VJ The Coffee Spy

Honduras Mission Trip

2009-03-26T08:35:00.001-06:00

March 18th 2009

Today was our third day of mission work in the Garifuna villages. The village we visited today, Guadalupe is smaller than the first two villages but has a larger church. I noticed that the smaller the villages were said to be the larger the church. Once in the village we asked around for the town catechist and a girl went off and came back with a man named Sosa. He opened the church for us and we asked if we could have Mass for the village tonight and if we could walk around the village inviting people. He told us we could invite people but that the church had no power so it would be dark. A church without power was not a problem; we would be prepared with a lot of flashlights and candles. We split up into two groups and walked around the town inviting people to Mass. Everyone always smiles and nods and says ‘Thank you I’ll be there.’ Really they just tell us what we want to hear and probably do not want us hanging around their window. We had lunch in the village at a restaurant the catechist told us about. After lunch we ministered to the kids and played Simon Says which they had a hard time understanding so we switched to duck duck goose which they enjoyed but still had trouble fully understanding. We left the village and returned to Campameto for some time to think, reflect and pray before heading back to the village for Mass. The short-term mountain team was also coming down from the villages in the mountains so we could have a priest for Mass. After dinner we went back to the village for Mass. When we arrived at the church there was no one there but there was power. A few people began to show up but the church was still very empty. I began to feel a little discouraged because we had talked to so many people and there was no one at the church. Two of the most important rules of missionary work are to be flexible and no complaining so we just waited there for people to come. I learned that you have to trust in God and know that He is working through us. Mass was supposed to begin at seven but it started more around seven thirty. I guess that is how time works in Honduras, we say seven and to the people there it means seven thirtyish. The Garifuna people have their own beautiful language and pretty much take over everything in the Mass, which falls under the rule of being flexible. They sang the gospel acclamation and then when Father proceeded to read the Gospel one woman stopped him and they started singing again. We just stood back and let the people praise because it is all about them. The Our Father in Garifuna is one of the most beautiful things in the world to me. Everyone on the church knows it; even if they do not know the rest of the Mass they know the Our Father. Everyone linked pinkies and began swaying and singing, I had no idea what they were saying but I just linked pinkies and moved with them. When I looked around I was surprised to see the church complexly full and a lot of older boys and men in back. it was a surprise because I had been told them men tend to not go to Mass because religion is for women and children but there they were men, standing in back singing the Our Father. At certain parts of the prayer the people bow and then jus hum while one man, usually the catechist preaches. It is so beautiful and we can’t understand a word of it. The Garifuna people are so amazing and so beautiful, all we did was bring them a priest to have Mass and they took over and made it into their own celebration. At the sign of peace people get up and sing and walk around the church and shake hands with anyone and everyone. It was hard to leave my row in the church, it seemed uncomfortable but our leaders have been telling us mission work is hard if you are comfortable you do not love enough. So to love these people we had to step outside of our comfort zones to love these people and let God love them because we are instruments of God’s love. We were only witness to the love of God for these people After reflecting on the events of tonight and the whole trip I realize that these people may look poor to us but they are rich in so many other ways. Life is simple and beautiful not complicated like we make it here in the States. They see the beauty of life and are able to live their faith in such an amazing way and they only receive Mass once or twice a year. As our leaders have been saying this mission trip is not just about the people in Honduras because we can learn so much from them too.

Second college Update

2007-09-20T18:58:00.001-06:00

Greetings,

It is now mid September and I think I have done well adjusting to college life. To begin the dryer hates me. To do one load in the dryer is one dollar. Well after the dryer stopped a went to get my cloths and discovered that they weren’t dry so I went back to my room and managed to find four more quarters and put them in. I went back again and the dryer displayed one minute left. I thought “perfect.” So I waited. Well after ten minutes the display still said one minute and the dryer was still going. I gave up and went back to my room. I let another ten minutes pass and checked again. The dryer was still going and said one minute left. I gave up all together and decided to go to Mass and then dinner. After Mass and dinner I went and checked on my laundry and to my surprise the dryer had stopped. I think it said one minute just to spite me and then when it realized I was coming back it gave up and finally stopped running. That is my laundry horror story.

Last week I was sick, sick beyond all reason. I couldn’t hear very well, I had no voice, I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head, and I had no medication. I got sick on Sunday. The following Tuesday was Sammi’s birthday so I made her a cake. I had my friend help me. Not only had someone used up all the cooking oil that had been in the kitchen the day before but the electric beater didn’t work. I ended up using butter and exerting all the man power Molly and I had to whip the batter. The cake turned out just fine and Sammi had a happy day. Wednesday Father Mike, the priest of the Church my Dad attends, came to campus to visit Sammi because ha had a wedding in Pittsburgh. He was also very nice and brought me Sudafed and Nyquil. He’s my hero. As soon as I had medication I was on the mend and didn’t go through quite as many tissues. The Saturday before I made Jell-O because my throat was sore. People thought I was crazy because I drank warm Jell-O. It works like cough syrup but tastes better and helps your throat. Well making Jell-O was an adventure in itself. The mugs I have are not microwave safe so I had to heat up the water in one of the bowls I have in my room. So I heated up the water, poured it into a mug, stirred in the Jell-O mix only to discover the water wasn’t warmer enough to dissolve all the sugar. So I poured everything back into the bowl, heated it up more, stirred it with a fork (I don’t have spoons) poured it back into the mug and finally drank it. Why on earth would you not make a mug microwave safe?!

So to go backwards even more my roommate’s mom came and stayed that weekend so on Saturday (the day I made Jell-O) we went to Wal-Mart and bought the cake mix for Sammi’s cake, and more water because we don’t drink the tap water. It’s yellow. Julie’s mom took us to Quizno’s (better than caf food) and then on to Wal-Mart. Well we bought all our stuff and went back to the car, put our stuff in the trunk and then Julie’s mom closed her keys in the trunk. We could see the key sticking out of the trunk but the buttons and keychain was inside the trunk. Well it’s a newer car so it doesn’t have a latch you just lift to get the trunk open and for some reason the trunk release button that is in the car only works when the key is in the ignition (crazy Chrysler people). So here we are four women staring at the key sticking out of the trunk. Some guy who was an angel in disguise stopped to help. He ended up taking the entire backseat out and reaching into the trunk all the way across the trunk and pushing the trunk release. Thank God for him.

Moving forward into the week… I locked myself out of my room and unfortunately my roommate was off-campus so I had to pay the RA’s a dollar to unlock my room. Then to make it better a few days later I lost my keys. I went to the RA and she gave me a spare and told me I had a week to find my keys before they charged me fifty dollars for a new one and have the locks changed. I was determined to find my key. I went back to the cafeteria the next morning and they said they didn’t have my key but that I should go check with switchboard (the answer the every question- the brain of the campus). So I wandered across campus to switchboard but they didn’t have one either. The people at switchboard told me to check with my Resident Coordinator so I trudged back up to my dorm to talk to the RD. on the way to her office I met Father Dennis, he’s an awesome guy, he smokes a pipe. So I knock on the RD’s door and she said that no one had turned a key into her but she’d let me know if they did. So I pass the day without finding it. I went back to the caf for dinner and again inquired about my key. Thank you St Anthony they found it. Apparently it had been there all day but no one told the people who scan ID’s that someone had turned in a key. I was so glad I didn’t have to pay for a new key and all that jazz.

I am gradually making friends but it is hard to get to know people when you are constantly reading for Honors. My friend Molly from across the hall found one of the funniest passages in the Iliad, either that or we were slap happy and tired. Homer is describing a battle scene and said “The sharp stone hit him in the forehead and smashed both brows in on each other, nor could the bone hold the rock, but his eyes fell out into the dust before him, there at his feet.” Molly read that and burst out laughing, she told me about it and then when I read it later on I laughed to. It might be funny or it might not. I think we had just had enough of the Iliad that anything would make us laugh. I have made friends but a lot of time is dedicated to studying. As time goes on I’m sure I will meet more people. Our honors class had a toga party and watched the movie Troy (which is totally in accurate) in honor of finishing the Iliad. We also almost got written up for making too much noise after quiet hours but because there were so many of us the RA decided no to. Those of us in the Honors class who do not spend every waking moment studying Greek mythology have come up with a game for class. Because the class is based mainly on discussion participating is mandatory. Everyday before class we come up with a list of words that we have to integrate into the conversation. However if you are the first person to say glory you get minus one point. Some of our recent words include: Kool-Aid, lotion, the big blue, viscous, quagmire, Brad Pitt, and much more.

My roommate is real nice and we get along well but today I was a little frustrated. It looked like her backpack and closet had regurgitated all of its contents onto the floor and chair. I walked in and there was stuff everywhere and she was no where to be found. When she came back I asked her if she could at least clear I path so I could get to my bed and desk with out slipping on a paper and stabbing myself in the toe with a hanger. Eventually she did clean it up but I was a little frustrated that she said she would, left, and then came back later. I now I’m a little stressed so I have to be patient and I have been. I haven’t yelled or argued with anyone. I just calmly talk to her and asked her to give me a little space. I need to find a friar to talk to. They are here for the students, and they know how the freshmen feel. The friars are here to help and love it when students go to them to talk or get help. It’s on my to-do list.

I have found several Packer fans here. We are a bunch or happy cheese heads. Also last weekend when the Yankee’s played the Red sox I found a bunch of Yankees fans to watch the game with. There were one or two Red Sox fans, and lets just say they don’t take losing to well. Packers play the Broncos in the Mile High city on October 29^th. Monday night Football!!!! Sammi and Matt Fleming think the Broncos will win but I highly doubt that. Mwahahaha!!!!

There is no Starbucks within 30 miles of here. The coffee shop on campus has some good things but I miss my Starbucks. They “proudly brew Starbucks coffee” but I don’t drink straight black coffee. The nearest Noodles is Cleveland, I’m not missing it that much though. And the nearest Chipotle is in Pittsburgh. The RA from down the hall said she would take me to Starbucks because I have a Starbucks card that I can’t use. Last night we sat in the hall way and made hot cocoa. She and I have a class together so before class starts we sit and talk about Europe because she studied in Austria last year.

I went to get a Snickers the other night from the vending machine (they don’t have any other candy bar) and to my disappointment my Snickers didn’t even have caramel. What a let down. Recently a kitten has adopted FUS as its home. It wanders around outside the cafeteria and students stop to pet it. There is also a cat that patrols the door by Egan hall, our academic building. In the mornings it’s a real challenge getting gin and out of the building without letting the cat in. unfortunately the nice crisp fall weather we were having has disappeared and the temperature is rising again. A new dorm was built for this year, and the courtyard between it (Lizzie Louie) and Tommy More, is still under construction. I now know how to lay cement asphalt and decorative bricks. I could drop out now, lay cement, asphalt and bricks and say I learned it all in college and never had to leave my dorm room. I can see the construction of the courtyard from my window and eagerly await its completion. I also have a beautiful view of the sunsets. However I hate the smell of Steubenville in the morning. And, surprisingly enough I can see stars at night. One would think with all the pollution you wouldn’t be able to see anything. I guess that’s why the water’s yellow. Oh and there are rabbits on campus. The cutest things and some of the guys actually try to catch them. The rabbit just hops back and forth and all around and the person chasing the rabbit looks ridiculous. It is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on campus. People can’t tell which way rabbits run so they look like little kids who run around chasing the dog or something. Highlight of my day, after Mass of course.

Well I’m off to the caf; hopefully it’s not corned beef and cabbage again (bleh)L. I would do anything for a Chipotle burrito or a steak. I should find a ride to Applebee’s.

College- The First Week

2007-09-12T21:15:00.001-06:00

To begin, I arrived safely and thankfully at Franciscan University. I must say the drive across Kansas was rather boring. By the time we hit Indiana, Sammi and I found a way to entertain ourselves. We held my giant teddy bear up in the window every time we passed an eighteen wheeler and tried to get the drivers to honk or wave. For the most part we were successful. My mom’s driving drove Sammi and me crazy. She drove exactly the speed limit for most of the trip, stayed behind cars that were going the speed limit and she never really got used to the brake on the mini van.

Moving into the dorms was easy. The orientation team was amazing, carrying all of our stuff up the stairs. Pulling up in a periwinkle purple mini van took a lot of courage but at least we didn’t have to stay by it for long. The dorms have air conditioning and thank goodness for that because it is so hot and humid. It has, however, cooled down. Our internet is not working, making it extremely hard to communicate with people. The RA’s said the internet is being worked on. Our fellow dorm Marian has no air conditioning but they do have internet. Personally as of now I’ll take the ac over the high speed, it’ll come soon enough. I can still get online, I just have to walk down to the JC Williams student center to get online and finding time to do that is difficult.

We are having a tea party in honor of surviving the first week of college. As of today Thursday August 30, 2007 we have been here for a week. The girls on 3^rd floor are really nice, and the lofts up on 4^th floor are really cool. We met some upper classmen who showed us their loft; it’s really big and spacious. The walls of our room look bleak and bare with nothing on them. Apparently we didn’t realize we’d have so much wall space so I have sent home for posters. The girl down the hall had her mom stay till Wednesday that’s a long time.

All weekend masses where in the field house so it wasn’t until Tuesday that I was able to go to Mass in the chapel. Sitting in the chapel is so amazing and looking at the cross against the back wall makes me feel like I am back in St Clare’s in Assisi. The feeling is awesome. I have decided to sit in the front so that I can see and don’t have to go to the back of the chapel for communion. At noon Mass, both times that I have attended, one of the professors and his family have sat in front of me. The kids are adorable but also very distracting. This up coming weekend, September 2nd and 3rd, is opening weekend so once again Mass is in the field house.

Sammi and I managed to find Matt and his good-looking cousin Nathan, not to mention a few other good looking guys, not that we’re out for our MRS degree or anything. There are about 7 of us from Colorado here but I only met one other guy. Oh and it’s a college campus so everyone plays Frisbee. I can proudly say that I bought my very own Franciscan University of Steubenville Frisbee. Apparently one is supposed to name the Frisbee but I am not entirely sure this is true so I will wait a few days. There is also a group or several groups who play Frisbee golf at night, so you have to be careful walking around.

On Sunday we had our “Dinner with 12 Strangers” and went to the Zinno’s house. Three small groups were lucky and were invited over to Righteous B’s house. I hear most of the boys who went to houses with little kids were chased around the house with light sabers and swords. The kids at our dinner were adorable. There were a set of one and a half year old twins and they were the sweetest kids.

Father Dave is still in Austria and no one knows when he’ll be back. Sammi and I just know that the year we go to Austria will be the year he comes back, just our luck. I can’t wait to go to Austria, I’m so excited, but I don’t think I am going till junior year, maybe sophomore.

Classes started Tuesday at 8am. Tuesday and Thursday I start at 8am and finish by 11am so I have the whole day to myself. Mondays and Wednesday’s I have class at 10am, 1pm, and 3:30pm and then on Friday I only have class at 10am and 1pm. The Honors class is fun, people seem to get off topic and others dominate the conversation leaving the rest of us in silence. Some people are also looking too deep and are way too excited. One girl wants to read other books to see if she can find the background of a certain character so we can further evaluate a situation. The rest of us think it’s a little much. A friend, Zach, and I were saying we should keep the intelligence down to our level and suggest that at a certain point during the Iliad they should have ceased warfare for ice cream. It would have been much more diplomatic. University Foundations is one of the weirdest classes I have and I really don’t know what it’s for. They gave us a packet to read but only gave us the even numbered pages so today when we all went back they apologized about it and then found out from the students that both packets they gave us were missing pages and not just one. It’s so boring and it’s my 8am. The rest of my classes are good. I had to drop history which I now think will be part of my major. As soon as I get and academic advisor I can figure out classes, majors, Austria, and my career. French is a nightmare. The Professor spoke in all French and I am happy to say I understood him. That’s a plus. However the rest of the class appears to be a teach yourself sort of thing so I might just die.

The food in the cafeteria is really not all that bad. The pizza there is awesome. I’m not starving just yet. I seem to be eating a lot of pizza because all the weird looking entrees they have don’t seem too good. The one time I did go to get a sandwich they were out of roast beef. I was a little upset. I do have Mac& Cheese in my closet that I can heat up it the microwave anytime. Plus with all the hills around here I don’t think I’ll be putting on weight, aside from building up the calf muscles.

Homework is a little overbearing but with time I will be able to adjust and figure out a schedule. The coffee shop in the JC has also been helpful in those times when I am falling asleep into Luigi Guissani, not because he’s boring, but because I’m exhausted.

Uh.. About the coffee guy, and a friend.

