I'm getting good at getting over

My fear of loud contained spaces and wreckless driving have been combined.

In the back of my mind I have been dreading the day that I would have to ride the bus to school again. This year I had been getting rides to school from my friend Rebekka, but my parents have been urging me as of late to start riding the bus.

They did have good reasons that I couldn't really argue with. I mean for one, riding the bus would be more consistent. Every now and then Rebekka gets sick, or has a school event and my parents have to give me a lift, sometimes on short notice. They're not upset so much with the fact that they have to give me rides, it's just inconvenient for them.

Whatever, there's only 8 Mondays left in the school year for me, AND....

My friend Ashley and I had our first official meeting with our yearbook supervisor about next year's book AND SHE LIKED OUR IDEAS AND PLANSSSSSSSS!!!! Yessssss! I'm so excited.

Plus, next week is my trip to Austin. I'm happy. Very happy. So happy, I've been listening to Asher Roth nonstop.

Need for cash...And winning

So first off, I went with my mom (gasp!) to the LMFA 51st student show and somehow managed to get Honorable Mention for the oil painting that I did of my little brother and I! My mom has yet to upload the picture of me standing happily beside my piece yet, so I don't have a picture of my win :(

Anyways, it was the usual. A random piece won, and I began to seriously question what "fine art" really was.

But yeah. I reaaaaaaally am itching for a job. My dad wants me to stay focused on school and all my extracurriculars but that still doesn't solve my cash flow issue. In order for the world to function people need money. In short, I can't get a job until I go to college.

In order to slowly assimilate me into adulthood my parents have kind of stopped buying me clothes, meaning that the clothes that I bought on my recent trip to Shreveport came out of my dwindling coffers... I'm seriously having buyer's remorse and I'm contemplating on whether or not I want to return everything and get my cash back... But I really need spring/summer clothes... Ugh. I'll sleep on it.

Also, my parents are cutting all funds that aren't a necessity for me. Yeah, I don't think I'm going on any school trips beyond the ILPC Journalism conference in Austin. Not that I really need to go on these trips, it just sucks. I get why they're doing it though, I mean, eventually I'm going to need to become financially independent, but I think I need a job too if I'm going to be paying for my own stuff from now on.

So it goes. I'll think of some way to drum up some money.

My dog is sneaky

As soon as I leave for school he snuggles up in my bed, ON MY PILLOWS and sleeps. All day. Yeah. Today I was doing some research for my physics homework, and he crawled up in my bed and just layed there. Looking innocent.

Well, he learned from the best. I've gotten out of so much trouble at school and home by playing clueless or innocent.

Little jerks amuse me

I remember going through my 'cynical' phase, and every now and then I get a bout of I-hate-the-world-itis, but for the most part I think I'm a little more... I don't know. Not hateful. At least not blatantly.

Anyways, my friend Rebekka was giving me and her boyfriend's little brother a ride home and it was interesting. She has a tiny truck that only fits 3 people, and even then you're a little squashed, so imagine a scraggly, pale, socially awkward freshman boy sandwiched between two girls. Yeah.

Now imagine that the boy had a complex that even Jung would describe as god-like with a twist of evil, and you've got that kid. He's a little on the bitter side and hates people, but specifically popular "preps" as he referrers to them. The few (and I mean few) times that I've talked to him I've been able to find humor in his antics, but this last time... Man, I really had to hold my tongue. The only person that he halfway likes/respects is Rebekka, and I'm pretty sure he's lumped me in with the rest of humanity that he hates, but that's ok, because This Guy now follows me on Twitter (but that's beside the point).

I was playing along with his anti social comment when the conversation switched to a few teachers that some people didn't like. I mentioned that I didn't mind this one teacher due to the fact that I had canoodled them into nominating me for senior hall of fame next year when the kid was like "What makes you so special? Only the preps get in it."

In my mind I was like, EXCUSE ME? I have a long, long list of accomplishments, not to mention I'm very personable and funny. Really?

Anyways, my ego puffed up as I explained to him that some teachers actually enjoy me as a student.

