The Poisonwood Bible

Stunning. Astonishing. Gripping. Homework.

Homework it was, but it didn't really seem like it. I enjoyed it immensely. If you are keeping one of those lists of books you'd like to read, I'd suggest you put this on the list (if you haven't already read it).
The story is about a Baptist family in the 1960s, going on a mission in Congo. The dad is pretty much an idiot, a hypocrite proclaiming repentance to a timid and kind people he doesn't understand. The oldest daughter is very worldly, only cares for the latest trends. The twins were interesting. Leah is a tomboy, but Adah...Adah was my favorite character. She suffered from...(can't remember scientific term...hemo...something) but in short, Leah got all the nourishment in the womb, and Adah got little. Because of that, Adah is only a "half-brain"...she has full control of her left side, but her right is crippled. She reads books backwards. She has an interesting mind. Ruth May, the youngest, is a girl of determination. Orleanna, the mother, is very afraid of tropical diseases, but feeds the family and keeps them together.
My favorite thing about this book was the fact that it was told by everyone, including five-year old Ruth May. Nathan (the Father and Preacher) had no say whatsoever in this book. This novel was told by five women. You got to look deep into each one's personality, and see through their eyes. The variety of perspectives gave you an unbiased look at their experience.
A must-read at some point of your life.

I must admit one con...the last 80 pages just seemed to drag and were rather tedious.

Mischief

I was in a very delicate situation. It was late at night, and a half-inch of snow blanketed the ground. Doyle and I had snuck into Josylnn's backyard. We contemplated at how to surprise her. Her family were all awake and hopefully were being loud, so we could prevent ourselves from being heard. We wanted to surprise Josylnn when she was in her room. But to my dismay, her room is on the third floor, with a private balcony. And Doyle was determined to get up there. We had moved a table, put a chair on the table, and Doyle nimbly and quickly got onto the roof, over the railing, and onto the balcony. Now it was my turn. I have to admit there are three things I hate: heights, climbing to them, and snot. I stood there in the cold, in disbelief that Doyle wanted me, the clumsiest oaf ever to walk the earth, to climb onto the roof and onto that balcony. I stared up at her with my soggy present in hand. I handed her my present, and I set to work. My hands were numb, beyond feeling, and Doyle's gloves weren't really helping. They actually made things slipperyier ( I know that's not a word. I like to make words up.). As I finally got my hold onto the railing, I realize that it's a wobbly railing. Plus, the railing is nice and tall, not easy to swing my legs over. Soon, I found myself stuck on top of the swaying railing, terrified, while Doyle impatiently tells me to hurry up. I look down, realizing I'm almost three stories in the air, and one bad step or hand placement would probably put me in pain, let alone get me shot for terrifying Josylnn's family... I pray for the ability to balance myself just this once, and I bravely swung my other leg over, and alas! I made it!
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Josylnn just finished showering, and the next step was for her to go to her room. And there she was! She called us, and we asked her to open her back door. I chuckled at the look of confusion on her face, then I loudly hop over to where she can see us.
The look of surprise and astonishment and anger was all worth it.

Songs...

My top ten most catchy songs: (Which means that whenever I hear it, it gets stuck in my head for days on end...)


10. "They Gave Each Other a Pledge..." -Fiddler on the Roof
9. "You Never Give Me Your Money" -The Beatles
8. "Lullaby" -Peter Brienholt and the Big Parade
7. "Defying Gravity" -Wicked
6. "My Favorite Things" -The Sound of Music
5. "Helter Skelter" -The Beatles
4. "She's Leaving Home" -The Beatles
3. "Because I Have Been Given Much" -Hymns
2. "Don't Scratch Your Butt" -A Prairie Home Companion
1. "Unto Us" -Mormon Tabernacle Choir


Looking back on this list, I realize this is a very random list of random songs...but...that's me! I'm a very random person...