2007-08-09T02:03:00.000-06:00

So a while ago if most of you will remember I wrote about the Barista at Starbucks that I had a crush on. I'm here for another report. In the past year I have gotten to know him through Myspace, Facebook, and the trips to Starbucks. I must say that I don't go as often, meaning I'm not completely obsessed with him. We have, in essence, become friends. I can carry on a conversation with him with out freaking out or getting nervous and not knowing what to say. We talk like friends. On the day after my Birthday he wished me a Happy Birthday when I went in to get a drink. The day after that he came into Noodles with his dad and brother, and in front of them asked me if I had a good birthday. I said yeah gave some details and moved on. This brings me to why I'm blogging, I'm frustrated! Clearly at one point I had the worlds biggest crush on him but as I have already mentioned that has passed and we are now friends. I still go to Starbucks a lot not for the same reasons that I used to but I go. Recently he hadn't been there and I knew he didn't quit because i heard some of his co-workers talking about him. Apparently he was a little shaken up cause something happen but he'd be back. Time went by, not a lot but some, and I just thought I would message him and see if he's ok. Why? This is important... because I care about people I know. Not because at one point in my life I had a crush on them!!! (some people still don't understand). I messaged him, he wrote back. He explained what had happened and said thanks for my concern. This brought me to the question of do I write something back, if so what? I couldn't think of anything to say so I didn't. I asked a few friends what they would do one said just talk to him before I leave for college, and the other who knew me when I had a crush on him said that I "continue to obsess and turn nothing into something with someone who has already said he's not into you." Ok here's where I get angry. When I did have a crush on the Starbucks dude, the person just mentioned, would not tell me if the Starbucks dude liked me or not. Obviously he knew. Now he's telling me I'm obsessing about him. Ok newsflash here I'm not! I just asked a simple question which now when I reflect on it, I find it a little stupid but still I did it because people make mistakes. Apparently I am obsessed with the coffee guy because my other friend didn't think that after a year or so I would realize nothing will happen and I should accept what I have and go with it. We talk, we are friends, nothing more. I'm frustrated and angry. I don't know what else to say

Saturday the 3rd

2007-03-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Saturday March 4, I learned a few very important things. One, when you are going to Los Angeles to tour the Getty and you plan on taking city buses don't were dress shoes or dress sandals. I didn't anticipate doing a lot of walking and a 'United employee' when I travel I have to look professional. So I wake up thinking since it is supposed to be 79 degrees in LA I might as well wear sandals. That didn't go so well. After missing the bus and walking everywhere my feet were killing me. Not because the shoes were uncomfortable but because they aren't meant for extreme walking. So after spending a day in LA I flew back for the George Strait concert. Keep in mind the time crunch here. I go straight from the airport to the Pepsi Center still wearing the same shoes. Well conveniently the row I was sitting in had something sticky on the floor so not only could I not take my shoes off to free my feet (which have blisters) but my feet were practically stuck to the floor for the three and a half hours we were there.

The second thing I learned is that if you are going to a concert and don't have a car be sure to a) have a working cell phone b)have friends who care enough about you to make sure you have a ride home c) wear shoes that you could walk home in. I had none of these. Half way through the concert my phone dies. My friend tells me that I can borrow hers to at least call home and get a ride. Well because they had to be home before midnight my friends left before the concert was over. Luckily one of them stayed and let use her phone to call home. Due to traffic around the Pepsi center my Dad wants me to walk somewhere else down town so he can pick me up. Ha-ha no I won't. So there I am with blisters on my feet standing in dress pants in front of a bar across the street from the Pepsi Center with a cell phone that doesn't work waiting for a ride. Oh and it's cold too! So half hour maybe 20 minutes later my Dad finally comes.

I learned that you should never were sandals to California for a day trip and that if you go to a concert you should have a working phone or car. Maybe I'm just over reacting but I can't say I was too excited about standing around the Pepsi Center till midnight. Maybe it's because I'm in a somewhat bad mood because I got two hours of sleep last but being left at the Pepsi Center really isn't as exciting as it sounds. Now because of all this and my blog about it, people are mad. I just can't seem to write anything without pissing people off.

AAAHHH!!!!!!!

2006-12-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Sammi got accepted to Steubenville. I'm gonna die... :-(

It's a religious celebration so deal with it

2006-11-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

So I was listening to the radio this morning on my way to school and the topic was Christmas; which I would like to point out from the start is a religious holiday. If you’re offended I’m sorry but stop taking advantage of Christian holidays, for lack of better world, so you can celebrate another day of money spending. Back to the radio; someone had read something somewhere about a person complaining about how a nativity scene shouldn’t be a Christmas decoration or that it was infringing other non Christian people’s rights to celebrate Christmas. Whatever they were talking about on the radio was ridiculous. I would like to point out that without the birth of Jesus Christ there would be no Christmas. Christmas is a celebration of the Church that other non religious and disrespectful people want to make money off of. Instead of me taking Christ out of Christmas why don’t you rake you disrespect and material things out of my celebration of the birth of my savior. Or is that too hard to do? So by taking the Christ out of Christmas you get –mas, which ironically is a Catholic celebration. So without Christ in Christmas you end up with something only Catholics can celebrate I would also like to point out that there would be no Santa Claus or commercial Christmas without St Nicholas. If you are not familiar with the story of St Nicholas he is known as an older version of what people now call Santa Claus. St Nicholas was born in 280 AD, in Patara, a city of Lycia, in Asia Minor. He became the gift giver of Myra. His gifts were given late at night, so that the gift giver's identity would remain a secret. St Nicholas was eventually named the patron saint of children, sailors, Russia and Greece. St Nicholas was a Christian priest, who later became a bishop. He was a rich person, and traveled the country helping people, giving gifts of money and other presents. St Nicholas did not like to be seen when he gave away presents, so the children of the day were told to go to sleep quickly or he would not come! Nothing has changed and Santa Claus will not arrive this Christmas unless the children go to sleep early. Christmas is a religious holiday that has been adapted by our materialistic society and converted into a time of money spending and stress. I refuse to take Christ out of Christmas because Christ is the reason for Christmas and you can’t possibly celebrate Christmas without sharing a religious aspect. I’m not a hundred percent sure but I’m pretty sure that it is very difficult to celebrate Christmas without Santa and Christ. Overall it is a religious celebration of the birthday of our Lord Jesus and if you don’t like it sucks to be you. I do not want to hear anymore take Christ out of Christmas or no nativity scenes or anything like that. People weren’t smart enough to come up with their own holiday so they took one of the most important days in the Church and materialized it. Way to be original. To conclude it was a religious holiday first so don’t be saying it offends your rights to celebrate Christmas because you are the one choosing to celebrate a religious holiday and there is no way around it. I hope I made my point!

Reason to be upset

2006-11-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

So today in Theology we were talking about life issues and our topic was anorexia. Across the United States 8 million people are affected by eating disorders, 7million of them women and 1 million of them men. People identify their self worth and value in attaining the ideal body. Most people who are anorexic are 15% below body weight and have a fear of becoming fat. So many people have eating disorders because they see the ideal body as a chiseled smooth body with little to no body fat. Our society gets that image from the media. We see all the movie stars, celebrities and who ever else and want to be just like them. That is the ideal body that Americans think of. Our discussion today focused on that thanks to our resident airhead and careless chatter box. According to her the ideal size for women is like a double zero or something. Apparently our size scale is too big so now we need a double zero. However this girl also brought up the fact that now the media is gradually slipping in the “big is beautiful.” Ok yeah duh as one of my teachers says there’s more of the person to love. Being big isn’t a bad thing however when people call a 6-8 a plus size they are so wrong. I’m sorry but I’m not that fat and I wear a bigger size than a “plus size.” What the hell. And you wonder why people have problems and worry about their weight. If we are going around saying a 6 or 8 is a plus size there is something seriously wrong with our culture. We are created in the image and likeness of God therefore we should not worry about obtaining some unrealistic image the media puts forth. Apparently being skinny or having an eating disorder isn’t fun or easy so why do people want to be like the unhappy “models” of America. I can understand wanting to loose a few pounds to get a trimmer fit, go down ONE size in pants or work off all the holiday goodies but seriously people don’t listen to the media, it’s not healthy. If the guy down the street doesn’t like you, don’t become anorexic, someone out there loves you for who you are don’t change for others, let them see you for who you are. And hey maybe the guy likes you, he’s just shy. Your looks and outside appearance should be the last thing you think about although I do admit I think about it a lot. Want to know why? Cause there are people in this world that judge by outside looks. I’m not looking to gain their favor I’m just looking to not get picked on and made fun of. I don’t always look my best but I deal with it. And there’s nothing wrong with looking good or nice so dress up spend time on your hair but not an hour. I am thankful to have friends who, as far as I am concerned, don’t care all that much about what I wear. One of my friends complained he couldn’t see my eyelashes, I don’t care. I just wear mascara now because it makes me look a little bit more awake. Anyway to conclude… big is beautiful (and I don’t mean big as in 6-8) so please don’t get discouraged. Feeling better about yourself isn’t the end of the world either whether you are petite, small, medium, or whatever. You are created in the image and likeness of God. This means you are meant to be the way you are. You do have to right to feel good about yourself but you should never identify you self worth with your body and self image. Oh and I can’t stand the girls who clearly spend at least 15 minutes on their makeup and then their hair looks like they slept with it in a pony tail, it really isn’t attractive. I understand it’s the style or trend or whatever it’s called now-a-days but break away, be original you hair should look nice, not like a wild mane. That’s all.

Life Just Stinks

2006-11-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

So recently it just feels like I can't do anything right. Actually I did one thing; I wrote a damn good paper in English and proved to my teacher I’m not worthless. I actually think she had trouble telling me I did a good job for once. Other than that, things aren't so great. It seems that I made something up about my friends but unless my memory is defective I’m right. That isn’t what bothers me so much, it just adds to my problems. I would never do anything to hurt this person but now I feel like I’ve really screwed things up. On top of that there is a girl in my religion class that drives me crazy; I can’t stand her. She asks random no brainier questions (my personal opinion) and then when my teacher starts to answer them she’ll either be like “no it’s ok never mind I just don’t understand you can stop.” Or she’ll start talking to someone else. Seriously if a man is a Brother and is joining the Priesthood I think he’s ok with not having sex, and as a high school senior she shouldn’t be able to say man I couldn’t live like that. I think she’s trying to send a hint to the guys in the class and doesn’t hide the fact that she has probably already had sex. Oh and then just pulling out a packet of birth control pills in class, I mean seriously that’s like bringing Hitler’s book Mein Kampf into a Jewish school and saying let’s read this wonderful book. It’s not right. Plus some of my other friends seem to be frustrated with me or just not willing to talk. People, who used to talk to me everyday and smile and share a laugh for the same reason, now barely ever talk to me. I’ll give it time because I know I’m not the only one with problems right now. Some of my friends have worse problems than me but when you keep things to yourself it doesn’t help. I know this and it kills me overtime eventually it will pile up and then one thing will light the fuse and there’s no way to stop the explosion… basically I really don’t feel happy, people need to help each other and when I mess up I freak out and stress to no end making a mountain out of a mole hill. “Our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” some of us don’t know our own power. I’m upset and life sucks. I understand others might too so I’m not comparing myself to anyone.

IT"S NOT AN ANNIVERSARY!!!

2006-09-11T18:10:00.000-06:00

It’s not an anniversary! 5 years ago today the United States experienced one of the most devastating moments in its history. Most all Americans were touched by it and if not they at least know about it. I find it extremely difficult to call September 11^th an anniversary. When I think of the word anniversary I think of something joyous, and as far as I am concerned September 11 isn’t something joyous. The Webster’s dictionary defines it as: 1) the date on which some event occurred in an earlier year 2) the celebration of such an event on that day in following years. I can understand how people find reason in calling it an anniversary because of the first definition I have presented. But keep in mind the same word also has celebration in the definition. The thing is we don’t have any other word for it. We could call it a memorial, a commemoration, a remembrance, or a tribute but instead the country, lacking in any English skills and imagination chooses the word anniversary. Unfortunate it’s going to stay like that because people really don’t care what they call it as long as it’s brought up every year.

I remember September 11 2001 very clearly. I was 13 and in 7^th grade. My Dad was a pilot for United Airlines and he was supposed to fly to Boston that day. My school was trying to keep us from finding out more about the attacks. We only heard what they told us. They wouldn’t even let me call home to see if my Dad was still at home. It was eleven days after that my Dad retired. It wasn’t because of the attacks; it was because some higher authority says pilots have to retire at a certain age. My school wouldn’t give me an excused absence to go on his last flight but I didn’t care. His last flight was to New York LaGuardia. As we started our decent he flew us directly over Ground Zero. I could not believe what I saw. I remember once we were on vacation in New Jersey and my mom woke me up to watch the sun come up between the Twin Towers. I wasn’t too excited because it was early and after all they were just buildings. Now I wish I had paid more attention, but only something like September 11 would. I remember being on that plane looking down over twisted rubble, smoke still rising, debris on surrounding buildings, and dust all over. After seeing something like that there is no excuse to call September 11 an anniversary. If you saw what I saw you might understand where I am coming from. Or if you lost someone or know someone who’s a pilot or flight attendant I would hope you don’t see September 11 as an anniversary.

Now American is at war in the Middle East and there is no close end. My uncle was in the air force for a long time. He retired in July of 2000 or 2001 I don’t remember but I do remember that after September 11 he told us that he was ready to pull out his boots again and start polishing them. September 11 lead us to Afghanistan and now we are in Iraq. I ask that if you believe in prayer that you pray for all the victims of September 11 and their families, all the pilots and flight attendants and their families, for the troops and everyone in the armed services, and most importantly for our politicians that they do the best thing for the country.

September 11 2001 should never be forgotten. We have movies out now to remind us of that day. World Trade Center the new movie with Nicholas Cage is a clear depiction of September 11. I never thought I’d recommend it to anyone but I am. I was defiant in seeing it. I couldn’t accept the fact that Hollywood would make millions of dollars off a national Tragedy. My friends convinced me to see it, and after paying for my ticket in pennies (if they want my money they have to work for it) I consented. The movie was very powerful. I admit, I cried but it wasn’t till the end when the movie was over and the facts began to scroll. I was crying and trying to keep it in so my whole body was shaking. I don’t think America will ever forget the events of September 11; but as long as we remember it, let us remember it as a tribute, a remembrance, and memorial, not as an anniversary.

I wish I understood more

2006-08-09T18:00:00.000-06:00

With only 8 days left until my final year of high school I’m beginning to regret the way I managed my summer. Most of the time I spent working hoping to make some money and the rest I spent hanging out with a few friends. That’s the reason I’m regretting my summer. I feel like I never got to spend enough time with them because I was at work and they didn’t accommodate my schedule or they just didn’t have any interest to do anything when I wasn’t working. I think we only saw everyone four or five times. If not it was only two or three of us that got together. As usual Peter Brandon and I were the three who spent the most time together. Alannah didn’t really start hanging out with us till the end of the summer and because Maura has a very busy schedule that no one can blame her for. I give her props for doing all she does, especially driving her sister everywhere cause that normally interferes with our plans and seriously who wants to chaperone their little sister everywhere. It’s her choice not mine and I respect that. However Maura has no sense of time which has become a joke with us because no matter what time we tell her she’s always a little late, no harm done.

I’ve known Maura for almost as long as I can remember and for the longest time we were best friends, we did everything together but high school it seems has changed everyone and nothing is like it used to be. Now a high school student she has found many sports to cram into her already packed schedule making it even harder to get together. She’s also made some new friends which isn’t a bad thing at all, everyone meets new people and to not know Maura is odd. However with high school her attitude has also changed. Fashion is a big part of her life. I can remember when she would just wear shorts and a t-shirt and not care about how she looked to the extreme that it appears today, but maybe it isn’t that extreme. It appears that way to me because I see things differently. Now I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing to have a sense of fashion but when you’re worried about the way you look 24/7 and want to take your friends shopping so that if one of them were to attend the same school as you, you wouldn’t be embarrassed by what they wear. If a person is going to be embarrassed on front of their friends because of what another friend wears then they aren’t good friends. I don’t mean to criticize anyone especially Maura but I’m wondering what can be so important about the cloths people wear.

I guess that brings me to Peter. His parents are taking him shopping in Cherry Creek to buy him cloths at all those stores like American Eagle and more. When I asked him why he couldn’t just go to the Mills mall and shop at the American Eagle there he told me it was because his mom didn’t want to shop there because they were outlet stores so everything there was what people didn’t want. In this case I think the clothing crisis has gone too far!!! When your parents don’t want to buy something of the same quality that’s cheaper because it’s what everyone else didn’t want it worries me, what does it matter? Yes your parents should be concerned about what you wear but if the concern is that of wearing something in an outlet store, come on!!!

