Life with Lis

2011-10-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like your life is a movie- but someone else is writing the script?

The Arm-Hair Complex

2011-10-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

That's right! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls I would like to introduce to you the new standard of social acceptability regarding armhair! Can you believe that that sentence is actually allowed to exist? I can, because I spend all day in high school.
So, here's how it goes: Girls are not allowed to have arm hair. If they do, they are either a) gross, b) uncool, or c) the type of girl who attends the Girls' for Green convention and doesn't ever wear a bra.
You get the picture.
Now I would like to present you with the root of the problem (haha, "root"): I have armhair. Not just any armhair. Gorilla hair. Picture gorilla arms with light brown hair on them and you get the picture.
And it is most definitely not a pretty picture, I might add.
So, I am faced with a dilemma that most societally oppressed people have faced at one point or another: to shave, or not to shave? That is the question.

New Layout!

2011-10-02T14:06:00.001-07:00

Isn't it the cutest? Every time I go online now I have to stop here and just look...

Thanks to The cutest Blog on the Block! Y'all should check it out...

Friends: The Word That Epitomizes Why I Hate Being a Teenager

2011-10-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

My sixteenth birthday party was this weekend.
I think you can judge by the title of this post exactly how it went.

Crazy Pants

2011-07-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

I love the way the phrase "crazy pants" implies that only the pants are crazy. Not the person in them. It's like I can take off my crazy pants and become some semblance of normal. Only when I choose to put them back on do they work their magic.

You can just ignore this. I had this thought, frustratingly enough, on the way downstairs from the notebook full of crap I'd just written down. I didn't feel like going back up, so I wrote it down in the first place I could think of.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Ho Hum

2011-07-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

So, I'm writing this more for the sake of posting than for actually having something to post. It really does take a lot of work to come up with a post that I think will be entertaining, and then to get in just the right mood to make it good. (Insert definition of good here.) So, I'm just posting what's on my mind and deciding not to care if anyone cares or not.

I think there's a post on here somewhere about how summer never lives up to the hype. I still agree with that post. For me, summer is a) wondering if any of your friends even care if you still exist, b) wondering if your friends still exist to wonder if you still exist, and, c) whether or not they're ever going to call you and ask if you would like to confirm both of your mutual existence by doing something together. So, it's either that, or doing nothing all day but reading/cleaning. And spending all your time with the nagging realization that all of the "wasted" time you spend reading/cleaning could be spent writing the essay that you know will end up being written at the last possible moment regardless of the three months you've had to suck it up and gitterdun.

Did you know that it's impossible to get anything done with perpetually chocolate milk-strawberry-goldfish-wanting kids interrupting you every minute- and- a- half and singing the Veggie Tales theme song in the background? You probably did.

I saw the Avett Brothers again last night. They were 10 times better than the first show, minus the meeting them part. I get such a feeling of... nostalgia, I guess (oddly enough) when I think about them. What right do a couple of guys from North Carolina have to go poking around in my head and messing with all my thoughts? What right do they have to be the origin of those thoughts? I hate that. I love that.

Did you know that my fourth-year hike for Girl's Camp is on Monday? Despite my notorious (or is it?) hatred for hiking, I'm actually excited. I get to spend a week in the wilderness with one of the coolest people I know as my tent partner! I actually have friends in my stake! Do I sound pathetic or what? (Please don't answer that.)

Did you know that I made the Color Guard? Did you know that I've missed every 4-hour practice they've had so far? And that, thanks to beloved Girl's Camp, I'm missing a week of the band camp that was supposed to help me get back on track? It's enough to make a person want to quit. But I'm tired of being a quitter. It gets old after a while.

I should be writing my talk for church tomorrow. I really have been completely un-inspired for it so far.

You know what? I'm sorry, you guys. You shouldn't have to put up with more than 4 paragraphs of useless monologuing. I expect more from myself than mindlessly babbling about trivial crap.

Oh, gosh, I just had the sad realization that that's a great description for this entire blog: "myself mindlessly babbling about trivial crap."

Now I'm depressed.

But don't hate me because now it seems like I'm putting myself down just to get you to tell me that my blog isn't annoying or trivial. I'm not digging for compliments here.

Now i sound like someone who regularly engages in compliment-digging.

What kind of a sick person writes about doing/does that?

Is said sick person actually just doing that right now?

I need to stop writing before I hurt myself.

Love always/as long as I'm still sane [but even then I guess I'd still love all of you (pshaw. All 3 of you) Oh crap I'm doing it again.]

Remind me never to write again unless I have a solid idea,

Alyssa

Finding My Passion: Step 1

2011-06-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, a couple days into summer vacation I have come to a conclusion: summer vacation sucks. It's been 3 days and I'm already bored out of my mind. As many people are driven to do when they have virtually nothing else to do, I was doing some soul-searching. I realize that this is a dangerous activity to engage in, but I feel that I have no other choice. It was either I googled "How to find your passion," or, "How to make cheese." For the sake of my family's health and the rest of our milk supply, I went with the first option. Plus, I didn't want to have to build my own cheese press.
Anyways, I clicked on an article that came up in my web search and started the first of the several steps listed: Think of what you're good at and start a list of potential candidates for your passion.
Here's what I wrote:

What Am I Good At?
editing
helping people
listening
self-analysis
writing
cooking/baking
shoving stuff in drawers
being "interested"
teaching
eating
spelling
picking zits
web-surfing (not really)
making people feel comfortable
being informal
making up excuses
reading
being shy/awkward
brushing my teeth
being a good student
being a good citizen
not caring if it's perfect (most of the time)
making a room look "lived-in"
buying t-shirts
self-sacrificing (for the most part)
just "screwing it"
coloring
not laughing at people who talk to themselves
talking to myself
arguing with myself
British accent
Jersey accent
Southern accent
thinking of things I'm good at
handwriting
doodling
creative thinking
hating math
wanting to improve myself
nicknames
singing
remembering lyrics
making inside jokes
impulse-buying
cutting olives
imagining
doing crunches
making lists
hating Elen
feeling bad for hating Elen
strongly disliking Elen
setting goals (not necessarily accomplishing them)
being selfish
hating myself
liking myself
doing my eyeshadow
wasting time
being needy
being independent
picking my battles (most of the time)
asking stupid questions
annoying my mother
making Christian angry

If you made it to the end of this list without skimming, I sincerely congratulate you.
Tune in next time for Step 2: What excites you?
As always, thanks for reading/caring!

What Do You Think?

2011-05-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

So, we're back to this again y'all. I'm tired of my hair and lately I have had the urge to just chop it all the heck off. So, I came up with 2 looks that I love, and I wanted to get everyone's opinion, if you'd be so kind.

Look 1:

I was thinking a sort of combination of these two would be cute, but I also think just the first is adorable. Thoughts?

Look 2:

I love the style of the first picture and would prefer the length of the second picture. This look is cute and it involves new bangs from the ones I have now, whereas the other one has pretty much the same bangs.

So, anyways, that's what trivial crap has been on my mind lately. Please let me know what you guys think!