how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

After receiving my schedule for second semester, I knew something was terribly wrong. I was enrolled in three classes, two of them credit earning. I was supposed to be enrolled in at least six classes...but after fixing it, I ended up with eight.
Yes, after much contemplation, I decided I'm going to try calculus once again. I have found this year that I'm missing math. So much that I try to do weird problems mentally. Only they don't work. I don't know how to write problems, and after last night, I don't remember how to solve them either.
So, I will be studying hard over the holidays and the few weeks before second semester starts. I hope I will be caught back up by then. If I'm not...all well...I'll work all the harder, right?
So, calculus, how do I love you?
1. Your problems seem to apply to real life. (Wow, a ladder slipping, and sliding away from the wall...I wonder how fast it's slipping? Let me write down a problem, and I'll figure it out!)
2. You make me feel intelligent when I can successfully tell you where there is a "hole" in a function, or the limits...but I'm afraid a very little amount of people care where limits are on a curvy, wavy line...
3. You help me kill time I don't have with your incomprehensible mysteries.
4. You make me appreciate mathematicians.
5. You give me more knowledge on how to manipulate a TI-calculator.
6. You give me more knowledge, period.

But, I'm afraid, calculus, that you make me cringe in one area: The AP test itself. Then I begin to hate you.

Our Christmas Tree...

Can you find this won-derful bird in the previous two pictures?

Say What?

This post consists of a few of many of my little mistakes and blurts that I encounter due to my hearing...or the lack of it...

Misheard lyrics:
"...and in the middle of negotiations... you break out..." (The Beatles "You Never Give Me Your Money")

"Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, doin' fine..." (Steam Na na Hey hey [kiss him goodbye])

"You just gotta let it grow....you just gotta let it grow..." (Eels "I Need Some Sleep")


Conversations/statements:

In a class, we were talking about good communication skills. The teacher asked us to give us some examples of good communication. A girl raised her hand and said, 'good eye contact.' As I pondered on her answer, I thought about the way I communicate...I never really look people in the eye, as I'm focusing on what they're saying by reading their lips...so without second thought, I blurt out, 'good lip contact'. There goes the class...

During water polo practice, we got an assistant coach who we've never seen before. I wondered why I liked him so much. Then I realized why. Even though I couldn't hear, I could understand him on first try, because his lips were so readable. Without thinking, I tell him that he has nice lips...whoops!

Life

Someone recently asked me what's going on in my life...
Well. The usual. On my "long" days I wake up a little after 5, go lift weights, swim, go to school, swim, coach a swim team, then go home to...sit down. On my "short" days, I wake up, go to school for three hours, go home, go swim, coach, then come home.
Then on the weekends, I catch up with everything (like sleep) and everyone.
Pretty dull, eh?
I'm experiencing only a small dilemma for the moment. I'm sure it'll pass. I love coaching, it's fun and all, but I dislike getting home so late...so I can eat, fool around for an hour...then go to bed. I want to ask my boss to find someone else to coach, but I know I can't do that, as the pool has paid my coaching fees and to make me "eligible". I also just attended an "in-service". All well. The weekends are MINE after 12:00 pm on Saturdays!
That's about it with my life...thank you for asking...
I'm shocked and scared at how fast the days are flying by. I'm already half-way through second semester! Ack! Dung beetles!

Pitter Patter...

As I was relaxing, watching the T.V. while trying to figure out how to make a dreamcatcher, I hear a faint chhk! chhk! chok! cok! I ignore it. I continue to watch Star Trek and enjoy myself, thinking that Q has some great insults for Worf, such as: "You have a macro head...with a micro brain!!" Or such useless phrases like that.
Then it starts again...chhk! chchchchkk! I finally realize what's happening: I'm being invaded. Yes, my house is currently invaded by...mice. If you move the tiles around in my ceiling, you can hear a mouse quickly scamper away.
I'm sorry to say that we have killed one already. We just have to get the rest, or my top ramen and brown sugar won't be safe!
Mom will probably buy peppermint oil. Apparently mice don't like peppermint oil, and once they smell it, they move out. It'd be nice if they moved to some other neighbor's house. Then we wouldn't have to do the sorry deed of terminating them. At least they're not rats like that one year...
Winter has definitely settled in. The mice are back.