If you haven’t noticed already I don’t care that much about clothing. I do care about how I look and I wouldn’t wear some of the cloths that are “in style” toady because they look hideous, but that is just my opinion. I never really fit into the whole typical outfit of a teenage girl. I buy cloths that are descent and I feel comfortable in. yeah so what maybe I’m not popular because of the cloths I wear but at least I don’t wake up in the morning worrying about how people think I look. I just don’t understand why cloths are so important, and why it is something that causes people to judge each other. To worry about wear you buy your cloths because it will affect how people treat you is ridiculous. My friend Pat would only get a Venti drink at Starbucks because he didn’t want to look poor. I never understood him and now I see the same thing happening with clothing. Are the cloths you wear a measure of wealth. If you don’t have top of the line Abercrombie & Fitch does that mean you’re poor because you bought it at an outlet store a season later?

None of this is personal against anyone and I hope I don’t offend anyone. I just got really irritated today because people are so concerned about their cloths. Or maybe I’m jealous because I’m not like everyone else. I wear jeans and I t-shirt because I look good in it, maybe I’m jealous of not being able to wear the shirt from American Eagle or GAP but you know what? Stores like that don’t sell stuff that I can where. They cater to the people who can fit into small shirts and don’t care if a little skin is showing. I think I’ll stop now one because I got side tracked from my original thought and two because if I go any further I will offend someone.

To get back to where I was going I was regretting not spending enough time with my friends and I now realize with senior year approaching I’ll have even less time. My summer homework has been in the back of my mind and now with 8 days left I realize that I have to get started on it. Meaning these last few days of summer break will be Hell. I will be spending most of my time doing work and not spending the last few days with my friends. I really regret not spending time with them, and seriously what kind of school assigns summer homework? Seriously? On a serious tone I want to apologize to all my friends who I didn’t get to spend very much time with the summer. It really eats me up now to see everything I wasted.

I'm Fuckin Pissed(pardon the language)

2006-07-07T03:18:00.000-06:00

Ugh I’m so pissed off. I was going to write about my wonderful 4^th of July but something else has come up. After having such a great and fun night with all of my friends I arrived home and found my AP test scores had arrived. I opened the envelope and was shocked. On my AP US History I received a 2 and on my AP English 3 I received a three. I’m not pleased with myself, I’m actually furious. One thing that really bothers me is that my teachers said I was capable of 4’s and 5’s. I don’t see how I was capable. I don’t know who to be angry at. I know I’m mad at my English teacher not because I didn’t get a 4 or 5 like she said but because she forced me to change my writing style and according to a previous AP student I know, my writing before this brainless idiot was better than it is now that she’s taken over the class. I can’t stand her as a teacher she’s always telling me I’m one of the best students. B#@$ S*#@!!! I’m not one of the best students and she sure as hell can’t teach AP English. Ugh I am so pissed I had confidence that I did better because people told me that I would do well so I studied and tried so hard to do well and I didn’t. Wow that really lowers your self esteem. Let’s see if I ever try anything hard again in my life. AP History is another story. We studied new information up until three days before the test and not once all year did we go back and review. Most questions on the history test are from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and guess what we studied all that before Christmas. GRRR I’m so angry I can’t get over it. My History teacher did the same thing as the English one did and told me I would do great. Well look who didn’t do great. Yeah I know I can retake it next year but I really don’t think it’s worth it. I can’t do anything anymore. I’m a failure. I can’t even pass the ACT” I got a 21. Let’s see if I ever get to college. There go my hopes and dreams. By the way I do realize I’m exaggerating this a little more than it is but when you have confidence in yourself and its shatter and shaken it’s hard to realize it’ll be ok. I’m just upset with my scores and of course I can’t blame my teachers for it but the preparation they gave me, or lack there of, really didn’t help. I can’t emphasize how angry I am right now; at myself and everything. I’m just down. I can’t even ask a guy for his number how will I ever do anything. Life sucks and I don’t think I’ll be getting college credit for all the sincere hard work I did in high school that pleased my teachers but wasn’t what AP readers were looking for. UGH!!! I’m done I can’t do it anymore. I’ll just take this year as it comes and do my best; which seems to be hard because it’s not what other people want. Well of course they want me to do my best but not the way I want to. I’m just mad right now. It’ll pass soon, hopefully.

World Cup

2006-07-03T15:11:00.000-06:00

So Im really not a huge soccer fan, I follow baseball a little closer and football only the Packers, but the World Cup in Germany is defiantly something worth following. I couldn't believe what I heard today when my friend told me that France defeated Brazil. Ive been supporting the German team from the start and hoped the Italians would get pretty far too. My sister however was rooting for a team from Latin America to win but after the shocking results of today her hopes have been dashed. Brazil was the power house coming in to the World Cup and many people thought they would take it. But that is all lost now after France beat the Brazilians 1-0. Itd be kind of cool if Portugal won but they play really dirty. No matter what, Im still rooting for Germany, and if they loose I want Italy to take it. The more upsetting factor is that on the fourth Germany and Italy play each other, I like both teams and as usual I have to work so I won't be able to watch it!!! Sometimes I wonder why I still have that job. True I still want Germany to win but thats a tough choice because over all I think Italy is the better team. With Brazil out of the picture the World Cup has opened up a lot more leaving virtually anyone with an opportunity to win. My sister has decided she doesn't care anymore becasue some European power house is going to win because Soccer is a European sport. I personally like the Europeans.

Happy Birthday?!?!

2006-06-29T23:46:00.000-06:00

So Friday the 30^th is my 18^th Birthday and lucky for me I get to work. I didn’t request the day off because I didn’t mind working a shift; however I’m scheduled to work a split. I don’t want to work a split shift on my birthday in a fast food restaurant surrounded by people I really don’t want to be with(most of them, there are a few exceptions). To make the story even better I can’t find anyone to cover my shift. It irks me that whenever I cover someone’s shift (which I do a lot) no one ever comes up to help me out. I figure now I won’t cover as many shifts as a have been. The few people who would cover my shift are already working so I can’t blame them. Honestly I just need someone to cover a shift. It’s not the worst thing in the world and I have a valid reason. Anybody else’s birthday and they’d have it off or it’d be covered. F*$# A@$hole. I’m not a happy camper!!! And scheduling do you think they even thought for a second that I might not want to spend my first day as an adult in a restaurant catering to stuck up high school students and incompetent “adults”(or so they call themselves).

I understand I might no be getting anywhere with all of this but I just wonder if it’s not right or if I’m the only person in the world who would get upset about something like this. It’s my birthday, I don’t expect people to roll out the red carpet or wait on me hand and foot, I just want to be happy on my birthday. It only comes once a year and if I can be happy one day a year because of it the DANG IT let me live a little. People drive me crazy and I don’t want to deal with irate customers all day. The thing that really gets me is that my shifts are cashier shifts. I hate cash more than anything. If it was dish I wouldn’t mind so much because I’d be alone in the back and I wouldn’t be so angry. GRRRRRRR I’m fuming this is so annoying I’m mad and that’s the truth. I can’t go on because it’s the same thing over and over again making everything very repitious.

School's Out... and I'm already bored

2006-05-27T15:43:00.000-06:00

School is finally over except for finals on Wednesday but who needs finals. The end of school is always a mixed blessing. At least I don’t have to get up early for school which also means I can stay out later. However not being at school also means not seeing your classmates. If course there are the people you exchange numbers with; but there are also people that you just talk to. Those are the people I’m going to miss. Every year when yearbooks come around you see the familiar phrase… “Call me” or “let’s hang out this summer,” and every year I go thru the summer without hearing from anyone. This year we are yet again writing our numbers down in each others yearbooks hoping that we will see each other over the summer. Of course these people are friends and that’s why you have there number but what about people you don’t have a strong friendship with that you would like to know better. It’s a little awkward to ask for their number. Summer vacation has started and looking ahead I realize that this is the last summer before graduating from high school therefore I hope to get together with people and even try to get together with people I’m not best friends with. Oh and so far so good, Aaron is still working at Starbucks… at least this week.

School's Out Not Really

2006-05-09T10:21:00.000-06:00

As of May 5th I'm finished with my AP classes. It's a great feeling to be done with those classes but now the classes are a complete waste of time. Everyone else is done with school this week. My sister was done last week and Aaron will be done this week. Which unfortunatly leaves me with only a few days to ask him out. Ugh.

It looks different from above.

2006-05-04T09:35:00.000-06:00

I don't even know where we were!

Nightmare!!!

2006-04-10T21:51:00.000-06:00

No there wasn't a horse in my room last night it was a bad dream.
It wasn't that scary... Aaron just got mad at me for ordering the same drink everytime and still looking at the menu board. He sat me down because "we had to talk." And then I woke up. Don'tcha hate that?

Deodorant

2006-04-10T21:47:00.001-06:00

Seriously who comes up with scents for deodorant? Shower fresh? Lilac Blossom? Clean rain? They don't even smell that great anyway. If I liked the smell of rain and wanted to smell like rain I would smell a lot like wet asphalt!

2006-04-04T00:14:00.000-06:00

Life is like a hangover. It's fun for the moment and then it stinks.

What Do You Do In Study Hall?

2006-03-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why
The average human eats 8 spiders in their lifetime at night.
Shakespeare invented the words "assassination" and "bump."
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan". There was never a recorded Wendy before.
The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who discovered this??)
Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin Look-alike contest.
The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!!
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury. (Hooray Monopoly, gosh there is only like fifty billion different versions).
The youngest pope was 11 years old. (I’m not sure I believe it. We’ll have to consult Lenzinil! Oh look he said no!)
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents! a great king from history: Spades - King David Hearts - Charlemagne Clubs -Alexander, the Great Diamonds - Julius Caesar
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed Firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight.” (In George Washington’s time, they had straw and if your bed wasn’t tight you could get bit.)
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
Q. What separates "60 Minutes," on CBS from every other TV show? A. No theme song
Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year? A. Father’s Day
60 % of statistics are made up.....
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough energy to heat a cup of coffee.
There are more plastic lawn flamingos in the US than real ones.
Chickens can't swallow while they are upside down
You consume one tenth (.1) calories when you lick a stamp.
The average speed of Heinz™ ketchup leaving the bottle is 25 miles per year.
In an average day, a four year old child will ask 437 questions.
4,000 people are injured by tea pots every year
In 1977, George Willig was fined $1.10 for climbing the World Trade Center building.
A deltiologist is someone who collects postcards
In downtown Lima, Peru, there is a large brass statue dedicated to Winnie-the-Pooh.
The Boston University Bridge is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane

History at its Finest

2006-03-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Crusades were a failure, they brought back ALGEBRA!!! AGGGHHHUHH!!!

And They Think They Are So Smart

2006-03-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Teachers really think that giving you a study guide for a test will help prepare you for the material. OK Hello it's kinda helpful if students have more that twelve hours to study and the material that is on the test is also on the study guide. Who really cares about what is McCarthyism anyway? That defiantly wasn’t on the study guide!!!

Spring Brrreak

2006-03-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Spring Break for many people is a time to relax and get away for a while. However a relaxing vacation isn't always the best thing. After being with my mom for 5 days in California I began to wonder if Spring Break is really all that it is hyped up to be. By the fifth day I was ready to hurt someone. I love my mom but sometimes she doesn't stop talking and it tends to get annoying. She also has a different idea of relaxing and sleeping in. For her, nine o'clock is late; for me... i just like to sleep. With absolutely no alone time I was starting to regret making the trip. The weather in Santa Barbra was not what we preferred but at least it wasn’t snowing. With wind whipping sand around there wasn’t much time for walking on the beach, and Whale watching was an adventure in itself. Our first day out it was windy but we managed to spot a few sea lions and some birds, nothing you can't see in the harbor. Our second trip out was in the rain, without the wind it was a lot easier to see the whales spout. On this ocean voyage we also encounter a few porpoises that danced around the bow of the boat for a while, but soon lost interest. Leaving the harbor we spotted two dolphins but they were not in a friendly mood so we moved on. It was on the way back to the harbor that we saw two gray whales. We watched them for a while and then after a double tail fluke headed back. Leaving the wind and rain behind us, we landed in Denver only to find snow on the ground. The snow is great for snowboarding but you can’t do that everyday. I’m not saying this Spring Break has been bad, I’m simply saying the weather hasn’t been the most SPRING like weather.

My Barista

2006-03-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

It’s time to tie up a few loose ends. I will give you a brief summary pertaining to two questions. Who is Aaron and why am I the coffee spy?

It started at the end of my sophomore year. It was the last day of finals and I needed coffee. I stayed up late the night before disregarding the helpful hints provided by my teachers. I stopped at the local Peaberry and ordered my regular medium Iced Mocha. The guy working that morning was very friendly. I had talked with him several times prior to finals but this is the time that made a lasting impression. He thought I was in college and he must have been too because I never saw him again. My theory was that he was an out of state college student and when the semester was over he went home.

The second coffee guy is Nate. I don’t stalk him or spy on him, we’re just friends. So I’d have to say he’s the only one who actually knows me. Currently he is working at Peaberry. Unfortunately Peaberry is closing some of its locations and the one he works at happens to be one of them. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be talking to him. I first met Nate when he worked at Starbucks. My mom would take Roland and me in there after Church on Sunday mornings. I like Peaberry’s coffee better than Starbucks but Aaron works at Starbucks and that inconveniences things a little.

The real reason I’m the coffee spy is because of Aaron. Jokingly I’m his stalker but in reality I just have a crush on him and I’m too nervous to admit it to him. I first remember meeting him last December. We would have conversations but they didn’t go anywhere. The first big snow storm in December brought with it more than snow. Not only did it encourage me to go out and buy a sled but it was when Aaron and I had our first conversation. I got off work after a slow night on dish and decided to grab a latte; after all it was gingerbread season. Being on dish means doing two floors, and with the amount of degreaser on the floor there is no doubt the capillaries in my jeans would soak it up. After walking outside into several inches of snow my toes froze and my jeans got stiff. This visit to Starbucks was just for a latte but it ended up being a bit more rewarding. While I was standing in line he came out with his apron full of drinks to stock the beverage cooler. He asked me if my pants were dyed to be darker at the bottom or if they were just wet. I explained that I was one dish and had to scrub the floor so not only were my pants wet but my shoes too. He mentioned that whenever he has to do the dishes and floor someone always slips or something. I must say that was an awesome use of a rhetorical strategy for an engineer. His hyperbolic language allowed him to explain that when he does the dishes it’s not the best thing that happens. (Sorry our English class is driving me nuts. Really how many essays can a person write about rhetorical strategies)? That night was the first night we actually said goodbye, and do you know what he said? “Well I hope your shoes dry.”(I can’t remember if it was shoes or pants). I told you he was weird. I’ll accept that, it’s kind of funny if you stop to think about. I guess it’s kind of cute too. “I hope your shoes dry.”

I went there more often but not as much as I do now. I never paid too much attention to who was working. Then on Christmas Eve I bought him a last minute gift. It was a simple Noodles & Company gift card. I don’t know why I did it but I did. That didn’t mean I had to give it to him, I still had the choice not to. He wasn’t working so I waited. On the 26^th I was in Starbucks talking with my mom and he came in. When we were leaving I told my mom I’d meet her at the car, little did I know she waited by the door. I waited for him to finish talking to someone and then handed him the card and said, “Here, this is for you cause you’re nice and you talk to me.” I blew it. That has got to be the weirdest thing I’ve said to him. He just said “Thanks, Merry Christmas.” “You too.” And then I booked it. I have never been that nervous as long as I remember. My cheeks must have been brighter than a holly berry. I was so embarrassed. The next time we saw each other we didn’t mention it but just moved on with our insignificant conversations. I told Adam about it and he said I should ask him out and get his number. According to Adam guys really like it when girls ask them out. It’s March and I still don’t have his number. I can’t believe it’s been that long. To make it better now Stephanie and Alison have been let in on this and they will give me no peace until I get his number. I don’t think he even knows my name.

New Year’s day we went snowboarding and upon returning home from the mountain I ventured to Starbucks. I hadn’t seen him for a while and thought possibly that he had quit. The conversation we had was about snowboarding and such. It was the first “real” conversation we had (although Katy said we don’t have very deep or fulfilling conversations. When she was there it was awkward). Aaron’s only been up once. I can’t remember if he skied or boarded. He went to Ski-Cooper, a place I had never heard of so I just went along with the conversation. His dad is in the military so they get discount lift tickets. At this point I really liked him and I was devastated when I didn’t see him for two weeks. I thought he had quit this time it was serious.