Staring, a.k.a. Creeping

2011-02-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Now, I'm going to tune in to my inner yoga instructor and paint a picture for you. First, I need y'all to close yours eyes, and breathe deeply. In.... Out.... In.... Out....
Okay, picture this:
You are walking through Costco on a Saturday at around 1:00 in the afternoon. Every pants-in-the-family-wearing mom is there with her puppy-dog-eyed husband (and when I say puppy dog, I really mean basset hound), every Grandma is moving as slow as humanly possible down the middle of the aisle, making it completely impossible to pass her (they're tricksy little hobbitses, those grandmas), and every dyed-blond, 40-something, has-been cheerleader is there with her A-game in tow. Now imagine your thoughts upon walking into this mad house. They might be something along these lines:
"Okay, not an ideal day at Costco, but nothing I can't handle." In which case, good for you.
"I guess I can't expect anything less from Costco at one o'clock on a Saturday."
"Mmmm, pizza...."
"Holy crap! What the heck would possess this many people to show up here at once?!"
Or, if you're smart, "I'm getting the heck out of this mad house, my shopping can wait 'till Monday."
However, if you're me, you're thoughts would be something along the lines of, "Why in the name of Mary Todd Lincoln are all these people staring at me?"
That's right, the good ol' woman-I've-just-met-at-Costco stare-down. One of many things in the world guaranteed to make your skin crawl and your palms sweat.
I just don't get the Costco stare-down. What's the point, people? Not that we all can't appreciate some woman we've never met staring expressionlessly at us for more than the socially acceptable one and a half seconds. Believe me, I appreciate it all right; appreciate how unnerving and weird it is. Because, according to my rule book, if you're going to stare at someone for longer than one and a half seconds, then you have to smile at them. That way, they just smile back and think "Oh, what a nice person," instead of when you don't smile, you just look away quickly. Then all they're saying is "Okaaaay...?" But when you stare at them expressionlessly for longer than is socially acceptable, they're thinking, "What is that lady's problem?"
So, people, alls I'm sayin' is, when you're at Costco at one o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, just don't stare at people so much. It's creeping me out.

A vs. An (It's Not That Hard)

2011-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, people. It's time to tackle an issue here that, frankly, we shouldn't have to tackle AT ALL. But, we do, because, apparently (Whooooo, COMMA HAPPY :)) 9th grade honors English students don't know when to use the article 'a' and when to use 'an'. Sigh... I would rant endlessly about this, but let's just save you and me the trouble/boredom (not that ranting is boring (for me) but it does take up time and it's not all that entertaining for y'all) OKAY. Phew. Find your chi, Alyssa. Find your chi. Okay. Let's do this thang.
Imagine that you are writing a paper. You suddenly find yourself confronted with an unsolvable problem: is it a eight or an eight? It's time to stop and ask yourself: WHY THE HECK DO I NOT KNOW THIS? IS THIS NOT 3RD GRADE MATERIAL? Then, give yourself a really, really, humongous, ginormoogantic pat on the FACE (you thought I was gonna say back? Ha, you wish suckahs).
The rules for 'a' and 'an' are simple. Now, listen closely, y'all. If the word that comes after the article you're puzzling over begins with a VOWEL, you use 'an'. If the word that comes after the article begins with a CONSONANT, you use 'a'. Let's look at some examples:
I would like to eat an apple for lunch.
I would like to eat a sandwich for lunch.
Got it? We'll see... Now you try:
1. You forgot to put (a/an) eight after the one.
2. My brother is (a/an) jerk.
3. If you don't get this by now, you are (a/an) mentally challenged person, so please join Mental Alyssa in the Corner of Shame.
4. I prefer meat seasoned with (a/an) herb. OOOOOO, tricksy, tricksy. But you know the answer, I know you do. Just go with your gut; that always works for me.

SO, in conclusion, if I ever see the improper usage of a/an again, I will write the web address of this post on a bajillion itty bitty pieces of paper, roll them into the shape of bullets, and shoot myself with them. I will do that in the hopes that, in honor of my memory, someone will start a charity foundation entirely committed to educating the world in the "complicated" art of proper article usage. And, also, that when they find my body, they will have a bajillion tiny web addresses to hand out to the world in support of this noble cause.

'Nuff said.

WHY I HATE COUNTRY MUSIC

2010-09-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

How I Got to Be This Way
By Justin Moore (and 2 others (Rivers Rutherford and Jeremy Stover) who are equally accountable for the madness.)

I rolled my Daddy’s truck off the Dicksonville curve
After drinkin’ my fifth beer
And I fed hogs tryin’ to pay him off
For most of my senior year

I got my jaw jacked by a big ol’ boy
For messing ‘round with his girlfriend
She was tall and tight and she kissed just right
But I’ll never do that again

Chorus
Yeah I’ve done some pretty stupid things but hey
I’m a little bit harder and
A whole lot smarter
That’s how I got to be this way

I’ve been kicked in the face by a horse
Cause I ran up too fast behind him
And I shook hands on a deal with a man
And found out he was lyin’

I’ve broken a couple of good girl’s hearts
Cause I’ve said I loved ‘em knowin’ I couldn’t
And I’ve given my heart to a woman
Who said she’d stay when I knew she wouldn’t

Yeah I’ve done some pretty stupid things but hey
I’m a little bit harder and
A whole lot smarter
That’s how I got to be this way

I’ve been bit I’ve been burned but I’ve lived and I’ve learned from it
I’ve made some mistakes but that’s what it takes
To make a man out of a kid

Yeah I’ve done some pretty stupid things but hey
I’m a little bit harder and
A whole lot smarter
That’s how I got to be this way

Yeah I’ve done some pretty stupid things but hey
I’m a little bit harder and
A whole lot smarter
That’s how I got to be this way

That’s how I got to be this
How I got to be this
How I got to be this way
Hey

Enough said.

Oh MY Gosh

2010-09-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

I hate iTunes. For real. I know you're not supposed to be able to transfer music from your iPod onto your PC, but it's ridiculous that when you know how to do it, not all of your music even makes it onto your computer. It's like, "Oh, gee, thanks computer. You know, I didn't even want any complete albums on here. It's not like I paid for them or anything... Oh, wait. I DID. And you know what? I'm glad none of my very favorite songs made it on. I didn't like them all that much anyway, now that I think about it. Thanks for broadening my perspective a little. Now I'm forced to listen to my medium favorites." So now, lucky me gets to buy all brand new songs or figure out some way to email the others to myself.
Did I mention how technologically challenged I am to begin with? I know next to nothing about computers; Grandma Helen probably knows more than me. I'm pathetic when it comes to them. So, needless to say, this is going to be a much bigger challenge than I originally thought.
Great.

Urrrrghlmrrrphdmshmpf.

2010-08-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

What an onomatopoeia! But it does express very well how I've been feeling recently. I'm just so restless lately. I don't know what or why it is, but I just get frustrated so easily. It's like the day has just barely begun and I'm already at the end of my rope. I have zero tolerance for anything... I can't sit still for 10 minutes, I have to get up and pace and then sit back down... then get up and pace again, go clean something, then pace then sit then groan then bang my heasd against a wall.
You know, this has happened to me before... I think it's some combination of stress and anxiety and me being unssatisfied with life, which I am. Well, that, and the fact that the disc of Friends episodes we got from the library is scratched and so I can't watch any of the episodes...
That's not the real problem, though. I think I just need some change, or something exciting or interesting to happen. And I'm not talking about the crazy lad y who goes to the grocery store in nothing but her underwear. That's interesting, for sure, but I mean something... ground-breaking(?)... or I don't know... maybe something that would help me gain some perspective. Something new. I'm tired of being so agitated and grumpy all the time. I wanna sing in the shower again, but lately I just haven't been in the mood....
Any advice?
(Sorry. For my first post in 3 months this one sure isn't very cool.)