Yeah. I feel sort of like Seth Meyers doing a bit for SNL. Preps? REALLY? Who even seriously uses that phrase anymore? I'm not worthy of being nominated into the senior hall of fame? REALLY? And of course I have a lot of other choice things I would like to say, but they're harsh, and right now I'm kind of over it.

I just think it's funny when people underestimate me, or think that I'm not worthy of praise. While that last statement may seem egotistical, don't worry IT COMPLETELY IS.

Engrish Fortune

I know right? What on earth does "All thing has a cause. Look into your pass for aswer" mean?

I guess that's what I get for ordering out cheap chinese takeout from a place called Magic China.

Anyways, life has returned back to normal. School flew by, I made decent grades, I got a letter from Rutgers asking me to call up their offices about enrollment, and I bought a new set of art pens.

Oh yes, and I've been watching this:

Anything new with you guys?

On a lighter note

So in my last post I complained a lot. I felt bad, but I'm not going to take it down because honestly, I don't care.

Hopefully I'll leave my grandma's house Sunday morning... giving me 3pm to whenever to cram for my two tests I have when I go to school Monday. I'm pretty much over the fact that my spring break (or lack thereof) sucked this year.

I've been in a better mood lately, but only because of this YouTube video....

No matter how hard you try you just can't be grumpy when watching it.

:)

Back to the real world

There are so many sinister thoughts running through my head right now that are being directed towards my grandmother.... Why?

She, much like the villans in most Disney movies, has commandeered the source of my happiness (aka spring break) and turned it sour. My sister, stepmom and I are having to clean her house top to bottom Cinderella style, including the front and back yards.

Yesterday as soon as we unloaded our car from the 2 hour drive from our house she set my sister and I to work hauling firewood. I counted how much wood we had to haul.

657 PEICES OF DAMN WOOD(each weighing about 5lbs each).

And she forgot to mention that she had gloves for us until we were almost done. Needless to say my hands are covered with splinters. The entire time I was trying to cheer my sister (and myself too) up by telling her knock knock jokes that I made up on the spot. Here's my favorite:

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Ke$ha ate.

Ke$ha ate who?

Ke$ha ate Justin Beiber with a fork and knife.

Originally she was just having us clean the inside of her house, but yeah. That didn't happen. My dad was pissed when he found out we were doing yardwork, and drew the line when it came to mowing the lawn. Have I mentioned how much I love my dad?

We're cleaning approx. 5 rooms, plus two bathrooms. I'm excited. Thankfully my sister and I already knocked out ALL the yardwork, and two of the easy rooms.

Anyways, I have to get back to work... :(

Hopefully it'll all be over soon.

Taking full advantage

I love spring break.

I love that my uncle is dog sitting my puppy.

And I love sleeping in till ten o'clock.

Recently I have been doing a lot of nothing. My days consist of watching random heartfelt Lifetime movies like Where the Heart Is and Elvis and Anabelle, and re-runs of Dexter.

Life is great.

Oh yeah! If you're looking for time to kill try this!

Things I'm Happy About

So lately I've been caught up in this miasma of self doubt and pity, and I'm tired of it. I mean, I'm young, able bodied, and not Justin Beiber... I should count my blessings! So for posterity, here's a list of the top ten things that make me happy right now.

1. My blogger friends! (Cherry, Aria, Natalie, Em, K.P., and everyone else!)
2. Mumford and Sons
3. Korean Dramas
4. Spring Break
5. Left over valentine's day candy
6. Being finished with all of my yearbook pages
7. The Great Gatsby (despite all of the mishaps in the book, it's a pretty decent read)
8. My grandma going back to her house after spending 2 weeks recovering from eye surgery at my house
9. My somewhat dumb puppy that growls at himself in the mirror
10. My figment short that I wrote for a steampunk contest. It had to be 750 words or less, and I managed to make it EXACTLY 750 words. Now I will shamelessly plug it and ask for you to "heart" it. Winner gets a free nook.

Why haven't I exploded yet?

With everything going on I'm still in shock that my head hasn't popped off.