Then one Saturday morning I saw him. At the time I would have preferred not to but God has a plan for everything. I was having my new CD player installed. We had to drop Thor off at 8am so he’d be done by the afternoon. 8am on a Saturday is way too early for me. My mom dropped of Thor and I picked her up. I had planned to go back to bed after picking her up so I didn’t bother getting dressed. My hair wasn’t brushed; I just threw it up into a bun. I was in my pajamas. (Can you see where this is going)? Mom mentioned Starbucks and I agreed. After all I was under the impression he no longer worked there. Boy was I wrong. We walked in and I looked around. There was no one wearing a hat (he normally wore one) so I thought I was safe. He was wearing glasses so I really didn’t recognize him. Then he said hi. Wow for him to recognize me in my devilish sate was amazing. What was worse was that I was still half asleep standing in Starbucks in my pj’s talking to the one person who I least expected to be there. My sweatpants exaggerate my hips to the point where you’d think I had parachute pants on upside-down. It didn’t help that I had put a random pair of shoes on and my hair; it put the frizz in frizzy. I was so embarrassed but at least I knew he still worked there. I managed to find out what kind of car he drives and to expand my sleuthing skills even managed to get his license plate number. Does this explain why I’m the coffee spy? Wait there is more.

Going to Starbucks became a regular routine and yes I do occasionally go when he’s not there although Peaberry is a better alternative for coffee. When he is there of course we talk. I believe I mentioned our conversation about finals so I won’t go over it again. Obviously talking isn’t the issue, getting his number is.

So Thursday we talked about finals. Friday was Katy’s Birthday and he was working. I didn’t go in because I didn’t want to look suspicious. Saturday night is real important. It was like any other time; we talked, I ordered, and we talked some more. First we talked about work. Friday night Noodles was slammed but Saturday night it was so boring. We talked about how sending someone how usually works but it didn’t in this case. He asked me if I was going home to do homework, but I didn’t have any because of finals last week. That’s how we got on the subject of trimesters and semesters. He told me that he did the semester system on the IB Program. It must be nice to only have to take finals twice a year and not have homework over Christmas break. At this point I still hadn’t paid and then he said “don’t worry about it.” My eyes must have gotten big cause all I said was “really?” “Yeah don’t worry about it, happy end of the Trimester or whatever.” How cool is that. I like to think of it as him buying my drink but what actually happened was he just didn’t make me pay. That’s almost the same thing. Maybe that was a subtle hint? Hopefully. Adam defiantly thinks it is and now I’m under more pressure than ever to get his number or ask him to the movies or something. Agh! I can’t do that I’m way too shy.

Maybe next time I go in one of us will have the courage to say something. This is a time when it’s not a bad idea to pray to the Holy Spirit for help. Getting back to Aarons closing remarks “happy end of the tri or whatever.” How cheesy is that? Here’s a nice little moment and he says happy end of the tri. I mean seriously come on! He did come back to say have a good night but still. I guess it’ll just take sometime to get over it. But it was so cool.

Finals!! The joy of a Trimester system.

2006-02-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

According to Katy, my conversations with Aaron do not have much depth and according to Megan we talk about school a far too much. What does that have to do with Finals? You’ll see.

Wednesday was the first day of Finals. We had our first and second period tests. I was still dragging because of the removal of my wisdom teeth so studying wasn’t my first priority. History wasn’t a big threat contrary to what the teacher said. So what if I only got a 56% on the Multiple Choice portion? I only missed one on the essay leaving me with an 88% which is not too bad for not studying. For Religion Lenzini gave us a letter prior to the final so we could prepare Scripture and Catechism that could be used for actually writing an essay. Turns out the letter was Cardinal Stafford’s 1996 parish letter. It had two spelling errors. I ended up getting a 100% on the final but he really scared me when he told me. So with a 94.1% in history and most likely an A in religion I hope to have at least 2 A’s on my report card. After these 2 finals I was homeward bound. Once home I pushed aside the two English essays I had and went to Starbucks with my Mom to talk. While there, Aaron came in but only to check his schedule. We failed to make eye contact! Before going to Starbucks I was able to publish a Blog I had been meaning to publish for a long time. After getting back from Starbucks I meandered over to Megan’s and we changed my Blog and fun doing it. We were selecting colors and had a hard time finding ones that were readable. Even now I think it is difficult to read. Maybe sometime I will get a round to fixing it. I cannot remember the color but it is green and spelled weird. I think it was chartreuse.

Katy and Megan went to RCIA and then afterwards they picked me up and we went down to Paris on the Platte. On the way there we saw the Primer Mobile (Yeah)! Paris on the Platte is the coolest coffee shop. We ordered a pitcher of café mexicana or whatever. It had 2 inches of foam on the top of it with a layer of sugar and cinnamon on that. We also ordered sandwiches and what-not. My mouth was still sore and I could not open it wide enough to eat my sandwich. By mid-night I had finished writing two essays and no where near to studying for my chemistry final. We left the Paris place and headed home. At Katy’s place I typed my essays and went to bed around 2:30 a.m. At 9 a.m. I went home and took a shower; got some Joe at Peaberry’s and headed off to school. My chemistry final was at 11:30 a.m. so I started studying at 10:30 a.m. I failed the final miserably but some how managed to pass the class with a C-. After turning in my final I took a test I had missed when I was in D.C. and failed it wretchedly. I had to stay after school and helped Sister with the sophomore retreat. I helped he write a skit along with a few other people in my small group and she gave our characters away. I’m not too happy with her because not only did she do that but, I made 100 rosaries give or take a few over the weekend and she didn’t even acknowledge that I did it! Ugh I need to go to confession. After work I went to Starbucks, (surprise, surprise) the conversation of the night was my final. Apparently Aaron kind of chose chemistry a major. (He goes to Mines but he doesn’t know that I know that.) I am definitely not a math or science person. I am more of a history or English person. We talked about AP classes and such. We also talked about how trimesters only make you take more finals than semesters do that kind of talk. With trimesters we have to take Finals three times a year! We talked about chemistry a bit more, it was a hard test. He asked if it was an AP class I said yes because it is an Honors course after all. After wards I felt really stupid. It doesn’t make sense that I am in Honors and I don’t do well with math and chemistry. Bidding our good-byes (his are weird); he said I had earned a good night’s sleep and, as usual, the whole have a good night drive safe spiel from both of us. He is really weird but that’s okay he’s an engineer you’ve gotta give him some credit for trying. (That is credit for trying to use literary devices in his goodbyes and such).

Wisdom Teeth; They knock you out to pull them out!!

2006-02-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the joy of getting my wisdom teeth pulled. It wasn’t bad at all, there was practically no pain. The doctor gave me an IV sedative, laughing gas, and of course the numbing medication. After my teeth had been extracted I had the hardest time waking up. I made it from the operation chair to the lobby but after I put my hoodie on I got really dizzy again so they brought me back and gave me more oxygen and one of those terrible scented chemical swabs used to wake people up. It stung my nose really bad and it got to the point where I was crying. After lots and lots of oxygen I made it out to the car. When my mom pulled in the drive way I went straight to my room and I was out like Christmas lights out of season. Throughout Friday I was partially there and partially not. I managed to, half watch and half sleep through the first Lord of the Rings and then partially watch the second. I must have had at least five cups of Jell-O too. Our cupboard is overflowing with an abundance of raspberry and strawberry Jell-O because; yes I’m even a picky eater when it comes to Jell-O. Saturday was much of the same, Jell-O, sleep and the Flintstones. It was only later at night after my mom got me ice cream, did I venture to my friend’s house. There we watched Apolo Anton Ohno and had a discussion on Gay Marriage Abortion and something else. Brandon is devout in his faith so it was mostly between me and him just explaining to Maura. Peter didn’t add to the conversation much. Maura believed in one thing but could not back it up. She was really confused about where she stood and was even more confused when confronted with the info we gave her. Sometime during the day Mom went to Starbucks. She was kind enough to tell Aaron (she calls him my favorite barista) that I had my wisdom teeth removed. I was supposed to work Sunday morning but my condition would not allow me to do so. For lunch we went to Chipolte. That was an experience in itself. I had to dissect my burrito with a fork and chew my tortilla with my front teeth. Katy, Roland, and I went to church and once again, Lenzini wasn’t there. After Church we went to Starbucks (wow defiantly didn’t see that one coming). It was awkward walking in because when I ordered he asked me if I got my wisdom teeth removed. Weird! I did not ask my Mom to tell him. Monday I managed to write Mr. Lenzini’s religion paper and Tuesday I went back to school. UGH!!!

Wisdom Teeth

2006-02-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

I got my wisdom teeth pulledand I have a cold along with finals but that's another day.

Here it is!!! tada it's really long so get comfortable

2006-02-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

So here’s the long awaited blog. On January 24^th I went to Washington DC for the National Young leaders Conference. I stayed at the National 4H Conference Center which soon became a home. I was with 350 students from all over the nation. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever experienced. My roommates where from New Hampshire, Texas (who wasn’t) and South Carolina. We got along pretty well. Going into the conference I was afraid that I wouldn’t get along with my roommates but that turned out differently.

My small group of about twenty was so cool. I met people from New Jersey, Michigan, Iowa, Arizona, and even someone from Colorado Springs. We all hope to keep in touch and so far some of us have done a pretty good job.

In our small groups we encountered three simulations. One on each branch of the Government. Our first simulation was the “If I Were President” simulation were on of the members of our group was elected president and the rest became his faculty advisors. Once we had all been assigned the simulation we were given the night to read thirty pages. Thirty pages was a lot to read in one night especially after we had all just flown in from all over and were kept up until eleven. We split the reading and then gave each other a brief summary of what we read and then headed to bed.

We woke up the next morning after sleeping in until 7:00am. That morning was the only morning we got to sleep in. of course Isla my roommate from Texas and I waited till the last possible moment to get up and then rushed to breakfast and onto our small group meetings. There we discussed the proposed crisis in Sudan and as the executive branch prepared for the press conference. Once the President had heard all the ideas of what to do the rest of the small group turned into a press room and asked questions.

After discussing this we had a key note speaker H James Towey on faith based organizations and advisor to the president speak to us. Oh yeah and we had a speaker the night before too. Following the speaker we boarded our buses at 12:00pm and they departed at 12:05 pm. These people were all about time everything is planned out to the minute. The buses took us to Union Station. We had an hour to eat but that wasn’t much. From Union Station we were transferred to the Memorials. W only had a small time slot for some reason or another so we had to rush through the Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean and Vietnam Memorials. Returning to the buses only moments later we continued back to the 4H center. By the end of the trip we knew the “Welcome message” given to our group leader. When we would arrive somewhere the director would always get on the walkie talkie and explain what the procedure was. They would always start the message the same.

Back at the 4H center we had our “Testing the Constitution” simulation Prep, and our “Model Congress briefing.” Dinners at the center weren’t bad at all. I had stuffed shells the first night, tortellini the second, pizza was ordered for the third, my roommates and I ordered Chinese food the fourth otherwise it would’ve been barbeque, and Saturday dinner was at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. After dinner we had leadership workshops were we selected a topic we wanted to discuss and then mixed with other students from the conference. I attended a workshop that was very … I don’t know…this guy gave us a summary of an event and we had to piece it together and point out the mistakes. It happened that these two guys were drunk and they drove in the mountains, to make a long story short. The passenger didn’t have his seat belt on and died. It turned out this was the story of the guy who was giving the seminar. It was moving. After the workshop we had e brief meeting about Capitol Hill, and then we were able to meet other people from the state. Apparently these two kids from Boulder went to the same school and didn’t even know.

Buses left at seven, wow was that and early morning. In the cold chilly air of January we marched up Capital Hill, most girls in skirts (I’m so glad I didn’t wear on that day). We were admitted to the Floor of the House of Representatives which no tourist group is allowed to see. It was only a week later that Bush delivered his State of the Union address there. We were then released on the Hill for the day. I met with the staff of Congressman Bob Beauprez because he was in Colorado while I was there. I received a ticket to sit in on a session of congress but I didn’t go so now I have a really cool ticket. On Capital Hill you cannot J-walk. There are 1400 police officers waiting to give you a ticket. As I was crossing the street I tripped on my pants, (it was windy so they caught), and my camera hit the ground. The film went one way and the batteries another. Now I don’t have any pictures of the Supreme Court. I met this dude named Ron so he joined my roommate Jaclyn and me and we toured the Supreme Court. We got to sit in the benches of the court but I fell asleep while the lady was lecturing. From there we wandered around and found our way through the mud (the sidewalk was under construction) to the Library of Congress. It was so cool. We took a tour of the place and the guide explained the history of it and then he took us back to the main reading room were e few million books are. It was amazing. The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world. We ran out of time and couldn’t finish the tour but met up with Isla and ran back down the hill to the buses. The buses took us the WWII memorial which wasn’t much but after looking and a picture from the summer my friend took it really is cool. It was on this day that I met Dan. He’s a guy from our group. We walked up the hill together just talking about how dress pants don’t help when it’s really cold. Oh and his tie always matched his shirt he freaked out about that on the bus in the morning. And had to go back and get a new one.

Dinner was back at the 4H center and then we had “Testing the Constitution” our judiciary seminar. We were given an actual court case and the ruling that our small group was identical to that of the Supreme Court (not all the judges but the votes). It was pretty cool. After the simulation we had more of our Model Congress prep. Our group the Marshall Group was caucus G and had to write up an amendment that would allow Sudafed to be an over the counter drug and not one to be distributed by pharmacist. The NYLC talent show was pretty cool too. It was students doing what they could with what they had.

Friday was breakfast at the National Press Club and breakfast with the press. They didn’t do so well with answering our questions. They answered some and avoided others. I was so tired I was going cross eyed. After breakfast we visited the FDR and TJ memorials. I was alone getting off the bus but then throughout the FDR memorial Dan followed me and we just hung out for the rest of the time. I had to fill my pictures with someone. The memorial is a lot more impressive with the water running but unfortunately there was not water at any of them. We had to walk from the FDR to TJ memorial. Dan and I talked about shoes. We decided that men’s shoes might be comfortable but they are to stiff and girl’s shoes need work. So when I grow up I’ll invent the perfect dress shoe. The statue of TJ is 19ft tall because nothing is taller than Freedom which is 19 and half feet tall onto of the capital. There are four symbols at his feet but I won’t go into that much detail. We had lunch in Georgetown, really expensive. I don’t know how I managed but I missed the Starbucks and Chipolte. Dan and I were really upset about that but he got Starbucks at Union Station so he’d had it more recently. Upon returning to the 4H center we had town hall meetings. I chose to attend one on the 1^st amendment in schools. It was a really good discussion but not well managed. Not everyone could talk obviously but not a lot was realty said. Following the town hall meeting was more model congress prep. Lobbyists were making posters and slogans and testifiers like me were writing up speeches to be heard at committee hearings. We had Chinese food for dinner and then prepared some more. I gave a testimony at the government reform committee. They failed my amendment 20-0. Other committees didn’t fail them that bad. Teenagers are communist because my argument was one of the best heard that night according to one of the adult directors in the back of the room. We had lobbyist go to other caucus and lobby and many others came to us.

Saturday morning we meandered past the white house and onto the Department of the Interior where we held our Model Congress. Our group amendment and only one other amendment failed. They only started reporting the committee voting half way through so most democratic bills passed and ours didn’t because people knew the results of the committee hearings. Most republicans because not all of our amendments made the bill voted it down but there was one group of republicans that did. I’m so mad at them the bill passed with a 161 to 160 vote. To close for comfort but they couldn’t count again because people wouldn’t’ have been honest in their voting. Lunch was expensive at the Smithsonian. Most of our group stuck together. We was the star spangled banner and the dresses of the first ladies and the hope diamond. I wanted to see the air and space museum but w didn’t have time. Jaclyn Lanie Dan and I all rode the carousel on the national mall because we had fifteen minutes to kill before the buses left. We had an hour and a half back at the 4H center to get ready for dinner. Then once again we were bussed of to the Hyatt Regency on Capital Hill for dinner and our dance. I’ve seen some dirty dancing but some of the teens there! Our group just kind of hung out in a corner of the dance floor. At eleven they put us back on buses we did the bus count for the last time and bus 4 (the best bus ever) went back to the 4H center.

Sunday morning we all had breakfast and said our goodbyes. It was really sad but nobody cried till we got on the buses. My roommates were leaving on later buses so they called me one more time to hear my ET voice. It was so cool absolutely amazing I want to see everyone again.

