Just so I'm sure I'm legit and don't lose the contest on the last day I'm home....

Things I'll Miss About Being Home for the Summer:

-Derek Wetmore

-VF employee nights

-Chipotle

-Twins games

-Bonfires

-Willowz

-Wings

-500

-Bros

-My bed

-Wearing stripes

-J3

-Daily showers

-Blog reading

-Driving

-FBDF

-Nicholas

-Sleeping til noon

-Going barefoot

-Kobie

Things I WON'T Miss About Being Home for the Summer

-Applebees

-Facebook

-My room

-OCs

-VF employee cafeteria

-Broken prizes/guests/those damn shorts

-Starting movies a 1:00 am

-Sleeping through my day

-Chores

-Boys

-Wearing "real" clothes

-Spending all my money

I'M LEAVING

Mm. It's 1:35 and I should probably get packing. I'm leaving in 12 hours!! How crazy is that?! Lame as it sounds, I've been waiting for this day for the last 11 years of my life. Ha, well more or less this day.. And it's fricken here! Exciting exciting. I should maybe pack (already said this). Also do laundry. Also, other things I can't think of. I'm finally freaking out! The Lord is good! And I am fully confident he's got a crazy awesome summer planned for me. Will I sleep tonight? Probably not. Will I attempt? Debatable, at the moment. What to pack what to PACK? Wowza, this is gonna be roughskies.

This is the last night I have to blog for awhile. You're welcome for a 3 mo. break from my word diarrhea.

Peace out, interwebs!

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19

Success

Mom and I had an extremely successful trip today. The reasons are as follows:

1) Mom was certain that my aunt's wedding reception was in Wabasha. Turns out it was on Wabasha Street in Winona. So we were 40 minutes late. Good times.

2) Mom drove off the road (swerving abruptly off the shoulder) eight times.

3) From Wabasha to Winona, there is one working radio station.

4) I found out that my grandparents and their friends no far too much about my personal life. In fact, they know more than I do.

4.5) Soon after, I decided to never marry.

5) Awkwardest hug of my LIFE with my aunt's new gigantor husband.

6) The Lake City DQ does not, in fact, have a bathroom.

7) My aunt said to "say hi to the rest of the fam." Which was the most successful part of the trip and enough to make Mom cry.

what is this feeling

I used to wake up every once in a long while, and I'd have this feeling. I got said feeling about twice a year in high school, and I referred to it to one of my very best friends as "the track and field day feeling." Said feeling included waking up completely excited for the day--arising at 5 just hoping the day would last an extra couple hours and looking forward to something seriously great. A little (eh, a lot of) anxiousness was paired with such excitement, but it just made it all the better. I don't know where said feeling came from during high school, but it originated from the very best day of the year in grade school. I lived for track and field day. You might think I'm exaggerating. But there was nothing I loved more. T&F was practically designed for me. It was totally competitive, you were told to be obnoxiously loud and praised when meeting and exceeding expectations, there were leaders and followers and games and outside and oh my goodness relays and freezies and general awesomeness. Nothing better. Today, I got to part of this wonderful day once again, and it was just as awesome as I remembered. I mean, I got to live my glory days of participation while concurrently laughing at kids who don't realize just how obnoxious they truly are. So great. I love kidlets. And I could not be more excited for these next three months. Good day.

And no, you didn't win. Boo-yah.

zaga what!

Today I ran at a 6:40 pace. Woop woop for not being a turtle anymore:)

Now to Mankato for a Charlie's reunion. I've been waiting for this for, well, a very long time.

I have good things to write about today, and if I get back before midnight, I'll write. Otherwise, your loss.

It hit me today: It's SUMMER! Oh, happiness!

Oh Preciousness

I have been up for the last 32 hours. I've never really pulled an all-nighter just for the hell of it. I only got tired a couple times and I got a ton done today. But yes, I realize it was a very, very bad idea. And I'm going to bed in 19 minutes. BUT that is not the point of this post. The POINT of this post is that in staying up all night to clean my room, I stumbled across a few gems from my youth. I was quite the accomplished writer in 2nd grade. I found some super angsty poetry from middleschool as well, but I'll save that for another time. Now without further ado, here is just a taste:

An introduction:

My name is Kelsey Joanna. I am 7 years old. I have blond hair and blue eyes. On Saturday I like to sleep, and read. I know how to spell and add. This year in school I would like to learn to bake a cake.