Thoughts/on The Weather

2010-04-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the most beautiful day Las Vegas has seen for a long time. It seemed to me (and Elen) that the weather was trying to be a juxtipositon (and succeeding, fortunately.) The clouds saved us from being miserable. See, the clouds covered the whole sky, but the sun was shining just brightly enough to seep through them, creating this weird bright light that didn't hurt your eyes at all, but was so intensely white you had to wonder why it didn't. It was warm out, but there was just enough of a breeze blowing to keep it nice and cool. Essentially, it was hot and cold, sunny and cloudy. At the same time. It was some of the most amazing weather I've seen for a long time.
Come on, now WAKE UP already. Didn't mean to put you to sleep. (Sorry).
Anyways, I don't really have anything major to post but there are some things that have been pre-occupying my mind for a while now.
First off, 1910 seems like a WAY long time ago, right? They didn't have TV or cars or microwaves or other... things. Can you imagine the year 3010, when everyone will think about how deprived the people of 2010 were? It'll be hilarious. It just freaks me out to imagine that one day some teenagers will learn about the time that I was a teenager in some history class and be AMZAZED at our lack of technology. I can picture myself up in Heaven (cuz all good girls go to Heaven) laughing my head off but actually being kind of saddened...
The day will come when the music trend will change. It'll be weird for me to be the one popping in some Black Eyed Peas or Lady Gaga (Heaven forbid the day should come when I play that by my own free will) and telling my kids, "This is what was cool when I was your age," just the same way I get freaked out by Paula Abdul or Whitney Houston. (I mention these two because they are the tapes my mom still has from back "then").
Also, I dread the day when this whole bright-colored clothing trend will be over, because I am loving it. Will the day come when I will look like an old lady wearing bright turquoise? Will people joke about how I am "Stuck in 2010" the same way I joke with my friends about people being "stuck in the 70's"? Will it be uncool if I want to paint my house yellow and decorate it all reto? Will retro even be the same thing it is now when I have a house?
Do any of ya'll ever think about things like this?
Basically, what I mean by that is: Am I crazy by normal standards?
Well?

Pet Peeves

2010-02-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

These are a few things that bug me, since I'm in the mood to be bugged.

1. People who have no concept of personal space.
I know a person like this, and all the time I spend with her I am constantly on edge. I never know when she's going to touch my arm or get way too close to my face when she's talking to me. Whenever she does it I just want to punch her or like slap her face away. It's just a reflex reaction, I guess, but it really weirds me out. I can't concentrate on what she's saying to me because all my focus is going towards not whacking her face away...

2. Authors who put their name bigger than the title on the cover of their book.
This actually happened to me today.
I had finished my work in English and was looking over at this girl's book because I guess there was nowhere better to look... anyways, I was kind of caught off guard.
"Susan Wiggs is a funny book title, huh?" I asked Mental Alyssa, my special (ed) friend I talk to sometimes.
"Yes, it most definitely is, Alyssa." Mental Alyssa replied.
Then I noticed that there was more print on the book, but I had to squint really hard to see it. (Keywords in that sentence: SQUINT REALLY HARD). That was when I noticed that right under the ginormous SUSAN WIGGS was the actual title of the book: Just Breathe. I laughed right out loud.
"Woops," I mumbled to my Mental friend.
"Yeah, that was stupid of you," Special Ed agreed.
Seriously, how completely ridiculous is that? I can understand printing you name really big if you are a seriously well-known author, like Stephen King or Nora Roberts, but I've never heard of Susan Wiggs before in my life. I mean, these were some seriously big letters. If I had to compare, I would say that the author's name was printed in a bout a size 48 font and the title was probably a size 18. It was just weird...

3. People who figuratively slap you in the face.
You probably know a person who does this. A figurative slap in the face is anything a person does frequently that isn't actually slapping you in the face but is just as insulting and makes you just as mad. An example of this would be my sister, Abby. She figuratively slaps me by throwing her dirty clothes on my bed after she takes them off. She seriously does this every day without fail. And I'm really not exaggerating when I say that. She does it EVERY SINGLE FREAKING DAY. I'll wake up in the morning and notice that that horrible thing I've been smelling all night is not a dead animal, it's Abby's sock under my pillow. That was just one time, though. Most of the time it will just be a shirt or a pair of pajamas or something. I have to wonder if she does it intentionally or not... I mean, she does it so frequently that it's hard to tell if it's just a habit or not. I just wish she would throw her freaking clothes in the closet, whose opening is just a bit beyond my bed. Would it really be that hard??? Am I being ridiculous or would this bug anyone else, too???

Anyway, I could seriously go on like this for a long time, you and I both know. So, farewell for now, darling... Catch ya'll later.

Stupid Freaking Fish

2010-01-17T23:49:00.001-08:00

The latest mistake of my life:

Christian needed to take care of a pet for a Scout's merit badge, and since Gracie is no longer with us (don't ask) my parents bought him some goldfish. When they got back from the pet store (Walmart version) they told us about these cool fiddler crabs they have there. One crab in particular was black while all the others were brown, and of course I was immediately drawn to the misfit. By the next morning, I had already picked out a name for the fellow (Napoleon Bonaparte. I'm gonna feel really stupid if I didn't spell that right) and convinced my parents that I was getting him. So, long story short, I blew 30 bucks on a fish bowl and all this crap for Napoleon, his lady-friend Marie Antoinette (YES, I know they're not from the same time period), Abby's crab (I don't think he ever got a name. He was just, "that one over there") and my other crab Gary Indiana (I wanted to name him Amaryllis, but that's a girl name). Also, Abby bought this really cool fat fish who she named Fredword.
Fast forward to today, keeping in mind I spent 30 bucks of my iTouch savings. They are all dead or dying. Marie seems to be doing okay, but I can tell that what's-his-name is on Death's doorstep. I don't know what went wrong. Honestly, I'm staring to think maybe we just got some defective fish. That's what you get for going to Walmart apparently....
So, the lesson I gained from all of this was never to give up what you want most (iTouch) for what you want at the moment (defective fish). When you make a decision like this (or any decision, I guess) always sleep on it. Because Napoleon Bonaparte did not seem nearly as cool the next morning when he was half-dead than he did when I first heard about him.
Just a word from the inexperienced and still learning. (i.e. ME).

Coming Soon...

2010-01-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

If you are Alyssa, then these are some things you are looking forward to this year....

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

February 12, 2010

I absolutely loved these books and I can't wait for the movie to come out! The Lightning Thief was the name of the first book, which leads me to believe that "they" may be making a movie out of all 6 of the books, in which case I wish "them" luck because "they" are definitely going to need it.

Fablehaven Book 5: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
March 23, 2010

I was super excited for this book until I found out that it's the last book in the series, and now I wait for the release with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Mull creates such wonderful characters and such a fantastic world that I don't know if I'll be able to go on without another Fablehaven to look forward to...
Just give me a moment, I'm having a bit of a hard time with this... *SOB*

The Hunger Games: Book 3 by Suzanne Collins

August 24, 2010

Words cannot describe how absolutely, delightfully excited I am for this book!!! I love all of the characters and the amazing story Collins has created in writing this series. Then again, this is the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, so unless Suzanne tries to pull a Paolini on us, then this is the last book in the series.
I really don't know if I can go on with this post. I'm becoming pretty depressed...

The Infernal Devices Book 1: The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

August 31, 2010

This is the first book in a prequel trilogy to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare makes me happy because she is not attempting to finish any series'. Also, I'm really happy with her because she is writing a fourth book to her original Mortal Instruments Trilogy called City of Fallen Angels. I think it comes out in 2011 or 2012 so I've still got a long way to go...

I've decided that my favorite 2 weeks of the year are going to be the week of August 22nd and the week of August 29th, because of the release of The Hunger Games and The Clockwork Angel. Two sure-to-be amazing books coming out within 8 days of eachother! Woohoo!

(My third favorite week of the year is going to be the week of September 19th, and if you can't figure out why I'll write you off of my Cool People List. Yes, the CPL actually exists. No joke.)

In other news, millions of fans are continuing to be disappointed by this man:

Who should've had his next book out by now and continues to fail his anxious readers by not writing said book:

But instead taking time to write this book:

Which no one actually cares about.

