4th of Julyish on the 31st of May

Today was rather interesting. It started off rather boring though, as I had 3 chapters to read in my science textbook, and then an online test to take. After over 4 hours of environmental science, it was time for something fun. I can only handle so much global warming and save the animals stuff in one sitting. Even though it wasn't super warm outside, my siblings and I went swimming. It was fun, especially with a new raft/platform floating thing we bought.

Our city is having its annual event known as the Forest Festival. Every year they have a parade and firework show. I think I've only been to the parade once. The firework show is about a 1.2 miles from my house, and I have gone the past 3 years. The first year we parked so close to the action, scraps of flaming cardboard were raining down on us. Last year, my siblings and I walked to the show. We stood about as close to the fireworks as one could "safely" be. We were probably less than 50 feet away from where they were firing. Right in front of us were guys semi-in charge of the show wearing hardhats, all that separated us from them (and the fireworks) was a chain link fence.

This year, we were a bit further away from the action. Further away, but much higher up. We were in the high school grandstands. It was neat because we were elevated above the field, and the fireworks were exploding closer to our eye level. The brighter fireworks would illuminate the hoards of people gathered everywhere. It was about as good a view as a person could get. There was just the right amount of wind to blow the smoke away so it didn't block the view of the fireworks. After the finale, people were yelling, cars were honking, and the man next to me was yelling USA repeatedly, it was great. It was an entertaining show, it rivals nearly any 4th of July fireworks show.

Photographical Parks

Today it was nice to finally be Friday and the end of the school week. After school, and several detours, we met up with my father's class at a park. It was fun and scenic. My sister and I then went to another park, the one I had spotted on my walk last Friday. We took a lot of pictures and had a good time. We both felt like tourists even though we are from this area.

It's a Wrap

Today was a day of wrapping things up. My dad, brother, and I finally finished the job of removing limbs and brush from a felled tree. I am wrapping up my last mini-essay for my Theater of War class right now. Tonight, Lost wrapped up the season with the two hour finale. Now if only I could wrap up this week and have it be the weekend.

Big No Know

Today I had my final scholarship interview. It turns out, it was scheduled for yesterday, but I thought I was told today. I was called last night, and had it rescheduled for 20 minutes later than I thought it was really scheduled for.

The interview was going along okay. There were three interviewers, and four separate interviews going on at a time, all in separate rooms for semi-obvious reasons. Looking at my transcript, one interviewer asked who my teacher was for one class. After a bit too long of a pause, I was able to think of the first name, and eventually the last name. The interviewer had connections to this person, thankfully I had been able to remember my own teacher's name.

Then it happened. No, I didn't have the wardrobe malfunction I have been worrying about. I was asked about my Microeconomics class.

Here is the conversation as best I can remember, although I am already trying to forget it. "Did you enjoy your Microeconomics class?" I replied something along the lines of yes. "What does one study in microeconomics?" I was having trouble answering. "Alright, what is the difference between Macro and Micro Economics?" I mumbled a bit of incoherent nonsensical things, I didn't even know what I was trying to say. In a further effort to help me out, "What did you study in Microeconomics?" For the life of me, I couldn't think of anything. "You had this class Winter Quarter (the one that just ended!)."

I blanked, the question just hit me out of the blue. I was still trying to think about the difference between Macro and Micro Economics. I tried to blame it on the fact it was a hybrid class, half online. It was embarrassing. Here I am, trying to portray myself as someone worth giving a scholarship to, and I can't even think of one thing I learned in my Economics class I took last quarter.

After they realized they were losing me, they changed the subject. After that, I did better. About 3 minutes after 'the incident', I finally remembered what I had learned in Economics: about monopolies, oligopolies, perfectly competitive markets, monopolistically competitive markets, etc. Not to mention supply and demand! I felt like asking if I could redeem myself, but thought it might not be good to bring up that subject again.

It was embarrassing, but hilarious. I was cracking up the entire drive home thinking about how stupid I had sounded. I had just frozen up, and once I got in a rut, I couldn't work my way out of it. The longer I thought, the more I was remembering about my Economics class. Needless to say, I don't really expect to hear back from that scholarship.