I am ok

2006-02-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in forever but now I have something really cool that's exciting that I'll tell you about. Not now because I need to study for Lenzini's test and attempt to do some chemistry homework. I'll write hopefully on tuesday. It'll be long!

Benedict

2005-11-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

So my fish died. Poor Bene. I wonder if they suffer because they don’t like the water. I only had him for a few months too. Oh well. I don’t think I’ll get another one for a while. It's very quiet without his little popping and blupping and blooping along the top of the tank. Not much else.

Finals

2005-11-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t have asked for finals to come at a more chaotic and unfit time in my life. Lucky for me I only have to take three, Religion, History, and unfortunately algebra. For the trimester I maintained a C average in math and some how the last test I took (I passed) brought my grade down to a D. Now there is no way to get higher than a C in the class assuming I ace the final. Religion is the only reason I’m still alive. Without Mr. Lenzini I don’t know where I’d be right now. School is hell and work has lost its entire dazzle. In class, the halls, and at lunch no one notices me. When we work in groups no one invites me, I join the group who needs another person. It’s hard going thru school and not having anyone to talk to but your religion teacher. And that’s only on occasion I can’t compose a conversation very well.
My best friend since forever never returns my calls and can’t find time for me. Maura has been dramatically changed by high school and handles it well. She does too much. Brandon’s football team is going to state so he’s always at practice. Pat moved to Alabama, has his pilot’s license, two jobs, his GED, is going to a community college and isn’t here for me to talk to. And for Peter well its Peter I think we all knows what that means. To make everything worse my best friend, practically brother doesn’t work at Noodles anymore. I found out right before math today. Devastation! I don’t know what to do. My life fell apart and I can’t find the pieces to put them together. I don’t know what to do, no one to talk to and no where to go. I have finals tomorrow and can’t focus. People always say life isn’t fair but half the time they don’t experience life first hand like I do. They just sit in a nice $6 billion dollar office thinking of phrases to keep the world moving. Why am I still at Noodles? No one is there to work except for a select few, the rest are always talking about paintball and distracting the manager and of course have to take I cigarette break cause “life is hard.” Bullshit, what do they know they clean the grill at night go home, get wasted, and come to work the next day. Yeah life is hard. Whatever what do they know? Look at me; no one cares except three or four people. Andy stopped by last night and only because he was there and mom invited him to dinner did she cook for me. I can’t remember the last time she did that. Anyway we were talking about school and I got on the subject of “diversity.” A few weeks ago I had a verbal quibble with some of the black students in our school. They considered themselves better than me, calling me worthless white trash and other stuff. Walking down the hall later they pushed me over and dumped my notebook. I told my mom that when it happened and when I told her that again last night she didn’t remember me telling her because she was probably helping Roland with something more important. She then told me to talk to Augustine and Lenzini. I don’t talk to Lenzini very much because I fell like he doesn’t like me. I don’t want to talk to Augi though because I can’t do it alone. And when the black girls were talking to me the friends I was sitting next to didn’t even try and do something or stick up for me or anything. Do you know how bad I felt? I’m sitting there in front of a friend and my mom openly shows that what happens to me isn’t important if Roland has a more “pressing matter.”
So now that my adopted brother is gone and I don’t know why, he isn’t talking too much, and school is on it’s way to a very hot place in a very big hand basket I wonder what I’m doing. Somewhere in there Coach was in court and plea bargained but still had to plea guilty everyone in school said he was. That pisses me off! Why not go somewhere where I’d be happy? The answer is, because I don’t know what happiness is anymore. Finals are more than tests in school, you just hope that with the end of each tri, and finals your life will start a new chapter and things will get better. Hope and pray please I really need help. I think that’s about everything. On the brighter side Benedict is alive and I’m going to see me grandma. I just have to get passed my algebra final and I’ll survive.

Long Time no See

2005-09-28T21:29:00.000-06:00

Hello everybody. So an update on Lennie's health... he's dead. Megan was kind enough to take cae of him while I was at WYD, which was awesome but I can't talk about that now becasue I have ooodles of homework to do. So after I back i forgot to pick up my fish. Eventually he died and katy and megan left him to float in his tank for 4 days becasue it was too gross to flush so I did. Eeewww! it was gross. I wanted to feed it to Megan's cat but she didn't want it to get sick, like eating moths is any better for it. Somany weeks passed and at long last a purchased a new Blackmoor goldfish. He has big eyes that are like on bubbles on his head and he eats the rocks at the bottom of his tank. Benedict is his humble name and he swims aimlessly aroung the roman columns that stand erected in his water sanctuary. He's naturally fat so it doesn't worry me so much. All I have to worry about is him getting skinny or really fat! He has more fins than I think he knows about but it's funny to watch him. I must go do homework now so i will hopefully write soon.

Lennie

2005-08-09T00:37:00.000-06:00

So my fish Lennie is really fat and he just sits in his cave all the time. I'm worried about him caude I'm leaving to go on vacation and I don't want him to die. Cause if he does my mom will just flush him down the porcalin express!

Counting the Hours of Frustration

2005-07-15T14:12:00.000-06:00

It all started Thursday night when I was talking to a friend and some news and life changing decisions were brought up. I thought nothing of it at the time; little did I know it would keep me up all night. After work I went to Starbucks to get some java, but I was distracted by Jesse who asked about Katy and Megan. After getting my coffee and driving home I watched an episode or two of the Flintstones and decided it was time for bed. My parents didn’t go to sleep until after midnight which messed up my system. 1:00am I can’t get to sleep, I’ve tossed and turned. 2:00am still can’t sleep, first bathroom break. All this practicing to drink a lot of water for world youth day is adding several bathroom stops to my day. 3:00am still can’t sleep. I read some of my book until four and decided then it was finally time to get some sleep. Lying in my bed I heard a car door slam and the sounds of a person walking around outside. This terrified me because I remember dreaming a girl in Salt Lake City was kidnapped and I woke up the next morning to find out that a girl had been kidnapped from her room in Salt Lake City.5:00am the bird’s start to chirp and the horizon turns bluish purple. I couldn’t sleep at all. I got up, made another stop at the bathroom and walked around the house. I saw a shadow cross the front porch and freaked out. I returned to my room ate an Oreo put away laundry and watched to sun come up. 6:00am I lay on my bed in front of my window yearning for that sweet cool morning breeze. I watched my fish spastically swim around his tank. He’s getting fat. Somewhere around 6:30 I finally found sleep. My mind had been running all-night thinking about everything that happened earlier in the night. I wasn’t able to talk to my best friend, Maura. She always has something to say that puts my mind off things that are bothering me. Thoughts steamed thru my mind the little hamster was running faster than ever and I wouldn’t allow my mind any rest. After finally finding sleep I was out. I didn’t hear my dad come in and close my window but I was awakened at 9:45am by my friend calling to tell me he needed a ride home from summer school. At 11:30am I got up to find my mom had taken my car to visit one of our neighbors who’s in the hospital. I took the truck to pick up my friend. On the way home we stopped at the Coors Credit Union so he could deposit some money. It was at this time I reminded him he owed me some money. I don’t expect to get it back. When I told him he sat there and said that he had bought me Starbucks once and so therefore he shouldn’t owe me as much. Even though the guy asked me out three times he’s only paid for my coffee once, never for gas or movie rentals. Every time we’d go somewhere with Cameron and/or Andrea and they were “broke” (we all know they had money) he would pay for them. When he and I would go I would have no money and he wouldn’t offer to pay for me. He would order his drink and we’d go. Honestly you wonder why I didn’t go out with him. He always bought so much shit for his girlfriend because “we’re made for each other, we just click”. Bullshit!!!! And then to make things better he starts off with the whole “Val, you need to get a boyfriend. Someone you can talk to and trust and hang out with all the time”. Hello that’s what he and I do although we can’t hang out anymore because he has summer school in the mornings and therefore can’t stay out late, unless it involves going to the Walmart on Wadsworth to meet his friend Brandon so they can make some money real quick and then smoke a bowel. I honestly believe he’s trying to make it look like moving won’t affect him, but it is. He takes all his anger out on his friends and tries to put other people down to make himself feel better. If he had a gun, his own car he would and even now possibly is one of those people who are America’s worst nightmare. Ok I don’t have a boyfriend because like Megan said “we have standards”. I’m sorry if the person who means the most to me and always smiles and talks to me is ten years older than me. I’m not the average stupid brain damaged teenager. It’s not my fault I hang out with older people; they are the ones who actually seem to have reasons for what they do. I would continue writing but I’m really frustrated and would end up writing a novel of a blog. I’m just pissed off. Hopefully time will change things. For now I don’t want to deal with worthless air heads that can’t control their own emotions and problems.

Dreams.. A Window to the Mind

2005-07-15T01:52:00.000-06:00

If you know me well enough you know that I have some crazy dreams. This one is no different. Working at noodles or anywhere you know the people you work with. I had a dream that Shawn and Lesley got married. It wasn’t normal but she was in a nice white dress with her hair down and her veil kept flying up from the back as if there was a fan behind her. I’m pretty sure Shawn was in a pair of kaki’s and a nice t-shirt. Noel was in his black short and had a Fred Flintstone type tuxedo shirt on, but you couldn’t tell because he was wearing his chef’s coat. Noel was trying to get me to go to the wedding but I didn’t want to. He kept pulling on my chef’s coat and finally I did a three-sixty and he ended up with the coat and I was I guess walking away (I don’t remember). I do know I was in a dress.
It was really weird because Noel and I had texted a couple nights before and it came off as we wanted to avoid each other at work because the next night we barely talked, but it was really because his tooth hurt. It was an awkward situation and it gave uncertainty as what to do. It’s all good now; we talked for an hour and a half tonight after work. He told me a lot about his personality and when he talks, what’s stupid, why he doesn’t talk. In my dream though we had been really close friends and I didn’t want to go to the wedding. I think it was that in my mind and consciences I wasn’t sure if he didn’t like me or didn’t want to talk to me and I didn’t want to push it. Do you see what I’m trying to say?
So after that dream I had one that my almost worst enemy from eighth grade needed a ride to her car or home and she wanted me to give her one. We were in the parking lot of Tokyo Joe’s but the Holiday in was where Barnes and Noble is. After that I was at Sarah’s house by Maura’s property by the side street lighting of bottle rockets and a police car came by and my mom wondered if I had hid well enough. Following that I was flying my Snoopy airplane around Denver West and I was having a lot of trouble flying it. Along with having trouble flying it Joe and Pat were telling me what to do, what they could do better, and how I wasn’t flying it right.
I had some really weird dreams and I hope dreaming helps clear you conscience and allows a person to express what they are feeling without spitting it right out so even the stupidest and shallow minded people can understand. Sweet dreams…

One Wild Night

2005-07-15T01:47:00.000-06:00

Wednesday night was no regular night for me. Normally I stay out until two or three in the morning but not Wednesday. I got home at about eight after spending some time talking to my mom at Starbucks. Previously Alex and I had talked of going bowling but that never happened. I fell asleep in my love sac and woke up around ten. I went down stairs to shower only to find a dead spider in my shower. After showering I returned to my room, got ready for bed and was on my way to the kitchen to have a midnight snack of Oreo’s and milk only to find I was locked in my room. We had just gotten new doors and the handle on my door was not put together correctly. No matter which I turned the knob, the piece that sticks out from the door and into the frame wouldn’t move. My dad said he would leave it until the morning but my mom freaked out and said it was a fire hazard. I’m not as small as I used to be when I would sneak out of my window and my ladder isn’t in my room so I would have had to jump into a pyracantha bush. Ouch! My dad tossed a screw driver thru my window. With that I took the door handle off and tried to figure what was wrong with it. We left it be so Rick, the door guy could fix it. After satisfying my craving of Oreo’s and milk I sat down to watch cartoons. I watched a couple Flintstones episodes and glanced at the clock. It was now one thirty am and I should have gone to bed. I just wasn’t as tired as I was before so I stayed up until three and watched a movie I borrowed from a friend.

hello

2005-07-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

i have recently been bothered for not having blogged in a while. i can't thinkof anything to go on about right now but maybe later. In sjort, i have a dead pig in my basement, my sister is moving out, we have new doors in the house, i like a guy who works at starbucks, also one who works or worked at Peaberry. uuuuhhh... One of my best friends is in Europe for two weeks and the other is moving to Alabama. Andy is actually going out with Andrea and Pat has started his "you need to get a boyfriend thing again". My fish is still alive... and megan doesn't own a beater! Shocking I know. don't panic though that's not the worst of it..,. she doesn't even own a wisk. oy veh!!!!!!! Alex broke or cracked a cymbol poor guy and OMG!!!!!!!!!!! get this IHOP closed and yurned inot Mama's CAfe and will soon be turning into a Village INnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NO!!!!!!!!!!! at least they'll have pie. Eeeewww there's too much conditioner in my hair. oh and I had my birthday and it was pathetic but i got lots of cool stuff so thanks. roland wiped microsoft office so this is really bad.

In Response to Your Comments

2005-04-11T23:24:00.000-06:00

To start off i'm now even more unhappy than before. Someone ate all of my ice cream. I don't know what's up with Jessi and chiken pot pie, it's just something she says.

I really hope I will have better luck with pants shopping. There are so many great pairs of pants out there but I don't like them because they balloon at the hips. I will find some pants though because I don't have anymore.

Yes we can only hope that she with grow out of it and move on. Besides the fact that she's impossible to work with and communicate with at work she's really good on the phone. Why and how do I know this? Because she calls me to cover her shifts a bit more than anyone else.

Moving on in life I hope everyone else is just peachy and please keep Machebeuf and it's community and Coach in your prayers. As Katy said, a bomb hit us and we don't know what to do. Everything is so empty and lifeless without him. And pray for the Pope too.

I Have the Wierdest Dreams

2005-04-11T23:19:00.000-06:00

Did I tell you about my dream?It is really wierd and really bothers me. It was last Sunday or Monday night. Megan and I were busing and Tessa had just left. When I looked out the window there was a truck blocking a lot of cars. I could see part of an old light green car and Noel’s car. The truck was a big white Ford. Megan and I were busing and watching her as she walked across the parking lot. We kept saying she better not go to Noel’s car. It was really weird. She started walking towards his car and Megan and I were getting really mad. Then all of a sudden Tessa was busing a table in the apple jack parking lot. Really weird. Megan and I were relieved. Then Tessa finished busing, walked past Noel’s car but we couldn’t see any thing else or if anything happened. Then I woke up. The weird thing it that I see that car I the parking lot a lot. And when the cars were parked they weren’t parked like they normally are, but those three cars were parked facing King Soopers, so we could see the side of them. It was a really weird dream. Does anyone know what it was about?

Upsetting Turn of Events

2005-04-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

Snow up-sets everything. I went out to Kohl’s yesterday to buy jeans because I only have two respectable looking pairs left. Two of my jeans are ripped at the knee, one in the pocket, making everything that goes into my pocket, fall to the floor. So technically I only have one pair of jeans to wear to work. I would wear my jinco’s but they are really long and knowing me I would probably trip over myself. Getting back to the story Kohl’s was closed. Today I went back out to find a pair of jeans. They had one pair in my size but it still didn’t fit. Everything else was made of the stretch material or was faded and low riding with tiny ankles. When we checked out the lady said that they could look in the back for me. Ok, stop right there. If they (possibly) have it in the back why don’t they put it out so people can buy the product and they can make a profit? I went to the guys section to try and find something but I couldn’t remember what size pants I wore. Ugh shopping for pants has to be my biggest challenge and fear next to making friends and talking to people I don’t know because they are talking to me. I hate shopping for pants. So now I have one pair of jeans to wear to work. My mom wanted to check at Target or Walmart but I really didn’t see the point in it. It would only depress me even more to know that the pants I want don’t exist. I give up. My friend told me if I was so frustrated with pants shopping I should start wearing skirts. I wonder what world she’s been living in because as far as I’m concerned skirts were invented by the same underworld creature who invented marketing.( IHOP story). I would like to express more of my boring and worthless life troubles but I’m going to go get something to eat before work.

I Hate Shopping

2005-04-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

Being Only Child...