And, yes, I know the Roman numerals are wrong in the above picture of Inheritance Book 4, which still does not even have so much as a release date almost 18 months after the release of Brisingr. In my opinion, I have every right to be angry. So far, no one has received any sign that Book 4 is even being written, although that's the impression that was given when it was announced that Brisingr had to be made into 2 books because it was so stinking long. So, my question is this: How come I've been faithfully waiting for almost A YEAR AND A HALF for a book that is practically a myth. And, I wouldn't have been able to get the above picture of said book if there weren't thousands of other Eragon fans waiting right along with me. I certainly hope Christopher's gotten plenty of hate mail by now, because I'm about ready to send him some myself. Hello, Paolini! Wake up and smell the coffee, mister! It's time to get moving, you and I both know it, so you might as well just face the facts and get writing, because you can't keep hundreds of thousands of people waiting forever! You can't just assume that everyone's gonna keep being all sympathetic and saying, "Oh the poor dear probably just has writer's block. I'm sure he'll get going soon." No! And what about this rumor that you already had half of book 4 written when you released Brisingr, hm? If that's true, then you're approaching your deadline, buster. It didn't take you this long to write the other 3 books, so what's the problem now, eh? I'm sad to admit it but I have absolutely no life besides books, and you are making my sorry existence much harder by not releasing your stinking book already! All I want is some kind of sign, something to reaffirm that this book is actually real and I will actually read it someday in the NEAR FUTURE. Not when I'm 40, I want this thing NOW. If that's too much to ask, then you never should've become an author in the first place.

Whew! Now that that's behind us... I'm gonna feel really bad if I just gave that guy a bunch of crap and it turns out he has some kind of life-threatening disease or something that's keeping him from writing... Oh, well, I guess....

2010-01-04T20:31:00.001-08:00

Gerkie

2010-01-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Alyssa: minding own business, chopping veggies for soup

Gerk: runs in; Hey!

Alyssa: doesn't realize Gerkie is talking to her so continues chopping veggies

Gerk: Hey!

Alyssa: What?

Gerk: Hey!

Alyssa: Hey!

Gerk: Hey!

Alyssa: Hey!

Gerk: Hey!

Alyssa: HEY!

Gerk: silent

Alyssa: Wazzup?!

Gerk: Hey!

Hey, Remember THIS One???

2009-12-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE

Glogster

2009-11-17T21:23:00.001-08:00

We are doing a unit on drugs in my health class and each student was required to make a virtual "poster" about the drug of their choice on glogster. This is my masterpiece, and isn't it wonderful, if I do say so myself.

Who Woulda Thunk It?

2009-11-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

You'll never guess what I did today...
I made bread.
Who woulda thunk it?
You see, we made bread in Young Women's last Wednesday, and it was pretty much the best ever. So I got the recipe from my young women's leader and I made it at home on Monday night. But, it turns out, the first time most definitely isn't the charm. I mean, the bread was delicious and all, but I was just too inexperienced. What I mean is, the loaf was really lumpy. It looked like it had horns and little stubby feet. When I tried again today, the loaf came out beautiful and perfect. However, now I'm starting to think that I liked the lumpy loaf better...
Either way, I pretty much am in love with bread-making. I would seriously do it every day.
The bread recipe I have is more of a snacking bread, or like a bread to go with soup. But I think it would be super cool if I could get a really good recipe for sandwich bread and then we wouldn't have to buy bread anymore; I could just make the bread we use for lunches and toast and stuff.
Anyhoo, I think I've pretty much exhausted this topic.

CLEANING

2009-11-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

More proof that music can get you through anything.

New Obsessions

2009-11-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

It all started with the Beatles. I read the entire wikipedia article on them, and also the articles about Paul and Ringo, although I haven't gotten around to John and George yet. I thought it was all really interesting.
Then I decided that I may as well look up all my favorite bands, because part of being a hard-core fan is knowing all there is to know, right? Liking a band is one thing, but knowing a band is a completely different thing. So, I wiki-ed all my favorites, adn some of my close seconds.
Then one day I was at the library and I happened upon some books about the origins and development, if you will, of certain genres and I was really intrigued. I had a vague idea of how some genres got their start, but I hungered for more. So I checked out a couple of books about genres and influential artists and stuff.
And it was really cool. I sort of became obsessed. I went on Pandora and listened to songs from all of the artists mentioned in the books and stuff. I wanted to pick it apart piece by piece and figure out how it all worked, you know? I'm especially intrigued by why people like certain styles of music better than others. Why do I like hard rock but not metal? Why does someone else like trance and hate reggae? I wish there was an exact science behind it. Something like, if you have brown hair and blue eyes then you like techno. If you are tall and have skinny chicken legs, then you have to like R&B. Then I could just take one look at a person and figure out what kind of music they like. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't work that way, but I still want to delve deeper into the science of music and personalities and stuff. It's incredibly interesting.
But anyways, back to researching groups. I read in one of my books that "The Rolling Stones reintroduced U.s. musicians to the blues roots of rock, and paved the way for the hard rock and heavy metal sounds of the late 1960's through to the 1980's." Another thing I thought was interesting was "The Stones were seen as the rebellious alternative to the squeaky-clean Beatles." This made me want to learn more about the so-called "Stones." I have some of them on my iPod that I've just never bothered really listening to, so I picked out a couple of the hits mentioned in the book ("Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction") and I have to admit, they're okay. Although, I still prefer the Beatles, just for the record.
So, if you haven't noticed already, this thing has become a major obsession for me. I just find it all extremely interesting. It's so exciting to have a new hobby.
Also, I'm sorry if you're all drooling all over the keyboard and half-asleep by now. I don't mean to bore people half to death, I just get carried away and over-explain things. Pretty much the same way I'm over-explaining this.

My Favorite Thing Ever

2009-10-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

THE BEATLES ROCKBAND

I got this for my birthday, and I'm already good enough on the drums to play on EXPERT. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

On the other hand, Christian hates it. He doesn't like the fact that I have a game I like and I want to play it whenever I can. I'm cutting into his valuable Playstation time. Poor dear...

My Weekly Update

2009-10-09T19:37:00.001-07:00

This is what I look like this week. I've been so stressed out.

Monday we had no school, so I wasn't that stressed that day.

Tuesday I went to an after school tutoring session because I got a "D" on my last math test (oh, no!) I'm not stupid, though. Right now I just have a very bruised ego.

Wednesday I took the make-up test to (hopefully) get a better grade so I won't have an "F" in my Honors Algebra class... that doesn't look good on my records...

Thursday was the craziest day of this week. I had a test in my science class, then after school I went to a National Junior Honor Society meeting. We elected officers. My bud Elen was elected president. Cool, huh? I helped her write her speech. Anyways, after school we had to drive super fast to get to the spelling bee. I don't really want to talk about the Bee... my ego is damaged enough as it is, if you catch my drift...

Friday: I just tried to make it through the day. I honestly don't even remember what we did in school today...

That was my wonderfully relaxing week. (Actually, now that I look at it, it's not really that impressive...)

The Best Ever...

2009-10-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

My FAVORITE gum... so good.

My favorite flavor of Orbit mist.

Next time you want some gum, you should go for a pack 'o' this stuff. You won't regret the extra 15 cents, I promise.

The Evolution of a Nickname

2009-10-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I can explain how strangely nicknames evolve, so I'll just have to provide an example. This is the evoluton of my baby sister, Sophie's, nickname.

Sophie-

Phophie- (sydnee coined this one)

Pophie Trophie Ninja-

P.T. Ninja-

Edgar (don't ask)-

Ickle Edgarkins-

Gerkie-

Gerkie-my-workykins-

Gerkin-

Dill-

Dilly-my-willykins-

Willy

We still mainly call her Gerkie and pretty much anything with "Ickle" in front of it... although Sydnee's been known to use any one of theses names when referring to the baby. Poor Sophie's going to have no idea what her real name is...

I also sometimes call her my "cutie puh-tootey with a little fruity booty)

Evolution of Sydnee's Nickname

although it's not as impressive as Sophie's...