It just dawned on me how busy next year is going to be.

I'll be a senior, hopefully class vice-president, definitely yearbook editor, I'll be putting together a 24 piece portfolio for art, and I'll be a member of at least 10 clubs.

I'm thinking that I might need to cut back a little. <- talk about an understatement!

Not to mention I'll be busy keeping my GPA up and trying to apply for as many scholarships and grants as possible.

Is anyone else a little scared about the future?

Winning, tips, and physics

So yesterday at my tournament I managed to place first in my event, which was persuasive speaking! Hooray!

And my dad, who does this thing called Toastmasters also placed first in his event!

I come from a family of winners. And Jews. Oh yeah, and head-hunting native Filipinos.

Another highlight of my weekend was volunteering at a charity antique show. And no, it wasn't because of the warm fuzzy feeling that I get from helping out my community, it was because I got tips for waiting on tables at the event. YEAH! Cash! Sadly, I only got single bills, so I left the place feeling a little cheap and slightly dirty because some jerk off spilled their sweet tea on my arm.

It was my first experience being a waitress so I can now understand how waitstaff are so easily frazzled. Goodness, it was tough.

Then around 5pm I went to a physics study session that my teacher was having. I know what you guys are thinking, who in their right mind would willingly go up to the school on a Sunday night to do physics?!

Well I would. Mainly because I really needed to review before the test. I REALLY NEEDED TO. It was pretty fun though. We had snacks and drinks and we pretty much worked out problems while jamming out to Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj. My friend Kenneth owns both of the aforementioned artists' cds and knows the lyrics to most of their songs... If only he was a lumberjack and 5'11---- we'd be soulmates. JUST KIDDING.

Oh man! I just realized that it's 8:05 and Happy Thoughts is on Comedy Central right now!

Hasta Luego!

Looks are deceiving

You see that pretty tree there to the left? Yeah, that's a Bradford Pear tree. At my school we have two of them planted in the lower courtyard, and they look very pretty, but I wish my school would just get rid of them.

Why?

Because they smell. And not in a nice way.

Have you ever been to a fish market? Or perhaps had a batch of uncooked shrimp go bad in your fridge? Because that's what this tree smells like as soon as it blooms in the spring: rotting shrimp.

Other people online described it more colorfully, but yeah...

As we were taking club pictures today the stench being emitted from these Asian ornamental trees was quite unpleasant, and led to many angry conversations about the idiocy of these plants, that have been referred to as invasive towards native plant species. UGH. Smelly trees FTL.

My teachers will hate me tomorrow

....because I'm going to be gone most of the period for club pictures.

After looking at the schedule I realized that I'm going to be in 9 (!) club pictures for the yearbook. First through fourth period happens to be when most of the pictures are scheduled and it just so happens that I have pictures in each period :/

Yeah. I don't know how this is going to go down. Normally this wouldn't matter, but since tomorrow is a half day all of my classes are cut in half.

And then I have a speech competition Saturday, which I'm under prepared for, but that's ok. I'll get through it. I'm so used to public speaking it oozes from my pores.

From inside my sketchbook

As promised from the last post, some snapshots from my sketchbook. I was originally going to scan them, but I got lazy. In fact, the only reason that I can type this right now is because I had a half day of school due to standardized testing. I'm currently ignoring the giant MOUNTAIN of homework that I have to do in order to blog... I really need to straighten out my priorities.

1) A preliminary rough sketch of a roots and influence assignment in my art class. 2) A little doodle my friend Caity drew in my book. 3) A Where's Waldo card I snagged from a small child that got it in a happy meal or something.

4) Some notes and reminders, and a tortoise falling into a koi pond. 5) Piggy Man is pretty self explanatory. 6) A quick sketch of my grandma's Irish wolfhound Sugar.

7) A little thing inspired by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. 8) A recent question that had crossed my mind while reading the March issue of TIME magazine. 9) A Teddy Roosevelt quote that I really enjoyed.

I omitted the more mundane pages that had physics notes and random cat people on them because I was, well, lazy. Anyways, yeah. Back to homework.