2005-04-11T00:26:00.000-06:00

is hazrdous to me. It messes with your thoughts and parents idea's of what is safe. I was in the kitchen with my mom, complaining about how bored I was when I had a vision/epiphany. She keeps asking me to play scrabble but I don’t want to. I asked her if we could go get noodles for dinner seeing how they are probably really slow(turns out they closed), and then it came to me. Wouldn’t it be cool to get snowed in somewhere? Take my thought for example, at noodles. So picture this we are snowed in because it’s way to dangerous to drive home and well you get the picture. So we are snowed in right and for some reason someone has oh let’s say… monopoly in their car. See where I’m going with this. So you’re snowed into noodles and you get to play monopoly. Wouldn’t that be cool?! Or it might not be. But when you’re trapped in your house with your parents who have just eaten all the cookies you baked and asking you to play scrabble (even when it’s boring to you because they can never beat you) anything sounds fun and exciting, and you’re not allowed outside because “it’s dangerous”. It’s not so much fun being the only child when you’re used to having siblings. They’ve even been over protective. They wouldn’t even let me go to IHOP, but I talked them into it. Ugh I’m so done with being an only child. If Roland does go to the military school then we better take in a forgien exchange student or something. I need to do taxes and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do and dad just keeps putting it off. Poor Megan I think she still had school on for Monday.

Un-natured Thoughts and Emotions

2005-04-10T21:24:00.000-06:00

I’ve been thinking… are we sure it was Tessa’s car? She is weird. She makes it impossible to talk to her and it’s always really weird when she’s around. I don’t know why but it bothers me that she and Noel might be hanging out. Seriously, who goes out with a guy from work… stops… and then tries to hook up with another guy from work. That just doesn’t work. It always bothers me and I really can’t understand why. It’s just annoying and stupid. Why can’t we as human beings have the slightest bit of control over what we think and feel? I think our mind takes control of us. The Scrabble dictionary defines emotion as: an affective state of conciseness. Ok I really don’t understand that one. Let us try Webster then shall we: any specific feeling; any of various complex reactions with both mental and physical manifestations. Wow very insightful don’t you think. It still doesn’t help me though. Do we, can we, control our emotions or is it something that happens subconsciously. It says we do it in a state of conciseness which makes sense because you can’t really have feelings if you’re in a coma. I’m so confused this isn’t fair. Oh well…as Jessi says “If you’re ever in doubt, just remember, chicken pot pie doesn’t grow on the south side of the tree.” I need more ice cream…

Snow on Sundays (emphasis on the SUN)

2005-04-10T20:46:00.000-06:00

I feel so useless. It’s snowing like no other outside making business at Noodles really slow. I don’t have to work tonight which really throws me off. All of a sudden I have a ton of time and don’t know what to do with it. I now know how to open noodle, congrats to me. And I will very soon know how to dish. Noodles and Company is trying a promo dish, asparagus salad, and angel hair pasta with asparagus. Ugh Cathy made me eat some. Noel thought the face i made was funny so I had to eat another piece. Katherine refused, I guess she doesn't like aspargus. Speaking of which, Friday night Patty taught Cathy how to make it so we ate it then. Saturday morning Cathy taught Megan to make it. Saturday night Megan taught Alex to make it. And Sunday morning Katherine learned. Every shift I have we’ve had asparagus. I can complain about eating vegetables because I’ll eat asparagus and Katherine won’t. Since it was snowing a lot today there were obviously puddles of water and slush all over. Lucky me… to get from the curb to my car there was 6 inches of water. I stepped through it and my socks froze. It was funny because Noel was scraping off his car while standing in the water, complaining about how his seat got wet. I was standing in slush with ice covering the key hole on the door, and to make it better the little automatic battery unlock thing died. Once I got the car unlocked I realized the door handle was frozen shut so I had to pick the ice off that to open the car. To make it better the door was frozen shut. I had to take my keys and out line the door to remove the ice. Once I got into my car I located my pocket size ice scraper and attempted to scrape off my car. I wasn’t getting anywhere so Noel let me borrow his. Oh and snow/slush was falling from the roof when I walked out of the store, guess what happened. With my luck I don’t know how it didn’t fall on me, but it fell in front of me wow it would have been very cold. So to make my car troubles better the snowplow was going around and created little pathways… you know. Well what used to cover the street was now in front of my car. Oh it was fun! Don’t’ you love snow! So I left the parking lot and Noel was behind me. He stayed behind me till 20^th and Youngfeild. Does anyone know where he lives? Ok so now I’m sitting at home because according to my mom it’s too dangerous to go out and drive. Ok, no, there is some snow on the road. People its Colorado! Oh well I think everyone is from some warm tropic place and have just recently moved here and are afraid of driving. I have so much time, and I don’t know what to do with it. I’m going to find someone to go sledding… or I’ll go build a snow man. It would be nice to have I snow day cause then I’d have a four day weekend.

Random Thought of the Day

2005-04-10T19:21:00.000-06:00

I was bored today and it’s snowing so I went and bought ice cream.

"Who Reads the Newspapers?"

2005-03-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a little “pick me up” after hearing the same depressing crap over and over again. Here’s an item that flew over Internet transom. The title is “Who Reads the Newspapers?” and it doesn’t say whether it is a result of methodologically scrupulous survey research or just somebody’s hunch. Whichever, it has the ring of truth.

The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country.
USA Today is read by people who think they should run the country but don’t’ really understand the Washington Post. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country, if they could spare the time, and if they didn’t have to leave L.A. to do it.
The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and they did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t sure who’s running the country, and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who’s running the country, as long do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure there is a country or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs, who also happen to be illegal aliens from any country or galaxy as long as they are democrats.
The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

True Friendship

2005-03-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

Friends

Written with a pen

Sealed with a kiss

If you are my friend

Please answer this:

Are we friends, or are we not

You told me once

But I forgot

So tell me now

And tell me true

So I can say…

“I’m here for you”

Of all my friends

I’ve ever met

You’re the one I won’t forget

And if I die before you do

I’ll go to heaven and wait for you

I give the angels back their wings

And risk the loss of everything…

Just to prove my friendship is true…

To have a friend just like you!

When peolpe exclude others it hurts and you begin to wonder who your friends really are. when people stop liking you for who you are and want you to be someone other than yourself, you wonder what happened to the great friendship. Life is full of many obstacles and we must face them all even when we don't want to. God never gives us more than we can handle although it doesn't seem that way at times.

SOmething to be Proud Of

2005-03-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Our girl’s basketball team made it to the state quarter finals. Last night in Fort Collins they were defeated by Buena Vista. That is something to be proud of. I don’t remember how far they made it last year but the year before that they made it to state and became champions.

When your parents say “we’re proud of you” when you get good grades or do something well does it discourage you? Do you get the feeling that they didn’t believe in you? I recently received my report card, and yes a 4.6 GPA is something to be proud of but when your mom keeps telling you that’s she’s proud and that “you really try hard but maybe should cut back on work”. If I can make a 4.6 work, get all my homework done and squeeze in some sleep I don’t know why she wants me to cut back. When I’m not working I’m either bored to tears or sleeping. I’m just not happy anymore, except when I’m at work and with the people there. My friends tell me that maybe I’m so bored because I actually did things with Katy and I didn’t realize how much time that took and how much fun it was. I mean it’d different riding to and from school with your sister, and to and from school with some happy psycho God loving morning person. There’s nothing wrong with loving God and being happy in the morning I’m just saying I don’t want to be with someone like that at 7 am. And to make it better my mom tells her everything about me. For example one morning I had the hiccups and she told my carpool that when she was pregnant with me I hiccupped. Ok NO you don’t tell people stuff like that unless I think it’s ok!! I never seem happy but it doesn’t mean I’m in a bad mood. I doodle so much in class I have created a notebook for doodling and random thoughts. One of my friends said I was going through some sort of social withdraw and someone else said it’s depression. I haven’t told my parents because if I do then we all know what will happen. We’ll be even more broke than before. When I’m at work or with Friends at IHOP I’m happy.

Since our classes changed our lunch schedule changed and I don’t have lunch with everyone like I used to. It’s bothering me because nobody talks to me in the class room anymore and when I see them they don’t always smile back. My social life is hopeless. In elementary and middle school I had my best friend taken from me and in high school I don’t really have a best friend. There was Pat. We were real close he was almost like my brother. And of course there’s Maura who has been my friend forever, but high school changes everyone and now she has a boyfriend. I like Machebeuf but if I don’t fit in socially I really don’t want to be there. The only people I talk to and trust are the people who don’t care about how cool you are and they actually like me for who I am and what I do. Life is like a box of chocolates. “You never know what you’re going to get.”-Forest Gump

Like no way

2005-03-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, so Megan thinks that she is like so a way better valley girl than me. I like don't think so! I mean like uh she is so like not right about it. I must go get a manicure all this like having somone think they are like better than me is like making me sad.

Why does it seem...

2005-03-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

like it's all happening to me?

I don’ know exactly what’s happened but times have changed. Pat has decided its ok to talk to me. The reason… his girlfriend’s mom was going through his girlfriend’s text messages and found one from Pat that had to do with being late to fourth period and getting high. So they got caught the mom called the police and pat got himself out of it with BS like always. He BS’s his way through everything and it’s really annoying. Kind of like the boys in my geometry class. I don’t know if their born stupid or choose to act stupid because they think it’s cool or something. We had a fire alarm today and someone, I only heard this, threw a rock at the fire chief’s car. That didn’t go over so well. Where was I …? Don’t’ know, oh well. Oh yeah today’s my mom’s birthday so I got her a big cookie with a leprechaun. I have an ear infection and can’t hear and everyone one at work thinks it’s funny except Cathy and Katherine. The other night I had to make an allergic aware and it didn’t go so well. Katherine told me, when she showed me how, to use very little water. The noodles started sticking to the pan. Noel, Shawn, Alex, and Megan thought it was pretty funny. Katherine does everything different I’m not so sure I’ll listen to her. So Megan and I were the only girls working so we were doing valley girl impressions. It was nice because nether Cathy or Katherine was there to rain on the parade. Every time Noel and I even start to talk Katherine glares. I mean anytime anyone does something she looks at you like you’re doing something wrong. Cathy is just weird about it. The other night she made me cashier, runner, garnish, and noodle while they had a meeting. All the managers thought it was pretty funny. She’s awesome though because when she’s in a good mood it’s cool, and she thinks I’m a funny, hopeless but that I will survive in life and can be trusted in a lot of things. It’s funny once in a while she say “you’re in charge, I’m going home” she’ll disappear. Then she comes back. I asked for a thermometer last night and she did the whole fake no thing. I was just like “ok”. She said “you give up too easily”. That’s fine I got the thermometer and was done before nine. I’m confused. I’m sorry I must go now. My brain is working to hard and I’m trying to think about everything at once I have to go clear my head. I’ll be back.

I'm Glad I"m Not A Morning Person

2005-02-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so the rest of the story was deletes by wonderful Roland. So if you really want to know let me know and I’ll post it. But anyway we are talking occasionally but he’s even more full of lies than before. I think I actually talk to Andy more than Pat which is a huge surprise. That would either mean that Pat and I barely talk or Andy and I talk a lot. Oh now to make my life better Maura has a boyfriend and decided to blow me off. I had to take my brother to two basket ball games because there was nobody else. My carpool is driving me nuts. My dad said it’s just because she’s a morning person. Well I’m glad I’ve met a morning person and I hope to all highs that I never become one. I mean seriously who is happy and smiley and cheerful at seven o’clock in the morning. She must go to bed at like six at night. Oooh and the way she says my name. Kill me now. Other than that life is just not great. The school disposed of Mrs. Lohner, she wasn’t a good teacher at all, and Ms. Gleason took over until next tri. Well next tri I was supposed to move up to Hon Geometry but decided not to because Doyle wouldn’t be teacher that class. So I stayed in the regular class. Now I think I end up with the new teacher anyway because Doyle is teaching Algebra two and trig. I’m going to be so mad if he’s not teaching the class I’m in. and unfortunately I’ll be stuck with Gambardella for a whole nother tri. And Richter but he’s not so bad at least I don’t have to take his final. Which reminds me I should probably go study for WH. I went snowboarding yesterday I’m a lot better at turning now and I was almost carving but I wiped out too much and my face got cold so I stopped trying. Andy went snowboarding and fell on a rail. I guess he cut his forehead up a bit and he thinks he broke a bone but I haven’t talked to him in a while. Lennie is still alive and well I should probably clean his tank again soon. I’m pretty sure mom bought Roland a wireless mouse but I don’t care anymore. All I know is I have to take him to the game again tonight. I think she’s sending him with me because she doesn’t trust me. What would I do? Everyone is telling me too get a boyfriend and three people keep telling me to go out with Andy. Well I have news for them. I hope to stay single until at least August 14 so I can celebrate the newest national (within friends) holiday. National Singles day. AKA the opposite of Valentine’s Day celebrations. But quirky things happen and you never know. I just received word from the enemy (Pat) he can’t hang out tonight because he has to work and then “work on a physics project with Tracey”. Excuse me but who does a project with their girlfriend, and remember it’s a “physic’s project” right. Anyway I’m going to go call Andy and see how he’s doing. Then go to the game. GO BUFFS! I need punches on my buff card otherwise I’m going to have to go to a hell of a lot of baseball games. By the way hockey is doing really good this year. Can’t think of anything else at the moment. I don’t feel good Bleh. :0{ (Look at it side ways)

Happy VAlentine's Day

2005-02-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hey my day wasn’t as bad as most Valentine’s days are. Everyone at school was all lovy dovy. I received a box of chocolates which was enough for me. I wasn’t expecting much but my mom thought of me and gave me a rose. Pat was going to get me roses just as friends but we aren’t talking. Actually we haven’t talk since Friday. It all started when Andy and I went to mass on ash Wednesday and he told me that Pat couldn’t come because he was working. I didn’t know that Pat had a job and I’m not sure if he was planning on telling me. So Thursday I talked to Pat and asked him how work was. He lied to me and said he didn’t have a job. He then said he would come down but he never did. Friday morning he sent me a text message saying that he and his girlfriend had never been so hung over in their lives. I’d known about his girlfriend so that wasn’t news. But the fact that he didn’t call to say he couldn’t come down pissed me off. I asked him if the reason he didn’t was because he went out and got drunk with his girl. He got all pissed at me cause “I don’t see what the big deal is if I spend time with my girlfriend”. It’s not a big deal it’s just he didn’t come down and went and got drunk with Tracy. His girlfriend has replaced me and my friendship. Since we got in the fight and pissed at each other we haven’t talked. Andy called last night to talk to me. He just called to wish me a Happy Valentine’s Day. Mom brought my Valentine’s for Ryan, Pat and Andy over and talked to Mrs Pearsall. Andy’s mom said that she knows all three boys love me but are challenged in society. Got to go tell more later.

Loose Ends Tied Together

2005-02-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have a joke. How do you kill a blue elephant?... With a blue elephant gun. How do you kill a pink elephant? Take a rope tie it around its neck till it turns blue and then shoot it with a blue elephant gun.

Lyceum is such a waste of time. We have one week left in the tri and I’m so ready to kill Mr. Gambardella. I have him next tri and Heracovitch. Mr. Trotter isn’t going to be in class for the rest of the tri cause he’s getting married. Valentine’s Day was a success here at school. Elliot asked Mikele out and I’m pretty sure Madison and Corey are going out now.
Not much else. I didn’t go to backwards. Lots of people said it sucked. Amy made a huge deal about it cause she went with a freshmen and now is afraid that he’ll want to go out with her.

Raining On My Parade

2005-02-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have recently been given a snow board. This Friday I am going up with my sister two of her friends and possibly my brother, but I hope not him. Pat and Andy were going to come but there is some sort of computer “Lan Party” (whatever) that they are going to and taking one of my best friends, Peter, to. Roland was going to go but now I have no idea what he’s doing. Supposedly this computer “hoky pokey” thing rarely ever happens so this is a big deal for them. Everybody who goes brings their own computer and then they all hook them up on a server and play computer games against each other all day. I don’t see a point, joy, or reason in it but if they want to go do that no one is stopping them. The funny thing is that Pat is always ragging on everyone else for always being on the computer odr their video games and now he is passing up going snowboarding (which he claims he is so good at, and always wants to go) to go to Red Rocks And play against other people on his computer all day. How playing on a computer against other people at home any different that this. I mean seriously just call a bunch of people up, tell them to get online and play against them. But no. there must be something about everyone being on the same server and in the same room playing each other. His excuse for not going snowboarding was that “well I really want to go but my parent just payed for my $40 lift ticket and I wouldn’t want them to have to do it again. Plus if I go Andy would go and then I would have to rent a board because he would use his. And these “Lan Pary’s” barely ever happen the last on was in like Nebraska a long time ago.” Well my opinion go get a job. Got to go bell rang

Just LIke Mom Says, We Can't Choose Our Relatives/Teachers

2005-02-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about my art class. It just depends on the project we are doing. If I like the project I look forward to art if not then I wish I was chasing bunnies in a field rather than going to art. For a while we did scratch board. That was a project I really enjoyed. No we are making junk sculptures. I am creating a caterpillar. He is made up of old paint rollers that turned pink and then I’m going to put springy pipe cleaner of him and pom poms and name him Clarence. That is the name Katy and I used to give our caterpillars when we caught them in Moab. I’m hungry now but I have no lunch and still have two class periods before lunch not that I’ll have food then. But that’s what friend’s are for, right. The past two days of World History have been really nice because Mr. Gambardella hasn’t been here but our teacher status didn’t improve much. We were stuck with Ancient Engstrom. Mr. Richter is such a boring teacher. He reminds me of a mad scientist who escaped from some laboratory and thought it would be a good idea to try and teach some of the stupidest sophomores I know, biology. Random thought: why do they call the crayola crayon fire engine red if most fire engines now days are yellow or white. What will be next? Fire engine yellow, Fire engine white?