Sydnee-

Bean-

Beanie-

Ickle Beanykins-

Beanykins-

Beany-my-weanykins

That's pretty much it.

Sydnee's Awesome

2009-09-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

The other day when I came home from school, Sydnee was wearing a pair of fuzzy pink slippers she found somewhere...

Me: Nice slippers, Beanie.

Beanie: (Hops up and down) I hoppin.

Me: (nodding appreciatively) Yeah, those sure are some awesome shoes.

Beanie: It's like a baby dragon.

Me: laughing hysterically

Alyssa's Spiel on People Who Drive Cars

2009-09-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has a little tidbit to add to this one. I'm going to relate the most recent experience I've had in the passenger's seat.

The passenger's seat is a good place to be if you like to notice what people not only think they can, but actually can get away with when they are driving. The passenger's seat is good for that reason because the passenger doesn't have to concentrate on the road. The passenger can memorize the exact look the opposing driver has on their face when you unintentionally make them really mad.

I don't see why people think they can treat other people like crap just because they are driving in a car. FYI, people: When you are in a car, everyone around you is ALSO in a car! I'd like to give a brief example of a situation I've witnessed recently where drivers have been reluctant to this important (yet completely obvious) piece of information.

So here it is:
Susie was driving me home from school and we came to a 4-way stop. Yes, the classic 4-way stop. Always really entertaining. Now, I've never taken driver's ed, obviously, but I think I've heard my mom saying something once or twice about how the person going straight has the right-away, and if 2 people are going straight you alternate. If I could pick up that bit of info just by sitting in the passenger's seat, then wouldn't you expect someone who actually has their driver's license to know that? Unfortunately, most people here apparently didn't take any driving classes or something. So, anyways, we come to a 4-way stop and it's Susie's turn to go, so she pulls forward and then -SHOOM- Miss I-don't-care-if-you-have-the-right-away accelerates into the lane and Susie has to slam on her brakes. And, naturally, just to rub in the fact that she's stupid and just almost caused a car accident, Miss -whatever-I-called-her-before flips Susie off on her way past. How utterly charming... It didn't help that the girl in the passenger seat was my friend Nicole.
I am going to compare this example to bumping someone's cart at the grocery store. I know it's not the same thing, but do you think Miss disregard-the-law would have flipped Susie off if Susie had bumped her cart? NO, she wouldn't have, because she didn't have a sheet of glass (a.k.a. windshield) directly in front of her, protecting her from the face of shame. Seriously, I think having a windshield in front of them makes people feel like they can just be ignorant jerks and get away with it. And, unfortunately, they CAN get away with it.
I'm rambling. My point is, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW THE RULES FOR A 4-WAY STOP, CHECK SOMEWHERE INSTEAD OF FLIPPING OFF SOME RANDOM PERSON WHO DOESN'T DESERVE IT. Okay? Seriously, people, just think for a second. Giving someone the finger shouldn't be your natural instinct. Check your facts first.

*No driver's were harmed in the writing of this post, although I hope no good driver's felt like they were being wrongfully accused or something. That was not my intention.

This has been Alyssa. Thank you and good day.

HELP ME!!!

2009-09-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

So far, every person I've talked to about this has assured me that I can indeed pass a high school math course in the 8th grade. Let me now provide the final piece of evidence which proves that I definitely CAN NOT pass honors algebra.

My math teacher only grades tests and quizzes. Right now my grade in her class is a C. Do the math.
That's right, I got a C on the first test of the year. Content: Matrices, Adding Fractions, Probability, Stem and Leaf Plots, and Box and Whisker Plots. Besides Matrices (which are so easy it's almost criminal) this is all stuff I learned in the 6th grade.
So why did I get a C???
Good question. I think the right answer is probably that I'm out of my mind.
The other bad news is that these are the easiest subjects we're going to be covering all year.
How am I going to do this???
I don't know what to study. I don't even know HOW to study. I've never had to study before in my life, and I guess now is a pretty good time to learn.
Needless to say, I'm frustrated. I'm so frustrated that my eyes are starting to water.

You know what else? All I ever do on here is complain. I'm really, really, really sorry that I put you guys through all this crap.
But you know what sucks even more?
I'm wearing a shirt that smells like baby puke, but I don't care enough to change it.

GOSH

2009-09-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

I have issues with answering my phone, in case you hadn't noticed.
Elen is doing her best to correct those issues.
It's not working.

So far this weekend, she's called me 34 times, left me 14 messages, and I didn't pick up once. I'm total baggage as a friend. Sorry, Elen. I would say that I'll try to do better, but I'd rather accidentally leave my phone on vibrate over the weekend than accidentally leave my phone on loud during class and get it confiscated. Plus, it would be super embarrassing because I have THE dorkiest ring tone ever. One time my phone went off during science, and luckily the teacher was nice and didn't take it, but after that everyone was like "Cool ring tone, Alyssa. (snicker, snicker)." Those poo-heads. Who gives an elephant tail if my ring tone is "cool"? But, either way, I'd rather not be humiliated in public again.
The solution is: My phone stays on vibrate, even if that means I miss a few (or 34) calls.
Anyways, before I stop going on and on about nothing, I would like to share a quote that I absolutely LOVE. I was listening to the Refreshments (cuz they're wicked awesome) and the last line of their song "Down Together" is:
"We could find a speck of dust and scribble down our life story."
Isn't it beautiful? I don't know why, but I find it absurdly comforting.
Stop laughing.

Alyssa's Spiel on Book Characters

2009-09-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

Before I begin my spiel, I should start by informing everyone that I cut myself today while I was shaving. It was really bad, too. It hurt like heck, but by now I know myself well enough not to look until it stops bleeding. It was right on the back of my ankle. Quite possibly the worst spot for a shaving cut. I scrape myself on the shins all the time and I hardly notice, but I think the ankle back is horrible. It stings the worst out of any other place. Anyway, I guess that's what I get for using a dull razor.

So, about book characters: Why do they all have to be so perfect? At least the main characters, anyway. It's okay for the minor characters to have flaws in their appearance, but heaven forbid the main character be anyhting less than a Greek god. I'm absolutely NOT talking about Edward Cullen, either. I'm talking about the main characters of every book I've ever read. I used to be really bitter about that. I was always like, "Why does the author need me to be jealous of every freaking character???" I would still like a book if the characters were just a little more human. I mean, the authors certainly always make sure to include personality flaws. Look at Bella Swan, for instance; although, I don't think she was intentionally flawed.
Let me profile for you the basic main character's appearance. First of all, they're all always really thin. The girls always have medium length or long hair. It's usually a rather unique color, like "fire-engine-red", a "rather eye-catching shade of chestnut", or a "smooth, caramel blonde". Then, there are the eyes. Main characters never have just plain brown eyes. They have eyes that are "a pretty shade of green with little sunbursts of gold at the center" or "shockingly blue eyes" or even eyes that are "molten gold." Are you catching my drift here? What is it with these people?
That's what I thought, until I tried to write my own character. And then I finally understood what goes through an author's head when they're creating a main character's appearance. They want this person that they're putting so much effort into to be everything they think they're not. I didn't want my character to look like me. I wanted to make her "actually really pretty, but in such a way that she didn't stand out in a crowd," or "long and lean, with silky raven-black hair that reached past her shoulders." I wanted her to have "shockingly blue eyes," or something like that.
That's what I wanted, but only for the briefest of seconds, and then I thought, "You know what? She can be pretty, but I want her to be humanly pretty." None of this "green with little sunbursts of gold" stuff. She can have eyes that are navy blue, or forest green, sure, but I'm not feeding my readers all that other crap. I'm not going to stoop to that level. People are people. They're absolutely not perfect, and that includes looks. Besides, sometimes little things like an uneven mouth or a crooked nose or eyes that are too close together make a character more memorable.

