictures. While I didn't take all of them, I took a portion of them. I mainly focused on action shots. If you see a staged picture of kids smiling into the camera, odds are I didn't take it. If you see an unstaged picture, the chances are higher that I took it.

Gift on the Go

First off, I would like to wish my mother happy birthday. We had a nice dessert as a family with both sets of grandparents in her honor.

Today was a busy day. I dropped my little sister off at Summer Hummer, and then drove back to town to play pickleball. I was really on top of my game today, and it was a really fun day at pickleball. I then drove back to Summer Hummer and took pictures for the rest of the afternoon.

When the campers left today, it was time for the leaders to have fun. We had pizza and then played dodge ball. This was no ordinary game of dodge ball. The lights were turned out in the gym and blacks light and a strobe light illuminated the people and the dodge balls. Well, most of the dodge balls, some you couldn't really see until they slammed against your body at high speeds. It was an intense game of dodge ball, and although it was a bit bizarre and a bit hard to see, it was one of the funnest games of dodge ball I have ever played.

When I got home, it was time to get ready for my mom's birthday party. It is also was the time I bought a train ticket to Oregon, for tomorrow morning. It was a bit of last minute thing to go down tomorrow, but a plan to go to Oregon has been in the works for several days. So the rest of my night after the party has been spent getting ready to leave for around 10 days to Oregon. I am excited, but tired.

Picture Perfect

Today I took pictures at Summer Hummer again. I get a bit spoiled by getting to use a really expensive camera with a nice lens. The lens was nice, but it took a bit to get used to it. It has a 70-300mm lens. Basically, it takes really clear pictures of things far away, but can only take pictures of things far away. This means I have to be far away from the object I want to take a picture of. This can be difficult at times, especially when active children are involved, and has taken some getting used to. I also was in charge of group portraits for a while today. I was a bit nervous at the thought of being in charge of this, but it went fine.

That's the Way the Ball Bounces

As with any sport, the referees in pickleball make mistakes and questionable calls. Especially considering the refs are the people on the side the ball bounces on. This means the other team decides whether the ball you hit was in or out.

Most the time, it is not a problem. Today, however, a few of the other teams calls really got to me. They shouldn't have, but they did. They threw me off my game, and I didn't play well. Some people play great when they are mad, I play terrible. Next time I need to not let it bother me so much. It is just a game, and we are all there to have fun.

Winning is not the most important thing, playing my hardest, having fun, being a good teammate, and being honest are all a lot more important things when it comes to life, sports, and especially pickleball.

Pocketless Photographer

Today was the first day of Summer Hummer camp held at my church. For the second year in a row, I am on the media team. I take pictures of the over 850 campers at the week long camp.

I took over 500 pictures today. Next time, I need to wear shorts with pockets. I had stuff I needed to carry around, but my shorts didn't have adequate pockets, so I had to wear my coat. This isn't usually so bad, but when it is 85 degrees out, it is no fun to have to wear a coat. Other than that, things went fine.

Costco and More with Cousins

Today it was nice to visit with my cousins and their family. We went to lunch at Costco with my cousins family and grandparents. I never knew there was so much fun stuff at Costco. We sampled the reclining couch and listened to the sample music. There is more than just food to sample at Costco.

My aunt and uncle helped prepare a meal at our house. It was burritos, which is one of many favorites of mine. We also had delicious apple and blackberry crisps for dessert. The cousins enjoyed our trampoline. And our entire family really enjoyed seeing them and having them over at our house. You are invited any time.

Amazing Masking

Today I worked with my dad with a few other people to fix up an old house. We were painting the interior of the house to get it ready to sell. I helped with the painting, but my specialty was getting it ready to paint.

I spent a solid five hours today masking so the rooms in the house could be painted. Certain walls were not being painted, some floors staying, as well as doors, windows, and counters. They all needed to be masked. I liked this job, but I didn't like that it was 45 minutes away from our house each way. We had a nice dinner with my dad's parents, my grandparents, to finish off the day.

Frames, Family, Food, and Fireworks

Today started out with less fire and more work. I painted three window frames at a house my father is working at. It was a bit time consuming because I had to be careful that no paint got on the newly installed carpets, or freshly painted walls.

After that, I went out to the lake and helped get ready for a dinner at my grandparents. It was especially neat to be able to have the meal in their new house. After all the work they have done, progress that has been made, and time I've spent working on installing the floor, it was amazing to see it in use. It is now a house, and was "officially inaugurated." It was a really great meal. Too great, I ate a lot. My sister made a Oreo ice cream cake thing that was excellent. I didn't want any of it to go to waste or melt, so I ate more than my share. She ended up putting it in the freezer so I guess I didn't really help anybody out.

It was also nice because my cousins came up from Oregon to the meal. I got to see their family and my newest/youngest cousin. We also brought our dog Red out to the lake for the first time in his life. He swam so far out in the lake I was a bit worried he wouldn't be able to make it back to the shore because I have never seen him swim. He loved it out there, at least until the fireworks started. Then he really didn't like it.

Our poor dog really did not like the fireworks. He was really scared and panicked when we got home. He followed my every move in the house. My siblings and I watched our neighbors shoot off fireworks. My mom wanted to get a picture of us sitting on the tailgate together. It was fine until the cable holding the tailgate snapped, hitting my little sister in the leg. I felt sorry for her, but she handled it better than I would have. It was a fun day.