Isn't LIfe Just Peachy!

2005-02-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not blogging in the longest time in the world. I have been busy with work and homework. Speaking of work last night, when I was under the weather (which must be bad cause it’s cold snowing, raining) and everything was very slow. Katy Megan and Alex went to a game night at one of Katy’s old high school teacher’s house. I was originally on cash. Josh T. wasn’t supposed to come in till six so Tony (who was running) came in at five and noodled till Josh came. Josh came, ate, and then Katherine decided that we didn’t need everybody working so she sent him home. I would have liked to have gone home seeing how I felt like crap, so I was cash and runner. Being cash and runner meant only one thing… I got to clean salad, and close cash. That wasn’t too bad I had it all under control until… it got really slow and Katherine sent Tony home. What do you think that means? Don’t hurt your brain thinking to hard. That meant I closed cash, cleaned salad, and closed noodle. In a sense I worked three different positions and was only credited for one. After I had closed cash, and finished everything required, me being the nice and caring person I am stayed and wrapped silverware for fifteen minutes. I was worn out. But that’s ok. By the end of the night I had no voice and was in tears anything I did hurt. I only tear-ed up when I got home cause Roland was being a pain in the ass! And to make it better I had homework. I did my geometry and didn’t even think twice about studying for my world history test. I can truthfully say now that it probably wouldn’t have made a difference if I had studied because I just finished my test about ten minutes ago and must say did quite well thanks to my friend who had her study guide on her desk. I guess I wasn’t the only one using it. Don’t worry I only used it for the first 76 questions after that I guessed and made pretty little patterns in my scantron sheet up to 126. Then I drew a picture of a medieval manor. Miss Sine isn’t here today which makes lyceum much better. Now we won’t have to talk about our New Year’s resolutions or if we believe Santa Claus is real. Mr. Gease is subbing and he doesn’t give a bumble bee’s stinger about what we do. I have to finish A Tale of Two Cities by Friday but why do home work now when I am able to blog.

It feels like my small, almost non-existant world is closing in on me.

2005-01-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Now that the “Watsonater” is gone we are stuck with Dabiase. He does have some great points but he plays favorites way too much. I never realized how immature my honors English class was until he started teaching it. It also doesn’t help having Erin Doherty, Lindsay Davis, and Mikele smith in the class. Abby and Sammy are really annoying too. Over Christmas break we were supposed to read Pride and Prejudice. I was lucky enough to finish although there were many who didn’t and still haven’t finished and relied on the movie. Mr. Gambardella is a huge poke in the doughboy. Ugh he drives me crazy between all the homework lectures and TESTS (more like college exams). We have a trimester project and he gives us homework on top of that. Geometry isn’t fun or interesting anymore. Mr. Doyle always seems to be in a bad mood and doesn’t give the attitude of wanting to help as much as he used to. Art isn’t fun either. I dread going, why? because we are shading shapes. But, now that I’m done (because I brought it home) I hope I will be able to look forward to it more seeing how it is now my only almost worthwhile class. Biology is such a bore and I sit there and often wonder how half the people in the class got into the class. Everything has become way to over rated and overgraded. I want new classes! I loathe with a passion, teachers who play favorites!!!!

My oh so very exciting Christmas Break

2005-01-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

Over the break I went snowboarding with my sister and survived. I worked (what else), and spent a lot of time with my friends. Christmas Eve I attended midnight mass with my family, Megan, and Andy. Christmas day was a different story. Uncle Bob wasn’t able to get on the plane but his suitcase did. This minimized our gathering for Christmas dinner. Megan joined us and Alex came afterwards. Speaking of Alex… he gave me the best Christmas gift this year, one of those really cool carved candles. Then for new years I went to a party at Maura’s house which was over by ten. What’s the point of having a New Years Party if you’re not even going to stay up till midnight? We departed and Maura spent the night. After leaving her house we went over to the fire station. Pat and Maura had one of their classic Jerry Springer fights and once Maura was bored with that she came and stole my conversation between me and Andy. I brought pat home cause he was supposed to do I ride along but there was a new rule that no one could stay past ten. So I brought him home. Maura and I watched a couple movies and then headed of to sleep. Three hours later I got up. 5:45 am. Why? Well most people call me crazy and stupid but I got up because Andy needed a ride home from the fire station at 6am. His parents wouldn’t do it and he couldn’t get anyone else to and there was no way anyone was going to let him call Andrea. He was really grateful for the ride and kept telling me that if I ever needed something done I should just call him. I dropped him off and he told me to “go home and get some sleep”. Like I wasn’t going to do that already. Later in the day after Maura departed I was up at Andy’s, watching a movie with pat when Andy came down to talk and to make sure I had gone home and gotten sleep like he told me too. Then the harsh reality of school took hold and I decided it might not be a bad idea to do my homework. Thus came Monday morning…

Nothing like this has ever happened

2005-01-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday school was let out at one pm because the roads were so icy and Switzer was afraid they would get worse throughout the day and didn’t want all of us who drive to drive home. It was so cool. And in order to leave our teacher had to talk to one of our parents to affirm and ok that we could leave school. We were allowed to use our cell phones in school with our teachers watching us. They say you can get cancer from talking on cell phones… well I think Mr. Richter will end up with cancer. He talked to everybody in our biology class’ parent on a cell phone. Now we’re just hoping for a snow day on Wednesday, although we have a regular scheduled late start.

I Forgot

2004-12-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

I can drive again! Today feels like friday. Mmnh IHOP sounds good. I am really good at procrastination. I haven't my english yet.

Couldn't have planned it better myself

2004-12-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Oh today was a good day. I had everything planned out. After school I was going to go to the Starbucks at 8th and Colorado sit in the brown comfy chair closest to the door (that way you can see all the hot Paramedics as they walk in and out with or without their coffee. And you can see the fire trucks that go down Colorado at least hourly) and work on reading the book for my English paper (Troilus and Crysade) then work on the paper all while drinking the Starbucks beverage of my choice. Life is bliss how much better could this have been today was a good day, too good. So walking out to my car I had to go from one level, the parking lot, to the grass which then turns into the sidewalk. But before the grass there is a 1 ½ to 2 foot ledge. I have never had a problem with it until today. I lifted my knee and put in on the ledge. You with me ok, I thought I lost ya aye. Then when I pushed, jumped, hopped, or whatevered onto the ledge... DUN DUN DUN… my pants ripped. Yes believe it or not there I was standing in the sidewalk in front of Bishop Machebeuf High School, Denver Colorado, Uinta way with a rip in my pants from where the zipper ends going down to my right knee. That’s ok. Save me the drama cause no one saw. So that kinda ruined my Starbucks plan. Darn! So now I sit at home distracted by my computer screen and the many messages received by she who must always have something to read, ignoring my English and blogging so those with nothing better to do with their time might be entertained. Oh but at 8th and Downing Andy called and we talked till I got home and then some. Oh look our Christmas tree! Wow that blends in with everything. I wonder when we got it I haven’t seen it there before, must be new!

Who needs English anyway?

2004-12-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

Dabiase came in and gave us the AP3 speech and said he expects to see Jammy and Haas in his class. Gosh I’d love too but the work load will be like impossible!!
I should probably do my English paper but what’s the point. If three people can turn in the same paper with different font and receive catastrophically different grades although it was word for word, I think there is something wrong with Waaatson’s grading scale. He was talking to the Villarreal’s about how he grades and he used me as an example... Snaps for Val (Pause) and said “I know I have to grade her differently or else he dad will be very upset” or something to that extent. Ok it’s cool that he wants to grade people but he shouldn’t do it for the parent’s sake. I mean really. I could totally not grasp the concept but yet turn in a paper and get no lower than a 95. But let’s just make sure he keeps it like that I don’t need to work any harder his class is already impossible enough.

That's not something you hear everyday

2004-12-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Megan was talking to me about how she didn’t do a good enough job brushing her teeth and could still feel plaque, and Chris was giving me trivia questions to answer while wrapping silverware. What is the Norwegian word for “Hot Steam Bath”? We had to make like five of everything on the menu for some company it was hectic. And Megan don’t think I didn’t see the broccoli you put in my Japanese pan noodles. We have a new cashier now, his name is Tony. I don’t work again until Sat. Josh is really weird it’s not cool to work around him because he was supposed to cash the other night and he wasn’t, so Tony was cashing alone and Chris had to have me stock the cooler. Then when I’m stocking cooler and josh is wrapping silverware he tells me to cash because there were people waiting. OK so not my job when he’s perfectly capable. And then last night it said I didn’t clock in so I had to clock in and then out. I worked or “Logged” a minute. Chris said he would change that, I hope he remembers to.

Random what-have-yous

2004-12-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

We had our Christmas party. It was a success. Every time I got a chance to talk to Andy Maura would come in and steal the conversation so I would leave. Really got annoying.

What ever frosts your cupcake. New Expression for me. Or… Whatever puts fizz in your pop. He he I am very creative and budget my time wisely, Mom told me the 1st one and Doyle told me the 2nd one. I crack myself up.

Oooh snaps for Val! (Pause...) I really am hilarical. I got a 97 on my geometry test! And I finished Christmas shopping (for the most part).

Work and Wierd Josh

2004-12-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

I worked Saturday evening which I normally don’t do. Josh was there. We didn’t say much maybe like twenty words total. But I carried on a very interesting silverware wrapping conversation with Noel. We talked about how people com in and buy food and just sit there and talk and take two bites and then leave the six dollar meal. And how people talk about the craziest and stupidest things… like how the paint is chipping off their house walls or something like that. Something that’s not really a big deal but people makes it out to be. I like talking to him he’s a really cool guy. He’s my buddy. Nothing else to say except that “If geometry was meant to be understood, it wouldn’t have been developed by the Greeks”.

Parade of LIghts

2004-12-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Lucky me! I went to the Parade of Lights with Andy, Cameron, and Pat. Pat and Cameron left us, so Andy and I were left together. It was cold.It was awkward but we still talked. The parade was really actually pretty cool. All the public high school marching bands were in it. They wouldn’t let the church related float into the parade because “it shows religious symbolism that might offend others”. Ok what’s the point of celebrating Christmas (a Christian holiday) if your not going to celebrate the reason for it. Hickenlooper wants to take the Merry Christmas sign of the town hall cause it offends people. What’s the point of putting up Christmas lights if you’re not going to celebrate Christmas? Get where I’m going with this? So I spent some tin=me alone with Andy, yeah for me. We went back to Pat’s house and had a very in-depth conversation about politics and religion 2:1 me and Andy against Pat. It was interesting because Pat said we as Catholics have nothing to backup our beliefs with, and called us as Catholics and non-liberals ignorant but he didn’t have anything to back up what he said. Everything he said was based off of Fahrenheit 9/11. That’s ok. Because of that conversation I was forty minutes late coming home and lost car driving privileges for a week. I feel bad though cause my friends and I were going to go to the movies but, Peter never called me back, and Maura said she wanted to go at seven but never called me back so I went with Andy to the parade.

Oooh I just want to grrh blu yoink... Destroy him

2004-12-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Mr. Watson has decided to rearange the seating chart yet again. He has also come to the conclusion that I have become “sassy, short tempered, and impossible to deal with at times.” When he said that everyone applauded. Everyone aplaudes when someone, walks through the door, or says something. It’s hilarious. Corey Jamroz lost car privileges (one can only guess why) just like me. Ooh and he has I little brother And I have a little brother, same age. Weird stuff if you ask me. He also tried to hold are class after school cause we were miss behaving in class. That wasn't good. Everyone got so pissed. He blocked the door that's not allowed it's a fire violation. I strongly dislike him with a passion. that's not all but I really don't want to talk about him.

Family Traditions and Comic Relief

2004-12-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Carol was very good this year. I can now say that I’m not the only one who waves their hand in front of their face when they laugh. Katy and Megan understood but the friends that I took had no idea why it was so funny.

Thanksgiving

2004-12-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

- Not the greatest. But if you have time, go see National Treasure.
What a success! I can now say that I have been snowboarding. It was fun, cold and really nerve-racking cause of the stupid people on the slopes. I was so sore the next day but hey, it was fun while it lasted. I definitely want to do it again.

Where am I going in life? What am I doing Here?

2004-11-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

While driving to Starbucks this morning I saw Wheat Ridge Brush Truck, and then one the way to school Denver Fire dept. Then in art my friends shadow was drawing afire truck.
Speaking of art we started a new tri Monday. I now have Honors World History, Geometry, Visual Arts, Honors Biology, and unfortunately Honors English which has undergone a “Watson Reform.” Ms Lewis hates Watson. I heard he talking to Robertshaw this morning saying “this is my school and this guy just walks in here like…” you can probably guess. I strongly dislike him with a passion. He was saying that “we have to stay on track and the same subject or else Val will yell at us again.” Whatever. I only yelled at him once when I asked a question about our final (cause that’s a huge chunk of our grade) and he started talking about something totally different and I wrote the wrong info on my final so I had to redo it. Oh and I had a heated discussion with him yesterday cause he called me stupid, self centered, and very hard to get along with at times. I’m sorry I’m short tempered but if we studied something last trimester why should we study it again this tri. That man is so, just, ugh! Gross. Oh and he touched me today! I had to run to the bathroom and wash my hand. You think I’m over exaggerating but I’m not he’s so gross. He’s got a gobbler like Sister Catherine but his is worse, it’s like his whole neck, just a slimy wobble burble of flubber surrounding his spinal cord (if he even has one of those, he’s a walking blob of yuck). I don’t like my classes as much as I thought I would but oh well. Biology’s great I sit in the back of the class, seven seats back so I can look at everyone. I’m not sure I’ll like art as much as I thought. A lot is expected and I’m not an artist. Geometry is awesome though, the teacher is great, the class is small and Mr. Doyle loves Disney so we hear a lot of music from the movies, in class. Quizzes are extra credit and they’re on whatever is on his tie. Like the seven dwarves of Simba’s mom’s name (I don’t know that one).

Dam That's A Lot of Money

2004-11-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

So on the way to school this morning I was listening to KYGO and heard a spoof of Toby Keith’s “Who’s Your Daddy”. It was Who’s your turkey. It was pretty funny. Then the breaking story... Dun Dun Dun… Three bags of cash containing $70,000 dollars each had been stolen from a casino in New Orleans. Police recovered two of the three, but the beavers found the other. When police found the money it had been woven into the beaver dam. It was pretty darn amazing the whole story was really worth listening to. One of the dj’s was wondering how a beaver can pull to lever to win the jackpot with the size of their paws. It’s easy, they stand on top of each other under a trench coat and then one jumps onto the lever and dam you have money for a house. (Don’t worry I do know how to spell). Wow what a story.

It's True Caferteria Food is Awful

2004-11-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

The house has calmed down a little and now my mom’s after me for eating too much and that I am putting on too much weight. Well lunch at school doesn’t really happen. Everything is too expensive and if I buy something it is normally gross. I bought pasta yesterday and the noodles were so watered down that they were stringy and fell apart. Oh and I didn’t want salad (which is 50 cents) but they put it on and then the lunch lady wouldn’t let them take it off so she charged me for it. I’m not going to eat it and I could have used the extra fifty cents to buy milk, but no. so I had a very disgusting meal which I didn’t even eat so I wasted $3.50. Then the water machine ate my five dollar bill, I just wanted change but it wouldn’t give it to me so I had to buy water. No milk, no food, and my mom wonders why I come home and need food. We don’t have anything around the house cause we’re trying to conserve our money since we loose our pension at the New Year. Sure I am a little pudgy, I don’t like but there’s only so much I can do. Not eating a healthy diet it a cause but no one every buys anything besides French toast, hamburger and like one other thing.