In conclusion, you can stop reading this now.

My Playlist

2009-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

In case anyone has even looked at my playlist, just know that I didn't write any of the titles. It's obvious that I didn't because I know how to spell 'here'.
Elen and I were talking the other day about how much it bugs us when people don't use correct grammar. You kind of get that little twitch when someone say something wrong, and sometimes it doesn't go away until you say something. You just sit there with the corner of your mouth twitching for forever. It got to the point where she had to tell this one kid in her algebra class off for a minor infranction. I'm not as picky about it as she is, because I would be a hypocrite if I was. She uses proper grammar all the time, though, so it's all right for her.
I just reread this. It's really boring, but I'm gonna post it anyway. Maybe this can be the preface to "Alyssa's Spiel on Grammar." Who knows?

Identity Crisis

2009-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

I think the world is possibly coming to an end.
I just tried to sign up for twitter, and the username lissylouhoo was taken.
Do I need to repeat the last sentence, or do you understand the magnitude of this situation?
I am no longer the only lissylouhoo in the world. I've had this username since I was like, 6. I feel like something vital has been stolen from me, which is probably a logical thing to be feeling because something vital HAS been stolen from me. I don't know what to do. My vision is starting to blur. Am I crying, or fainting? I don't know but it's HORRIBLE.
This is probably the most horrible injustice that's ever been done to me.
I think I need some time alone.

School's in Session... again

2009-08-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

So, the first week of school.
That's pretty much all there is to say. It was just like every other first week of school I've ever experienced. The only difference is, I wasn't expecting much, so I wasn't disappointed.
I haven't found a teacher that likes me all that much yet, either. Usually there's at least someone who seems remotely interested in making me their teacher's pet. Not this time.
I do really like my Spanish teacher, though. She's fun and nice and all that important stuff.
Anyway, like I said, that's pretty much all there is to say.
Unfortunately, I've entered the stage where I actually want to do something on a Friday night, which makes my current situation suck because I can't drive, I don't have any money, and all my friends don't care about doing anything. Will someone go see a movie with me or something? I have $10, that's at least enough to buy a movie ticket.
I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like a crotchety 90 year old woman. I should grow up.
Anyway, life is... well, pretty much life at this point. You cut your losses and get on with it.
By the way, does anyone have a good book recommendation? I have NOTHING to read. It's like wandering around in the dark looking for the light switch. Can anyone find me a really good light switch? Please?
Speaking of books, I really want to write one. I know it's a heck of a lot harder than it sounds, but I may as well get some ideas down while I'm young. I kind of know the general feel I want to go for, but I still haven't thought of a nice theme. I don't think I ever will anytime soon, either. It's kind of depressing, really. I have writer's block and I haven't even started writing yet.
Please don't make fun of me. It's kind of childish, I know, and a bit unrealistic, but if I want a career in English, what else am I supposed to do but write a book?
That's another thing I hate about loving English so much. It's the best subject ever, but it doesn't exactly have a great reputation. All the people who just want to go to college to say they went to college get English degrees. It's stupid, because I'm not like that. I love English. It's interesting, and it's the only subject I'm really good at anymore. I NEED English. It supports my fragile self-esteem.
Am I boring you? I'm sorry. I should just go to the library or something... do something beneficial to my education, since it's actually important now. I actually have to try, because I'm not as smart as I used to be.
This is the part where you all play your teeny violins while I sob.

Grocery Store Wonders

2009-07-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

You'll never guess the sale they were having at the grocery store today, and when I say you'll never guess, I mean it.
The sale was 10/$10. Now see if you can guess what it was.
Still having a hard time? Okay, I'll tell you. It was 10 for $10 COTTAGE CHEESE.
I repeat: COTTAGE CHEESE!
Who in their right mind buys 10 tubs of cottage cheese all with the SAME EXPIRATION DATE? Except for old people, but I don't even think old people would buy 10 freaking tubs of cottage cheese.
Who could even EAT that much cottage cheese?
I was so weirded out that I seriously considered talking to the manager, but then I remembered that managers don't listen to teenage girls. So I decided I would just rant about it on here.
Needless to say, my trip to the grocery store today was one I will probably remember for a long time to come.

Heartburn Central

2009-07-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Food: pizza
Drink: soda (preferrably a cola or root beer)
Dessert: Reeses Peanut Butter cups

DON'T try it unless you are prepared to experience unendurable agony.

Alyssa's Spiel on Summer

2009-07-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ah, Summer. The time of year every school kid looks forward to ALL YEAR LONG. Kids and teenagers alike think of it so often that they can almost taste it, smell it, reach out and touch it....
The real thing is a heck of a rude awakening.

Every summer is the same as the next, kids just forget how incredibly BORING it is in their longing for a world free of obligation. In truth, summer is long, hot, and boring to the point of exhaustion. Yes, that's right. Summer is so boring that it makes you physically exhausted- or is that just going to bed at midnight every night?
My point is that summer vacation is seemingly endless. All the days run into each other until summer is just one long day of TV, reading, showering at 2 P.M. (or not showering at all), video games, lack of sleep, and stress over the coming school year constantly hovering at the back of your mind.
All summer long, you can't stop thinking about the next school year. What will- insert grade here- be like? What new friends will you have? Will you have any classes with your current friends? What will you wear on the first day of school? Will your teachers all be morons? (probably). What clubs will you join?
This many questions simmer endlessly, until that feeling of anxiety builds in your stomach and you can hardly breathe. You fell as though you might faint. (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get the point... right?)
Worst of all are the coming-to-school-in-your-underpants dream. The get-lost-on-your-way-to-class dream. And, if you're a true nerd, the pop-quiz-on-the-first-day dream.
In short, summer is one long, meandering pathway that can only lead to another long, agonizing school year, and, inevitably, another long, agonizing summer after that.

This has been Alyssa. Thank you and good day.

Bored and Hungry

2009-06-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and French Vanilla yogurt.

Try it.

My Latest Traumatic Experience

2009-06-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I tell the story I should start out by saying that this happened a week ago but it's still my most recent traumatic experience, because I still shudder when I think about it. Also, some added info is that Abby broke our window about a month ago when she was trying to kill a bug. Oh, with her bare hand, I might add, which just proves how much sheer strength she has and why it really hurts when she hits you.

So anyways, I was on the phone one night, sitting on my dresser and when I ran my hand over the dresser-top I felt a sharp pain in my left index finger. (Oh, no!) When I checked, it just looked like I just had a cut or something, so I got some toilet paper and put some pressure on it to stop the bleeding.

I have to quickly inerject and point out that people who know me well know that blood freaks me out. Getting shots is probably my least favorite thing (not that I'm alone in that at all). I also hate learning in class about blood and circulaton and stuff. I almost threw up in Gym one time when they were teaching us about first aid and talking about broken bones and cuts and head injuries and stuff. Even the thought of any of those things makes me sick.

Brief Example:

FIRST AID CLASS

Teacher: What would we do if someone broke their arm and the bone was sticking out?

Alyssa: (picturing it in head, shuddering)

Teacher: Would we just PUSH the bone back in?

Alyssa: (feeling sick)

Student: No, because that would do more damage to the arm, and you could also puncture a blood vessel.

Alyssa: (picturing it in head, shuddering)

Teacher: Good! That's exactly right! Now... (goes into some big lecture on how to make a temporary sling for the broken-arm person.)

Alyssa: (feeling even sicker)

Teacher: (explains in gory detail about all the kinds of different wounds (i.e. punture wounds, cuts, other stuff like that, etc. etc.)

Alyssa: (getting even sicker every minute as she pictures each thing in her head)

Teacher: Now, let me tell you about this one time when my son got his leg run over by a car and all the gory details about his mangled flesh.