My favorite things:

#3.Lazagna

Pizzapasta

Fruitrollup

#4. I like to read books about whales, dolphins, and mistreys.

#7. I like to go camping on my vacation so that I can camp.

My least favorite things:

#1. I don't like the color green. It makes me think of green bay packers. (May I note, that in 3rd grade, I said my favorite color WAS green)

#2. The food I really hate is broccoli (I had erased the word "green" and written broccoli overtop, obviously I can't stand broccoli because it's green) because it tastes yucky.

#3. The worst show on T.V. is goosebumps.

#4. I don't really like books about goosebumps.

#7. I would never go to scool on my vacation.

The Politics of a 2nd grade Me

If I were president I would get up at seven o'clock sharp. Then I'd go to my office and work on laws like: No smoking, no slaves and no kidnaping. Then I'd take the rest of the day of and go horseback riding. And that's my day.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

The End

"I have a dream that everyone has a home." "I have a dream that there was no war." "I have a dream that no one merdered." -Dr. Kelsey Joanther King, Jr.

My Family Story (My Dad and the Water Bloons)

One day my dad saw pepole eating icecream on the church steps. He thout that they wear not supposed to do that. So he got some water bloons. And he threw the water bloons at the pepole.

Instant Classic. Acclaimed by critics everywhere.

My Resolutions for 1999

#2. I will not get cavities

#4. I want to obey the ten commandments

You're proooobably done reading by now. HOWEVER, for my own benefit, I will continue.

If I were the Principal

My school is called Dinkerdot Elementery.

We have school on Mondays. Times 9:00-2:00.

We would study Phy Ed, Art, Music*, Magic*, Word of God, Spelling*

These are our rules: Have Fun, Listen to the Teacher, Whisper when talking to others, Don't Huff or Puff, and Always Chew Gum.

My Wishing Chair:

I found this chair on a road in Wisconsin. I wished that I had more friends. I don't have any friends in my new neighborhood. I be nice to people.

But HOLY COW I hate fighting. Listening to people bicker is the WORST.

Good people, good times

There are some really awesome people in my life. I just spent the afternoon with one of my very best friends, and it just made me so glad. And it made me remember how many great people I know. I'd love to rave about them, but I really want to go watch the SERIES FINALE of LOST. Tell me the ending, and you're so dead to me.

Also, I spent the day with DINOSAURS today! The Science Museum of Minnesota is just so great! I love St. Paul. And I love knowledge. Don't comment (even to yourself) on how nerdy that sounds.

Today was a great day. And I'll definitely be back to talk about LOST later :)

good karma

Finals. Are. Over. And it feels great. I got to leave the hill approximately 4 days before my counterparts, and I've decided that it's all good karma..if I believed in karma. See, fall semester, I got stuck at school until the bitter, bitter end--like almost until the dorms were closed. I was the last person that I knew in the dorm. And that was kind of great. I danced around my floor, jamming and singing at the top of my lungs. However, I was very, very okay with the fact that I got to be first out this time around. Good. Karma.

Target Field

Target Field may be my favorite place in the world. Outdoor baseball is an amazing, amazing thing, and being in that stadium seriously made me giddy. I could have sat in there forever. I mean it helped that we whomped the Brewers, but I wanted to live in right field, laying on the grass, looking up at the stars (if we weren't downtown where we can't see stars), and watching players run by me and balls flyin around. Really, I just wanted to be outside. Forever. It was so..perfect. And I was completely happy. Ha, too bad I'll be gone all summer and unable to enjoy it. Or really, it could be a good thing that I won't be tempted to spend all my money on baseball tickets. I love baseball. The end.

LOST

I've spent all day watching LOST. It's the perfect first day back activity. I'm as grimy as humanly possible. And I'm finishing my last bit of cookie dough. Sick. I've done this before. Two summers ago, I marathoned through two seasons in three days. No showers, no sunshine, just Charlie, Locke, Desmond, and the island. It's ridiculous, this show. So many questions, and not one answer. But it's just so GOOD! Mm I can't help it. So I have four episodes left, and then I get to loose its hold on me for the next ever with the season finale. Don't worry, I can do it. I can see the finish line, and success will be so sweet :)

GO TWINSSSSS!!!!! I am at the twins game RIGHT NOW with my favorite brothers ryan and nick, of course. So great to be done with school. So excited that it's summer. Yep. Lame post: but deal with it.

wow. i almost lost. night.