Reach for the Sky

Today I had my walking class. For some 'added excitement' we were instructed to walk three times with our hands raised as high in the air as we could for two minutes on a two mile 'course' on and off campus. It was a bit embarrassing, not to mention bizarre looking, for the group of 15 of us to be speed-walking around with our hands raised to the sky. We got a lot of stares. One older man out walking his dog mentioned something about us receiving the healing powers of the almighty God. While that isn't really what we were doing, it was an interesting experience.

Extra Weekend Day

Today was a strange feeling day, I have yet to realize that it is Monday. It felt like a Saturday with not having school or a Sunday because I go back to school tomorrow.

I needed the extra weekend day to fit everything in. I cleaned both my weekend places this morning, and spent the rest of the day working on homework. My little sister wanted me to play outside with her, I wanted to also, but told her I had too much homework to do. She asked what I was doing and I told her looking up stuff about Star Wars, she then said, "Hey, I thought you said you were working on homework!" I was, my homework involved Star Wars.

Also, with today being Memorial Day, I would like to thank all the past and present soldiers who have fought for our country. Thank you.

Cleaning House

Today we had my grandparents over for a nice dinner. My sisters and I had a fire in the backyard for smores. Well, they had it for smores, I don't like them. What I do like, is fire. We burned the Christmas tree in small pieces. I found some wreaths and threw those on the fire as well. Man did they burn. It was a royal sendoff to Christmas and kickoff to summer.

Saturday of Stuff

Today was an eventful day. I woke up early, without even using an alarm, to be able to go to a relatives garage sale. While I was waiting, I found a really good deal on Mariners tickets on eBay from the same seller I bought some tickets from before. I was in a bidding war at 7:25am in the morning, and I decided to let someone else win.

I then went to the garage sale. This was a garage sale for the ages. It was huge. The had all sorts of good things at great prices. It was fun perusing through the mountains of stuff. I also entered an art piece of mine in a local art show. I believe it is the first time I have ever entered a masterpiece of mine in an art show. It worked out that I didn't get the Mariners tickets because I found out later today I have another scholarship interview on the day that the game would have been.

I then went and worked at my grandparent's house with my dad. We were helping to see if their new cabinets will fit correctly. After that, we hauled 30 boxes of flooring upstairs so it could acclimate. That is a lot of boxes, and a lot of times up and down stairs.

Then after a quick stop at home, it was off to another job. I told the person I would do this job within two weeks, with that time period ending tomorrow. I have been really busy. Thankfully, my dad helped me with this job. It involved moving brush and limbs from a tree that had been cut down. It was a hard, dirty job, and probably one that shouldn't have been done in shorts and a tee shirt. Olive oil works great for getting pitch off your hands and skin.

After cleaning myself up, my family headed to a party a friend was holding. It was a fun party and the ending to a very busy day. The only unfortunate part is although I accomplished a lot today, I didn't do any of the things I have to do before the school week returns.

Walking Adventure

Today I had a two hour break before my first class. I had planned to use this time to work on schoolwork in the library, the only problem with that plan was that the library was closed. So I decided to go for a walk with my two hour break. I decided I would follow one road for as long as I could.

I walked down one street that turned into another street. I followed this street until it ended at a park. I tried to get a drink from the water fountain but it didn't work. I then went across anther street, and then another.

Eventually, I reached a bridge that went over the highway. I crossed the highway and spotted a park by a river I will have to try and visit on my next walk as I didn't have enough time today.

I then walked back towards campus and met up with my sister when she got on break. We both walked to a house of a friend I had passed on my walk and said "hello". I/we finally walked back on campus just in time for my class. It was a very nice and scenic two hour walking adventure.

Rewarding Awards

Today was the senior awards night. It was when awards and scholarships were given to graduating seniors. I was awarded a few awards/scholarships. Nothing was completely unexpected, but it always feels good to be acknowledged and awarded.

The Answer Clicked

Today an ancient question was resolved. For as long as we have lived in our neighborhood, we have wanted to know how far one lap around the "loop" is. I always thought it was close to 1/3 of a mile, while some would argue it was 1/4 or 1/2.