Alyssa: (about to pass out or throw up, can't decide which) STOP IT! Stop the madness! (runs out of room screaming).

So, anyways, while I was putting pressure on my finger it would just have this sharp pain every time I re-adjusted my grip. So, naturally, I went crying to my mommy about it. She looked at it and said that she didn't think there was any glass in there. Apparently she knows nothing about cuts with glass in them, because when I asked dad, he said he thought there was indeed glass in there.
So, this is where the horror story starts. First, imagine some freaky music playing in your head. Okay, so now imagine your dad telling you that you have glass in your finger, but he has to use a NEEDLE to get it out. Then, imagine your dad using a needle to SCRAPE the glass out of your hand. Kay, so the only difference is, your just imagining it, but tit actually happened to me. And let me tell ya, it was no fun at all. I was hyperventilating and generally freaking out the whole time.
SO, good times, huh? ..........
I really don't know how to end this.

Also, I said it happened like a week ago, but I've been putting off finishing this post for a long time, so it really happened like 3 weeks ago.
Sorry.

......... ............................... ............... ...................... ..........

......... ............................. ................. ...................... .......... yeah ...........

Anna's New Haircut

2009-06-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

I was looking at hairstyles on the web today and when I saw this one I totally thought "Anna!" I don't know about you, but I think this would look really good on her and I think she would like the color. Anyway, maybe I'm just making myself sound like a total idiot, so if people could please comment and a. tell me what they think, and b. assure me that I'm not an idiot, that would be great.

Also, do you like the changes I made to the blog? I'm not so sure about the navy/brown thing, but it was easier to read than the shade of blue I had before. So I guess that's something else you people could comment about. Sorry, I'm practically giving you homework with all these comment requests. Sorry. Did I already apologize? Sorry if I did. Sigh...

Alyssa's Spiel on Textbooks

2009-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I HATE texbooks. A lot. To be more specific, I hate the questions in textbooks. It seems like they are always really really stupid and off-subject, especially the essay/written response questions. To prove my point, I've provided a few examples from my lit book, and you can decide if they're made up or not.

Example 1:
In the story, "My Grandpa Died and it Made Me Really Sad," a boy's grandfather dies and he is very depressed. What could have happened to prevent the boy from feeling so sad? Write a 10-sentence paragraph to explain your answer.

Example 2:
The story, "Priscilla Is the Way She Is" is about a girl who is different from the kids in her school. If Priscilla were from Mars instead of Illinois, how would the story change? Please use a 10-sentence paragraph to properly explain your answer.

Me: Teacher, do we really have to answer these questions?
Teacher: (not paying attention, chatting on Facebook) Hmm....? Oh, um YES. You absolutely MUST do all the questions to receive full credit... Oh, look! It's Joanna Martin! I went to high school with her...

Example 3:
"Life and the Changes That Happen in It" is a story about a person who has a life-changing experience. Write about a life-changing experience that you've had and include details in a 10-sentence paragraph. If possible, use all of the vocabulary words included for this selection.

List of Vocabulary Words:
1. equanimity
2. victuals
3. defalcate
4. osteopath
5. tautological
6. hidebound
7. froward
8. hermetic
9. nocuous
10. erstwhile

Example 4:
In, "My Friend Cliff," a girl jumps off of a cliff and nearly kills herself. In a 10-sentence paragraph, write about a severe injury or near-death experience you've had. Include details tto describe the pain and suffering you went through. If needed, you may use a dictionary to find more words to use.

That's all for today, folks. I'll be here all week- or longer.

Facebook is Ruining My Life

2009-05-23T11:59:00.001-07:00

If anyone is wondering why I haven't posted in a month, it's because of Crackboo- I mean, Facebook. Or rather, more beacause of my darling mother, who I have the privilege of sharing a computer with (lame, huh?) and who is also way more addicted to Facebook than she is willing to let on. She is on there 24/7, and I find myself constantly in fear that she will discover some new game like Mafia Wars or Farm Town just as she's starting to get sick of the whole thing, and then the 3-month-long cycle of exhausting our poor laptop will start all over again. These are some really long sentences, huh? I guess I type a lot when I'm complaining...

Help Me Choose!!!

2009-04-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Kay, so long story short, I am marrying one of these bachelors in a roleplaying game called Harvest Moon, but I can't decide which one!!!! There are two different versions of the game: More Friends of Mineral Town and Island of Happiness, so take your pick of each! I've provided a picture and brief description of each one, so leave a comment with your choices!!!! (please)

Mineral Town Bachelors:

Gray

Gray moved from the big city to live with his crotchety old grandpa and learn the trade of blacksmith (-ing ?).He's moody and misses the city, but made a commitment, so he'll stay.

Short description: moody, but sweet once you get to know him.

Dr. Trent

Dr. Trent is the town doctor. He's dedicated, hard-working, and easy to win over. Sometimes he gets a bit too wrapped up in his studies, but he's sweet and sensitive.

Short description: hard-working (a bit too), sweet, easily won over

Cliff

Cliff's life story is pretty tragic. He grew bored of his life in the city, so he moved to Mineral Town. When he ran out of money, he returned to his home in the city to find that his mother had died and his sister had run away. Depressed, he returned to Mineral Town and was able to get a job at the Aja Winery. He isn't a man of many words, but is a dedicated church-goer and would make a devoted, loving husband.

Short description: quiet, devoted

Kai

Kai is a lady's man, in all sense of the term. He's rebellious by nature, and comes to Mineral Town every summer because he can't stand his parents. He's polite and funny, and I'm sure there's something ladies find intriguing about the mystery hair underneath his bandanna. Or maybe it's his absurd liking for the color purple. Either way, this guy is a real lady-killer.

Short description: lady's man, funny, likes purple

Rick

Rick's family runs the town's poultry farm. He's insanely over-protective of his sister, and has a tender spot fr his mother, Lillia, who is ill. Rick's father, Rod, is gone on a quest to find a rare flower that will cure his mother's illness, leaving Rick to take care of the family. He's an all right guy, except for he really likes chickens. (just a bit weird, don't ya think)

Short description: over-protective, caring, responsible, likes chickens.

I'll post Island of Happiness bachelors tomorrow. Thanksabunch.

Alyssa's Speil on E-mail

2009-04-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does anyone else keep getting e-mails from the absolute STRANGEST senders? I get crap from people I have never even heard of. Isn't that just a bit ridiculous? So, anyway, just to mention a few of these people...

First off, there's the self- improvement category. This is the group of people who've decided that my looks are inadequate and it is pivotal that I improve myself. They range from Wu Yi Tea, who's decided that their wonderful concoction will significantly improve my weight, and in the process give them the opportunity to plant a bajillion cookies and possibly a virus into my computer if I just click their stinking link. I mean, who would buy something called Wu Yi Tea anyway? Next comes the folks at Slimming Solutions, who are so dear to my heart. They want to sell me something called "hoodia" and I would be really surprised if anyone actually knows what hoodia is. And then, of course, there are the cookies and viruses I would receive if I clicked their link.

Next is the online college category. These people are great, I'm sure, but give me a break! I've still got at least 5 years before I go to college, and, personally, I wouldn't go to an online college even if I was desperate. How do you even graduate from those places? They e-mail you the diploma and you print it out? Anyway, it's a load of crap and I would be the happiest person in the world if they would stop sending me things.

After that are the dear, dear folks at Liberty Medical. I just want to wrap my arms around them and squeeze them REALLY tight. One time I even sent them a message asking them to please stop sending me junk because, in my opinion, I shouldn't have to worry about medical crap for a LONG long time. The next day I had 5 new messages from them.