Dear math,

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I still love you. Take me back, please.

Love,

Kelsey.

Screw you, Mr. Cauchy.

I've spent the last several hours working (and the last two days thinking) about how to make this dang sequence Cauchy and searching for the criteria for making a series likewise. The conclusion to which I have come is as follows: even if I cared why bounded sequences can be made Cauchy and even if I could fake my way through the proof of why Cauchy sequences are convergent, it wouldn't make me a better or more impressive human being and it certainly wouldn't make my school year or summer any less sweet. Why anyone would lock themselves in a room for years to figure this kind of stuff out in the first place is beyond me. Good-bye mathematicas.

Today is a motivated day! I found out that I get to go home in a mere 4 days, and that seriously got me going. I finished two huge assignments for politics, and I'm glad to say that I'm essentially done with that class forever! On to the math test!

Huzzah!

One time, I rhymed for an hour..or so..

Eric

for Shoooo

4:46pm

Kelsey

brooo

4:46pm

Eric

uze a ho

4:47pm

Kelsey

that's just low

4:47pm

Eric

no no no

4:47pm

Kelsey

stick to the stuff you know

4:49pm

Eric

i know a guy named joe

4:49pm

Kelsey

he lives below

4:49pm

Eric

he called no homo

4:50pm

Kelsey

but he loved to sew...

4:50pm

Eric

and his gf loved to blow

bubbles that glow

4:51pm

Kelsey

girlfriend? she/he had an afro

4:52pm

Eric

of course its girl friend! She liked to read Edgar Allen poe

4:52pm

Kelsey

and ate jello

4:52pm

Eric

and drank mellow yellow

4:52pm

Kelsey

all i'm sayin is she's kind of a weirdo...

she threw a yo-yo

4:53pm

Eric

yeah she named her dog Bo

he bit her pinky toe

4:53pm

Kelsey

she was upset cuz then she couldn't play polo

4:54pm

Eric

because she had a lawn to mow

4:55pm

Kelsey

so she could afford to ride in a limo

4:55pm

Eric

and to by some nicer clothes so she didn't look like a bimbo and end up in limbo

4:56pm

Kelsey

her career would plateau

and she'd end up with a scumbag named monroe

4:56pm

Eric

and all the oceans would overflow

4:56pm

Kelsey

from the tears she cried to her pillow

4:57pm

Eric

but she did not want to be a widow

4:58pm

Kelsey

which is too bad cuz she drowned her husband in mayo

Eric

poor poor moe, never got to sing at his show

4:59pm

Kelsey

i guess he missed the memo

4:59pm

Eric

its ok though, his band was emo

5:00pm

Kelsey

"hang be by a lasso"

that was his motto

5:01pm

Eric

it scared his best friend Otto

5:01pm

Kelsey

he was a strange fellow

who wore a poncho

5:02pm

Eric

and owned a condo

5:02pm

Kelsey

and worked at the depot

with his pet gecko

5:03pm

Eric

he bought it Petco

5:03pm

Kelsey

but he really wanted a hippo

5:03pm

Eric

but he crashed his auto on the way to the hippo, good thing he had geico

5:04pm

Kelsey

about getting him, they were very gung-ho

they picked him up on a bronco

5:05pm

Eric

it rode real low

5:06pm

Kelsey

it was a pretty color yellow

and its speeds were turbo..