Today, my brother had a genius idea. He attached a tube to his bike tire that would make a noise after it struck the frame once per revolution. He was measuring the distance for another area outside our neighborhood. I decided to finally find out the distance our neighborhood is.

I rode around on the sidewalk and got 309 clicks. My sister went around and got 303 clicks. We decided to meet near the middle at 305 clicks. We then went around on the street. I got 266 clicks while my sister got 269.

Formula: clicks(wheel circumference x pi) / (5280 x 12) = distance in miles.

Around the sidewalk came out to .393 miles while the road came out to .344 miles. Basically, a lap around on the sidewalk is 2/5 of a mile while on the street it is around 1/3. It is nice to finally know, and wasn't that hard to answer.

First Felling

Today I added a new job to the ever growing list of jobs I have done. This job was a rope puller on a rope attached to trees that were being cut down.

My grandpa was cutting down some trees in his backyard. As he was cutting, I was pulling with the rope. Only one of the trees was fairly substantial, and even then, it wasn't that tall.

It was an alright job, the only negative was it could hurt the hands to pull hard on a rope for an extended amount of time. For the most part, the trees fell where they were supposed to. Whether that has anything to do with my rope pulling skills is debatable.

Photo Finished

Today was an interesting Monday. It was my new PE teacher's first day of instructing us. I also helped take a group picture of my father's second grade glass. It was not an easy task. I also stayed up late helping my father put together a class project. A student was missing from the group picture so I found another picture of him and photo shopped him in.

Weekend Wanting

Today was the last day of the weekend. I had a test to take online, which I did. I also had my weekend janitorial jobs to do which I did. It is that time of year when school isn't nearly as fun as the weekends. I guess it is like that all year, but it gets intensified as the weather heats up and summer approaches.

Obtuse Degrees

Today was the second day in an intense heatwave. It has been unnaturally hot here for this time of year, above 90 degrees. It was so hot, that my siblings and I went swimming for the first time this year. While the temperature was hot, the water was not that hot. But we still had a great time.

Tonight I helped out at a charity auction for the school my dad works at. I helped input who bought what and for how much in a computer. It was fun, although I didn't win or bid on the stuff I wanted to buy. My family did buy a few small items in the silent auction.

Got To Go

Today I am going to the Mariners game. The bus leaves soon and I have to walk there so I must leave you now.

Pseudo Summer

Today it was nice to have a bit of a break from how hectic my week has been. I was able to relax and get outside and enjoy the nice weather. I even mowed the front lawn and got to play softball with my sister. The one assignment I had to finish by tomorrow didn't take too long. Overall, it was a nice day.

Done, Done, and Done

Today was an important day. I had my senior project presentation today. This whole project has been weighing me down for a period of over a year. Today I hopefully ended that chapter of my life, assuming I passed my speech. It was a bit hectic the past few days, weeks, and months meeting all the requirements for this project.

I also mailed off my last scholarship application for the year today. It took me several days to fill out the entire form, not only because it was a long form with four essays to write, but because I have been so busy with other stuff.

I finally decided tonight was the night she would be created. For my Theater of War class, we had to do a project. The requirements were purposefully vague and left the students very flexible. I thought it would be fun, challenging, and meaningful to construct the Statue of Liberty out of plastic army men.

I didn't know it would be so hard to find them. In the end, I had to settle for some cheaper plastic ones than the 'original ones' I remember from my childhood. I spent forever searching in stores and online for them.

It took hours to construct her. Not only that, but I got burned by the hot glue gun far too many times. Although she didn't turn out quite as planned, I am fairly happy with the finished product. I am even more happy and relived that today, and all of its requirements, are over with.

Waiting and Weighting

Today I attended a makeup PE class. This meant I had 3 PE classes in a row. First I went to weightlifting, then walking, and finally softball. I was a little late to weightlifting. I didn't see anybody in the class and didn't know what was going on. I eventually found the teacher and was a lot later than I had originally been. But the teacher was understanding.