Who has gotten e-mails saying that someone is searching for them? Does anyone find that creepy? I don't see how receiving e-mails saying this is different from some deranged lunatic coming up to me on the street and saying "Someone is searching for you" in a really creepy voice. Maybe he'd even have a weird eye that went in a different direction than the other one, and he'd be wearing these old dirty cut-offs and a flannel shirt that smelled like garbage and after he told me that he'd ask me for money... anyway. You can see how this freaks me out.

Now, after posting this, I don't expect anyone to ever ask me why I haven't answered their e-mails. My inbox has become a mine-field. What sucks the most is that it seems like when I've almost sorted through all my mail, the next day 20 new junk mails come in! It's never ending! It's gotten to the point where I've deleted important stuff, like when dad sent me an Amazon gift card for my birthday, and I actually DELETED it! That in itself should prove how harassed I am. In short, I pretty much don't think e-mail is he greatest invention ever anymore.

Alyssa's Speil on Teachers

2009-02-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

I would like to start by imploring someone to tell me how to spell speil. Now that that's over with, I will OFFICIALLY start by saying that I value my education. I love learning and all that, but, I'm sure everyone in the history of the world who will ever read this will agree with me when I say that some teachers (or teacher's habits) just BUG me. For instance, some teachers, when givng a lecture and upon seeing a student's hand raised, will, instead of just figuring out what the DARN question is, try to answer the queston BEFORE the sudent asks it. Does anyone else see the problem with that? Let me provide an example:
TEACHER: So, I want you to do this graph project-
STUDENT: -raises hand-
TEACHER: And... it's due on September 12th...
STUDENT: -hand still raised-
TEACHER: And... it should be on poster board, but you can pick whatever color you want...
STUDENT: -hand still raised-
TEACHER: And you should type yor essay because I have a hard tim reading some people's handwriting...
STUDENT: -hand STILL raised-
TEACHER: (begins to sweat) And... uh... your essay should be double-spaced...
STUDENT: -hand rasised, begins to tap foot impatiently-
TEACHER: And... um... uh... you can use any brand of computer paper when you print your essay...
STUDENT: -hand STILL raised, arm starting to get sore from being raised in the air for so long-
TEACHER: (feeling light-headed) And... it doesn't matter if you have an HP or a Mac...
STUDENT: -hand STILL RAISED, arm really sore, becoming increasingly annoyed with teacher-
TEACHER: (sweating profusely) And... um... my favorite color is green...?
STUDENT: -hand STILL raised, arm sore, mentally and physically exhausted-
TEACHER: (sweat cascading down face, shirt-front completely soaked, becoming delirious) My house payment is past due, and I forgot to feed my dog this morning, and I ran out of milk because I left the carton out and the cat clawed it apart and drank all the milk...
STUDENT: -ARM IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF-
TEACHER: -FAINTS FROM MENTAL EXHAUSTION-

I know I am exagerating, but can you see what I'm saying? It gets to te point of being ridiculous, and the teacher still won't SHUT UP.
But, alas, don't think this is done! Oh, no, I have many more teacher-related pet-peeves, and this speil WILL coninue. I'm just sick of typing right now.
Good day to all, please immensely enjoy yor week.

Supercoool Bookshelf

2008-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

So I found this totally acksh new bookshelf on the web. If you're in a reading slump, go ahead and pick a book, any book. They're all totally awesome. Currently, I'm caught up in the Inheritance Series (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr), and they are quite possibly above Twilight on my Best Book Ever list, but I'm still not positive... anyway read the books and email me after. Oh, the discussions we'll have!!!
P.S. Thanks Dad for the Amazon giftcard. It's a lifesaver. :)

The World Hates Me!

2008-10-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's officially official. The Sims 3 is coming out next year, and it requires a 128 MB video card. What do you know? Another game I can't play because of my handicapped computer. Hoorah for whoever decided to enhance picture quality! Right now I could just HUG them.
Welcome to the 21st century.

Victory is as Sweet as They Tell Me

2008-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Gues who is the new Student Body Secretary of Escobed Middle School? That's right, yours truly. I ran against 2 7th graders and an 8th grader. It's a dad gum miracle that I won! My mom bought a bunch of neon poster board, and I came up with 2 slogans:
1. Alyssa will keep Escobedo's future "BRIGHT!"
2. You can bet your "KNEE-ON" me!
I think I deserved to win with all the thought it took me to put those bad boys together.
Anyway, I'm the most excited person in the history of the world, not that I sound like it.
But speaking of elections... vote Obama because McCain can't handle a debate without:
a. dissing the other candidate at least once every new toipic
b. putting on a smug expression whenever he thinks he's right, or he disagrees
c. letting his wife spend $300,000 on an outfit/diamond jewelry to wear
d. generally being a totally unprofessional BABY

BARRACK THE VOTE!

The iPod Goal

2008-10-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

My iPod is about as full as an 8GB can get, so I made a goal to listen to every song on my iPod by the end of the school year. I need to know, though, how the heck do I get one of those list thingies like Nutmeg has for her 30 Movie Rule? Also, any and all song suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Have a good day.

Family Home Evenig Idea

2008-09-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

So, I totally had a cool family home evening idea that I wanted to share with everyone:
Basically, it's 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader' style, but with scriptures. I just decided to let them pick who they wanted to be 'smarter than', so I'm calling it 'Are You Smarter Than ____". So, here's how it works:

There are 4 categories to choose from:
~ Book of Mormon
~ Doctrine and Covenants
~ Old Testament
~ New Testament

The player picks who they wnat to be "smarter than" and then chooses a category.
I picked one question for each category, for example, in the Book of Mormon category the question is: "What was the object Lehi and his family used to guide them to the Promised Land, (like a compass)?" And the answer is, "the Liahona."
If the player doesn't know an answer to a question, he/she can call upoin the help of the person the chose to be 'smarter than', but if they use this person's help, they won't get the prize, the person will. (Don't ask what I used for prizes, just dinky items I found around the house.)
So anyway, once the player's turn is over, it's a new player's turn, etc.

I found that it was a fun and successful lesson, hopefully you will, too!

Just for the Heck of It

2008-09-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, today was officially a cool day. You know, normal cool day stuff. Short math homework, simple english homework, wore a cool shirt, the whole cool day shabang. The only thing that makes it even better is knowing that my new furniture is coming tomorrow. I just can't wait! So anyhoo, before you barf because you're so bored, I'll stop. Everyone is cool and stuff... meaning everyone who is reading this... you know, typical Cash goodbye and all that jazz... Okay, I'm shutting up.

What I've Been Waiting For

2008-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's finally happening! That's right, folks, Alyssa is getting NEW FURNITURE! Yup. Brand spanking new, and it's being delivered this Tuesday. What's included in this furniture set, you ask? Well, since there's three girls in our room now...
- 1 set of very nice wood bunk beds
- a twin bed
- a chest, a.k.a. really short dresser
- 1 new dresser
- and a nightstand

I am officially really really really really really REALLY happy/ excited/ totally bubbly.
And you are officially tired of me talking.

New DS Game

2008-08-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased Professor Layton and the Curious Village for Nintendo DS. I read a review in Nintendo Magazine (they gave it an 8.0 out of a possible 10) I, however, am not particularly pleased with it. It is interesting enough, but there isn't enough excitement (besides the thrill of solving a mystery, of course, but it just isn't enough for me.) There also seems to be a lot of working in circles, too much returning to certain places to question this person and things like that.I must aplaud them, however, for the little movie clips that are included. I found them very enjoyable. I would've liked to see more of them used. Too bad you can't return electronics... maybe I'll sell it on eBay.

My Favorite Book

2008-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer just came out this past Saturday, and, like any faithful Twilight fan, I finished it within 2 days of its release. I guess the proper term would be devoured. I just couldn't put it down! The only time I did was when I would fall asleep while reading. I guess you could call it obsessed, but I prefer to call it dedication. Yes, you have permission to call me crazy.