And You Thought Parking in Cherry Creek was Bad!

2004-11-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Finding a parking space at school is so hard. The seniors take up all the parking lot so everyone else parks on the street, and we can’t park on Fifth avenue anymore cause Lowery development decided we can’t park there and now they will ticket us. Since my parents have decided not to wake me up until about seven, when I should be up sooner I have a higher chance of getting caught in traffic and being late. That happened yesterday. I do set my alarm clock it just doesn't work. So if I get to school late there is no parking on the street so I end up parking in a no parking zone but at the end of the day there are at least two cars behind me. It would be a lot better if everyone didn’t leave half a car space between them and the car in front of them, then there would be a little more room. Oh well as Jamroz says “Life’s a bitch, and we’re all fu*%@#”.

We're Off Like a Herd of Turtles- Cathy

2004-11-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written I feel as slow as a turtle. I feel like I haven’t written in a century I have so much to say. I think I will begin with last Saturday. Josh, Megan, Alex, and Katy went snowboarding. That night Katy went to a play where I guess she met up with Josh. I went to see Ladder 49 with my mom, brother and two friends. When we got there, there were only nine seats left. My mom bought three tickets because I had a coupon for buy two for six dollars. Then right after her I asked for two tickets and the guy goes we only have one left. Do the math nine minus three is six. So I bought the last ticket and gave it to my friend. I left and went home but on the way home I was involved in a minor Volvo vs. Volvo collision. I had stopped, the Volvo behind me stopped. Then the lady behind me kissed my bumper. She didn’t realize she had taken her foot off the brake. She gave me her name and number and since there was no damage done we each went our separate ways. When I told my dad and he laughed and said I had a knack for getting hit from behind. While everyone was out of the house, I alone with no one to talk to or do anything with I started I puzzle. Working Sunday was good everything went smoothly. I got to cut the rice crispys. Katherine is a really nice person too, very artistic. Not everyone organizes the tea in rainbow colors. Monday night I was supposed to be a runner but some one called in sick so Dan put me on cash. That means I have to get all nervous again about being a runner and now “THE BOSS” is back which makes it a little more intimidating. The crazy buttered noodles guy came. Dan is a really nice manager; he always wants you to be happy and lets you know if you are doing something right or what you should do if you don’t have anything to do besides silverware. Also never put you hand in a bucket of water with Sirachi when you have a cut. That hurts. Soy sauce stings too along with salt. Another great Noodles worker is Paul! He doesn’t work there anymore but he’s a really cool and funny guy. Ok so I think it was Monday night. I had a dream that Katy, Katherine, Megan Alex, Josh, me and some other people went to Santa Barbra. While there the pope tried to shoot me, I ducked and the bullet hit Katherine in the middle of the head and instantly killed her. Then he got mad and shot Megan in the stomach. Then everyone was mad at me because I shouldn’t have ducked and so it was my fault Katherine was dead. That was a really weird dream. I think I need someone to interpret it for me.
Tuesday morning my friend came to school and made me try some of her new cleansing tea. The story. She didn’t realize that the lid of her tea to go cup was dirty so she washed it off. Forgetting that she didn’t wash of the soap she put the cap in and started drinking. Once she realized it tasted like soap it was to late she was already in the car. She thought the soap would go away if she drank it real fast, but that didn’t work so she was walking around school with soap in her tea. I couldn’t tell. I knew there was a soap taste but I didn’t know what the tea tasted like so I didn’t know how much of a soap taste there was (this was little Meghan). So now I write filling up on candy when I should be finishing my take home finals. And I can barely eat anything because if I eat something my throat feels really small and I can’t swallow then my stomach starts to hurt real bad and I feel like I’m going to up chuck. It might be allergy related but that would mean… that Heaven forbid I’m allergic to pie crust and pasta!!! Maybe I need to get my tonsils removed. The past two days before I go to work I feel like that but then when I get to work I forget about it.
Finals are today and tomorrow then Friday a three day weekend. Our religion teacher was nice enough to give us the answers to the final so there really is no need to study. I don’t have to take the computer apps final, Thank Goodness. Also what I thought was devastating (but who can I blame but myself) actually isn’t. See there’s this guy in my Comp. Apps. class that I like but he doesn’t talk and I don’t really talk to him cause I’m shy (but not as shy as him) on the last day of class we talked to most we had all tri. 20 some odd words. I thought that would be the only class I had with him, but turns out we have biology together. Hopefully we’ll talk more seeing how it’s a more “get up and do a lab with someone” class. Oh well we’ll soon find out. I even asked him to Homecoming and he said the same as when I asked him to Backwards last year. Hey it’s my loss right.
Don’t think I have anything else to say so I guess I’ll finish my English final but who knows. Oooh to make it better it’s a take-home final but we have to be there all of the class to “Celebrate”. Celebrate what? Why should we have to? I hate that class. I found a new game online too, it’s under msn and it’s called feeding frenzy. Kassie and I played it after we finished our lyceum final. Which oh by the way, if you fail it, it lowers you GPA but if you pass I won’t raise it. I think the administration is going to have a lot of complaints. I mean who really takes a pass fail class that you don’t receive a credit for seriously. Oh well as Robert says “Different day, different question. Another day, another answer.”

The Best People You’ll Ever Meet Work at Noodles.

2004-11-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know, I have recently started working at Noodles &Co. I love it. The people working there are awesome. There’s Dan, a manager who is kind and accepting. He always tries to make everything easier for me. Then there’s James the most open and friendly person I have ever worked with, with both a sense a humor and a serious side. He is really a great guy to work with. Osiel who speaks Spanish, unfortunatlyI Speak French (as a second language), making harder to communicate. He knows my name and says it in Spanish I think it's cool, because no one has done that since sixth grade. I haven’t met everyone yet but hey it’s only my second day.
The shyest person besides me I would have to say is Tessa. She was the first person to train me and talk to me. In other words she showed me the ropes. Although she is very shy and a little mysterious she’s a really great gal.
Now that that is out of the way we can get down to business. First there’s Katy. True she doesn’t work at Noodles (anymore) but she is still the greatest person in the world. As a sister what more can I ask for. She’s always there to give an encouraging word and listens to any troubles you might have, although you can never really tell what kind of mood she’s in. One minute she’ll be a happy little clam the next thing you know someone dropped a grain of sand in her happy little clam world and POW! It’s like totally reversed. But being her sister I guess I should be used to it. Moving on we have Megan a.k.a. Meggers who yes at times might be a little blond, but hey aren’t we all. She just so happens to be a manager at Noodles. As Katy’s best friend she has made her way into our family and isn’t (as far as I know) concerned about being seen in public with her best friends little sister. (Not that any one would think we’re related). She is an outstanding person, welcoming, intelligent, and most of all ticklish. Total personality reversal we come across Alex. Alex yet another manager, is the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. Seriously. He is funny but when he needs to be, serious. Seeing him on the worst day of my life is always a good thing cause then I have a chance to cheer up, exercise my wrists, and cool my face down. It’s really funny, because everyone laughs at me (if they aren’t already laughing at him) because I laugh at him. Everyone seems to be amused by the way I laugh, but I’d have to say Josh’s it pretty hilarical too. Speaking of Josh he is a very nice guy. Every time I see him he is smiling, no matter what, even if he might have torn his rotator cuff. He is such a nice guy and his smile is always encouraging. Josh also has some weird stories, but not as weird as the faces and sounds Alex makes.
The best people you will every meet. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have friends like them. It’s not everyday you meet a group of people like that and then take your time to go to IHOP at three in the morning to order, The Eggs Bennie, The Ruty Tuty Fresh and Fruity…. Passport breakfast, Western Skillet no meat extra eggs scramble, and French Toast with extra powdered sugar.

Different day, different question. Another day, another answer. – Roberto Lopez

2004-11-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Omg, load of my mind back and nerves. Today was my first day working at Noodles & Co. I was really nervous. After all it was my first job and my first day. I was very scared and nervous at the beginning but after getting into what actually goes on I relaxed. I spent most of the time following Tesea my trainer around. I learned how to cash, clean and refill condiments, check for dishes, walk in and out of the refrigerator, bus tables, and the best thing of all wrap silverware. Alex said that when most people work cash they freak out and don’t want to do it at all their first time. I was able to do cash with little to no assistance although it was greatly appreciated when necessary. Megan introduced me to the busy life of the store, and many of the workers. Following that Alex and then Josh came in. It’s always good to see a smiling face (which Josh has) when you’re nervous. I think I get the hang of all the little touches on the screen though I still don’t know where everything is and what everything means. I guess I’ll learn that Saturday while everyone else is out on the slopes!!! I met Osiel one of my sister’s friends. I don’t speak Spanish making it hard to communicate. I once again have taken on the name Valeria meaning Valerie in Spanish. Josh and Tesea both told me of how slippery the floor is, I know I some how managed to stay upright while sliding from the cash register to the beverage station. Nearing the end of my shift a couple who had to point out they had just been playing monopoly came in. I just so happened to be laughing at the time (we all know what that means, wave to the world). The guy said I have a cute laugh, but it was a giggle because my hands weren’t waving. Then the woman organized the whole front area with the menu’s and rice crispy treats. Then she noticed that all the crispy weren’t the same size and “do you charge the same for everyone, maybe you should weigh them.” The last thing I need is to have to learn to weigh rice crispy treats. Josh gave me helpful hint: If you like white pants don’t wear them here. I was also surprised at how many people use credit cards to pay. In the midst of this at a quiet time, Ladder 2 drove by. I think Andy was in it because I saw someone standing in the engine looking into Noodles. I guess I’ll be seeing a lot more of Wheat Ridge Fire now. FYI we did have a fire drill today perfectly timed to take up part of English. God does hear our prayers.

I’m still nervous about my job but I think once I’ve worked for a while and know what actually must be done I’ll be more relaxed. It’ll be great and having my sister home for the weekend will be cool too. Everything will be fine until Monday because finals began Wednesday. Live everyday like it’s the last day of your life.

"Life is too important to be take seriously.-Oscar Wilde

2004-11-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thank God elections are over. I never thought I would here the end of it. Everyone talking at school and all the political adds on the radio it’s driving me crazy. Last night I went to star bucks to catch up on my reading. It was nice and quiet for awhile and then politics came back. I was sitting in a nice brown “comfy” chair at the Starbucks at 8th and Colorado when Kerry supporters arrived. The nice sounds of a coffee shop the grinding of beans and the low murmur of people either talking on their cell phones or working on their calculus homework was shatter by honking. I guess there are a few liberals in Colorado. At least enough to distract me from my reading which wasn’t exactly easy to read to begin with. I gave up at about 6 and went home. Really this election is really stressful even if you can’t vote. I came home only to find my dad and brother glued t the computer trying to get updates but I wasn’t interested, the last I knew Bush had 159 and Kerry 112 electoral college votes.
I start my job tomorrow so I didn’t think it would be a bad idea to do the weeks homework to give my self time for a shower between work and sleep in the days to come.
I stumble through another day awaiting the end. But the end doesn’t please me. In computer apps my last class of the day we are supposed to create a flip book (but blogging is much more fun) in a power point presentation. The only problem is the teacher is not here today and I don’t have the best of luck grouping and ungrouping clip art pictures. The young man sitting next to me is not much of a help either. He’s a really nice person he’s just really shy and doesn’t talk. My “buddy” isn’t here today either so I’m really in a tight spot. Maybe it’s a good thing the teacher isn’t here. It gives me a chance to Blog and I know I won’t be able to tonight when I get home due to the fact that my brother has first priority over the internet.
Now that the election is somewhat over we can relax. My friend loves the Beatles and Bush. When one of our teachers said Kerry had whatever whatevered she was so happy. My friend Mandi and I said you would think all the Beatles were alive and they were coming back for one last concert. But the news has changed and now Kerry wants all votes to be counted. Je suis mui confused(FENCH SPANISH ENGLISH). I am really confused.
Half hour left and I still haven’t touched my presentation. You think that the little office assistant paper clip man could help me but no, it’s only a question search answer helper. I guess I have nothing to do or worry about at the moment so it gives me every right to Blog.

Halloween, Snow, Bored to Tears, What more?

2004-11-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what happens when your bored. I actually spent time with my brother, driving him around to pick up loose odds and ends for his Halloween costume. Although I didn't really matter cause I was doing the same thing. I spent most of Halloween trick-or-treating with him too. No thanks to my friend who decided to be a butt and change her mind without telling. That's the second year in a row she's done that. Oh it gets better, I called her and she said that since we hadn't talk in a week (although we had cause I took her to lunch on Friday) she didn't think I wanted to go. Ok weird. To top that off I had a costume crisis. We won't get into that. I finally met up with a friend and we took his little brother and his friends around. In the midst of all this it had begun to rain. Rain turned to snow, and then the wind picked up but we trick-or-treated on. My friend, the one who backed out on me, met up with us but disappeared just as fast cause it was too cold. BS go to Minnesota for the winter and then tell me your cold (it was cold though, everyone just complained too much). Then my friends and I went over to the fire station. Andy said they had already put the candy away but hey that was ok with me, I had 209 pieces waiting for me at home. We talked for awhile and everywhere I walked glitter followed cause when glitter glue gets wet the glitter falls off, and ooh I still have glitter all over. We talked about school and then snowboarding. He wants to get me to snowboard but I'm not sure I can. Some how word had slipped out that I was working at noodles, and he, the last person I wanted to know knew. He thought it was funny cause he thought I took his place but who knows (only the managers). It gets good now. Lieutenant came down and he started the truck. It was so cool to be standing there watching the lights and the magical ways they danced through the snow. Once again I had a tour of the truck making it my third, I think. It was awesome. He's a really cool person cause he'll listen to you unlike his brother who goes "that's great now here's the truth..." Or "good for you guess what I did..... Oh man it was awesome..." Like I care. Ok sometimes I do but it just gets old. Everyone thinks I have the world's biggest crush on Andy. I like him true but not that much. He's just a funny and cool guy to talk to. So much for the good part. I get home to find out I was grounded. Why? Cause my parents didn't set a curfew and at the station there is no cell phone service. Darn sucks for me. So now I'm bored to tears and should be doing my homework but hey that can wait. I'm grounded from all social activities but I can live with that cause Blogging is inside my room and they don't know that. Plus they can't take away my computer cause "I have an Essay" right, right, ok. You'd think if your isolated into your room they would turn up the heat but noooooo! Thirty degrees is warm enough plus "we must save energy". Damn, I wrote a lot, oh well. I start my job on Thursday but I'm so nervous cause I've never had a job before. It'll take time and I'll definitely have to talk to my sister a bit. Homework awaits and I need real food cause I've been filling up on Kudos all day. No Halloween candy though. IHOP sounds good but it's cold and too far to walk no thanks to the fact that all car keys have been taken from me and I almost have to sign out for them. It's a dictatorship not a democracy!

Not so happy three day weekend

2004-10-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

Everybody loves to have an extra day off of school to sleep in late and so you don't have to sit through another English class and listen to your teacher tell you yet again how his dog died and you can still see the imprint on the floor where he lay. I love to have the day off, but now that my sister has left the village physically, I have nothing to do on the weekends and our days off. Recently I've been so bored that I cleaned my room, I don't even have homework to keep me occupied. We always seemed to have a very busy schedule and now I wonder if that's true or we just procrastinated till the end and everything piled up. It's the first day of my weekend and have absolutely nothing to do. I had lunch with my friend but it was for ten minutes cause her school shortened their lunch periods to discourage kids from leaving. I love to read, but when you've read all you can and aren't given anything for new books(although if my brother wants one they go and buy it for him and he never touches it) you don't have much to do. This weekend will definitely take forever. It's even worse that we had Friday instead of Monday off. Halloween is Sunday night you don't think people are going to stay up late. We don't even have a late start. But it's still good to have a day off. (unless you share it with your brother).

Everybody Laughs

2004-10-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

For hundreds of years people have used the fan to cool themselves. Beginning 3000 years ago with the Chinese and on through the time of the Egyptians and the colonists in America.
I had no idea, until this past weekend when i was spending time with my sister and some friends, that when ever I laugh i start fanning or waving my hands by my face like Miss America does when she cries. They asked me why I did that and if it helped or colled me down. Like I'd know i wasn't even aware of the fact that i did that. WHat does it really matter on what I do when I laugh it's really not that big of a deal although they think so. When i didn't wave my face when I was laughing (probably cause i was choking on my french toast and powdered sugar) one of them offered to help me and started waving in front of my face. everyone laughs differently I'm just a person who uses my hands a lot. I'll never hear the end of it.