After weightlifting was my first normal class, walking. It was raining out, so we had the option of going a shorter distance. I had an umbrella, so I walked longer. When I got back, the classroom was locked and everyone was gone. I guess everyone quit early. My bag with my wallet, keys and cellphone was locked in the class. Thankfully, I found another teacher who could open it. But I learned a lesson. Sometimes it is better not to go above and beyond, especially in a walking class early in the morning where it is raining and all your stuff is locked in the classroom.

A few of my softball classmates and I were early. The weather was questionable for outdoor softball, but they/I wanted to be outside. We took out all the equipment, and basically forced the class to be outside. It worked out though, as the teacher was glad the students wanted to be outside. I made two of the best fielding plays in my life, seriously. I also hit the ball well.

I also had my 'last' scholarship interview. I say that because I don't know for sure. This interview had a bit tougher questions than 'normal'. I feel like I did my best at this interview, but I mean it was my third one, so I have had a lot of 'practice'. Now if only I can get through tomorrow...

Interview Two

Today I had another scholarship interview. This was my first group interview. It was a group of 9 of us being interviewed at the same time. I was a little nervous as to how it would go, but it went fine. I knew almost all the people, and it was interesting to hear what they are going to do and hear their response to questions. It did make me feel they are more deserving than me though, but we shall see what happens.

Happy Mother's Day

Today was Mother's Day. And even though I don't need a holiday to recognize it, I have a great mom.

• She is kind and helpful. I can remember countless times she has edited or helped me with a school paper at the last minute, or late minutes of the night.
• She is selfless and always thinking of others.
• An added bonus is how good of a cook she is. She makes the best chocolate cake I have ever had, I usually end up eating about 1/2 of it.
• Back in the day when I was an athlete, she was my biggest fan and would watch the games no matter the weather.
• She is patient even when I am not.
• She is not hypocritical and practices what she preaches.

She is a great person and an even better mom. Thanks mom.

No Foul Time

The Mariners game last night was fun. I drove to the game, it was my first time driving to Seattle, although I have driven to Portland. The Mariners were having a giveaway for people 21 or older. No, it wasn't alcoholic , it was a duffel bag. I rehearsed what I would say when they asked me if I was 21. I planned to say, "What do you think?!" or pretend I was my brother and/or sister's father. It didn't come to that, as I was just handed a bag.

We didn't get to the game earlier enough for batting practice, but that was fine. Our seats were right next to the field, and about 15 feet away from the ballgirl. That being the case, you would think at least one ball would have been hit semi-near to us. That wasn't the case.

Towards the end of the game, in between innings, I saw the jumbo tron was showing the people right next to me. As in, my dad, brother, and sister were on the screen. I tried to lean in so I would be on the screen, but I was only able to get the very top of my head on the screen. It was a bit disappointing, although I am not sure I would want to see myself that large. In the end, the game wasn't the close, but we still had a good time.

Today I worked on a project for my environmental science class. It was to fix up a theoretical Washington state park, appropriately named theoretical state park. This assignment sounds a lot funner than it was. Although, it wasn't too bad, it just took a very long time.

Going to Game

Tonight I am going to the Mariners game with my family. Hopefully, they can snap their 3 game losing streak. Or at least put up a good fight. Well, maybe after the game last night that isn't a good thing to say.

Cable Conundrum

Today it arrived. The other day, I bought a new DVD player. I also had to buy a special connector cable for $30 to make it work. I was curious what the price online was. I found it somewhere for regularly $39.99 on sale for $1.90. I was shocked. Not only that, but it was a 6 foot long cable instead of the 3 foot one I bought. It was an outrage. But wait, I'll buy the one online, and take back the one from the store. It was a brilliant plan. Even including shipping I saved myself over $25. Lesson learned.

Wardrobe Malfunction

Today I had my first scholarship interview. I was happy to finally make it to the interview stage, but nervous about how the interview would go. Little did I know that my worst nightmares (or best one?) would come true.

With the interview being at 12:20pm, I wasn't able to make it to my classes today. I talked to the professors, and I don't think I missed anything major. I will found out whether that was the case tomorrow.

Things got bad when I started getting ready. First, my pants zipper wasn't working correctly. Then, our truck wouldn't start. By this time, I was really pushing it to get to the interview on time. A gracious neighbor gave me a ride.

When I got to the high school, it was lunch time. This meant there were people everywhere. I was speed walking to the interview, dressed abnormally, and afraid my zipper wasn't working. As I approached the office, someone started yelling, I think at me, that I was wearing girl shoes. I can tell them for a fact that they are in fact men's shoes, but I didn't have the time.

I went in to the interview still in a panic. I was late, rushed, wearing 'girl shoes', my zipper wasn't working, and I was totally unprepared for their questions. The first of which, "how is the weather outside?" Isn't this a normal icebreaker? I was in such a rush to get there on time, I had no clue what the weather was like. I think that is what I said, that I didn't know. What a way to start out an interview, not knowing what the weather is like outside.

About 10 minutes into the interview, I was able to pull it together. It was finished in about 12 minutes. By the end I was able to articulate my responses to their questions. I wish I would have at least thought about what I might say to some basic questions before I got to the interview so I didn't have to think of a response and say it at the same time.

After it was over, I had to walk home. While things didn't go as planned, I think it went fairly well. Above all it was good practice for the other two interviews I have, hopefully things go a little bit better on the next ones.

Day On

Today was a glorious day off. I got to play pickleball for the first time in about over a month. It had been a while, and it showed. I had a great time though, and was able to play 3 solid hours of pickleball.

I also was able to go to lunch with my brother, play softball with my sister, and have a nice meal with my family. I even have found the time to get some schoolwork and other things done. Yes, it was just about as good a day off as one could have.

Weekday Weekend

Today was more like a Friday than a Monday. The reason, I don't have school tomorrow and can't go on Wednesday. This makes me have a 'weekend' during the week. It is glorious. In my class today we had a midterm. It was five essay questions, and it went well. I am glad to have it over with, and even more glad the term is half over, or started depending on how you look at it.

On the way to my grandparent's house, there is a place we stop to get ice cream occasionally. We have been going there for over a decade. When we went there today, the price had gone up 50 cents a cone. At the same time, the scoop of ice cream amount per cone had gone down. I guess this is economically driven, but it sure made the ice cream not as sweet. The point of this sad story, I'm not quite sure. I guess that prices change, usually leaving you with less change and an empty feeling in you heart and belly.

Prim Trim and Rollable Downable

Today my father and I did some work on the front lawn. The weather was nice, and it is that time of year. We have these three shrubs that border our property. For years they have just sat there. Well, actually one died and another was transplanted. But they basically sat there untrimmed.

But today was the day. My dad had gotten one of those large-pair-of-scissor-things, and started shaping the bushes. At first, he made them rectangular. I took over, and sort of on purpose, sort of not on purpose, made them circular. I think they turned out quite nicely, and it should have been done a long time ago.

For the past couple of months, the driver side window in our car hasn't gone down. The tinting was taken off, and it left the window gunky. This glue stuff didn't want to come off, and so the window didn't want to go down.

I decide enough was enough. I wanted to once again be able to feel the breeze on my face, be able to go through drive-throughs, and not worry what I would do if I got pulled over. There are some of those jobs where when you finish, you wonder why you put if off for so long. This was not one of those jobs. It took literally an hour of scrubbing to clean the window. It was worth the work, and can't wait to use the window tomorrow.

Done and Done

Today it was nice to relax. I did have some things I wanted to get done, so I made a list. Not everything on the list was accomplished, but that is okay. Overall it was nice to both get some things I needed to do done, and have a fun and relaxing day at the same time.

Super Slumber

Today was a good day for the most part. It brought a nice week to a close, and ushered in the weekend. I am glad it is the weekend, and have a lot of stuff planned to do with the 'free' time.

This afternoon, I was so tired I fell in to a deep slumber. It is always weird when I wake up after I fall asleep and don't really remembering falling asleep, or how long I've been asleep. Weird, but refreshing and needed.

Thursday Fun Day

Today was a fun day. Both my PE classes, walking and softball, were enjoyable. My brother came with us to the college today. So when school was over, we were able to go out for lunch. Today was a glorious day, and I still have an episode of Lost to watch.