5:06pm

Eric

go go go

but then they saw it blow

no more yellow bronco..

no more moe

5:07pm

Kelsey

and their hearts were filled with sorrow

the pain was very hard to swallow

5:08pm

Eric

but then a head hunter shot them all with an arrow

one arrow

5:08pm

Kelsey

and they went down like would a sparrow

5:09pm

Eric

then were cooked like dough

very thorough

5:09pm

Kelsey

and fed to the mighty pharoah

5:09pm

Eric

of Cairo

5:09pm

Kelsey

and helped his strength regrow

5:10pm

Eric

so a football he can now throw

5:10pm

Kelsey

and at dances he can disco

5:11pm

Eric

and at limbos he can limbo

5:11pm

Kelsey

also

he can play the bongo

Eric

not many songs though

and too much crescendo

5:12pm

Kelsey

he likes disney songs like "heigh-ho"

Eric

but where he lives no plants grow

5:13pm

Kelsey

they were stepped on by his pinto

Eric

and that was a no no

5:14pm

Kelsey

he got upset and shot him with his longbow

5:14pm

Eric

it hit him right in the elbow

5:14pm

Kelsey

he can no longer tango

5:15pm

Eric

but he can still eat a mango

5:15pm

Kelsey

he'd rather have a marshmallow

or a cup of cocoa

5:16pm

Eric

but they both make his stomach bellow

5:17pm

Kelsey

so all food he must now forgo

Eric

as the economy is in a trough

5:19pm

Kelsey

we should all move to pluto

5:20pm

Eric

to make a sandwhich i should go

5:21pm

Kelsey

right now? we've only been at this for half an hour or so

i think i want a taco

5:22pm

Eric

i want an 89 cent burrito

5:22pm

Kelsey

it might add flub to your torso

Eric

oh no, my abs were outs are so pro

5:23pm

Kelsey

so pro? that must have been a typo..

5:24pm

Eric

oh no

i mean work outs, i meant pro

5:25pm

Kelsey

if you truly want to be pro..

more often to the wieght room you must go

or to austrailia and run with a dingo

Eric

woah

5:27pm

Eric

you're my hero

fo real though, i hear my stomach echoe

i could be back though

so no worries, no?

5:28pm

Kelsey

alright, if to eat you must go

no sorrow

will i show

have fun tonight, yo!

5:28pm

Eric

maybe ill see you tomorrow?

5:29pm

Kelsey

fo sho, i'll bring a banjo...

5:29pm

Eric

thats good to know

Kelsey

ps..i saved this entire convo

Mr. Lump is gone and my bed is de-lofted. And everything just looks really really sad. Also, I have nothing to do tonight. So if I don't find something...maybe I'll get to writing..

The the impotence of Youth Ministers

Youth ministers are important for the following reasons:

1. They pretend to like you, when even you know that you're being annoying the the utmost degree.

2. They tell you all the reasons you are wrong, and why they are right.

3. They provide free food.

4. Well...

Really though, I don't know if there is any position so important as that of a youth minister. It's that person on whom you can unload who isn't your mom (whom you currently loathe) or best friend (whom you're secretly mad at). It's that voice of reason. It's that ability to joke(soft j) when nothing's funny. It's the never ending stories. And yes, it's that random meal that reminds you that you've got at least one friend in this lonely world. Life in high school, well, sucks, and I know tons of kids who would have benefitted from the kind of relationship with which I was blessed. And yeah, maybe I've depended on my own youth minister more than necessary, but I truly believe that my life would be extremely different without my external conscience and sparring partner.

You never believe it when they tell you that one person can change the world. But the very employment of a youth minister is to take the pieces of kids' shattered worlds and somehow put them back together...and then convince them that it'll be all right even if the glue doesn't hold. No one is more trusted; no one works so hard; no one means so much. And frankly, no one realizes it so little. I think youth ministers are so vastly under-appreciated that they fail to appreciate themselves. It's so easy to focus on the ones lost. It's so natural to see the things they couldn't help. But think, then, of all they do--all that we would never think to realize or ask about or sympathize. Crazy shit happens in kids' lives on a daily basis, and the front line of defense? Who else. It's harder than I could ever imagine. Trust me, I've thought about it and I'm literally baffled. But what a blessing. What a joy to share the good news. What a power to make a real and lasting difference. What profound sorrow, but what overpowering gladness.

Some people look up to fire fighters. Some think the president's the bee's knees. Some want to be just like MJ. It might be cheesy and it might be lame, but when it comes to heroes, mine's my youth minister. I see none greater than those who support and love God's children, and I am awed literally every day by the amazing actions of these people. God's work is being done. The joy of Jesus is being spread to those who need to hear it most.

So thanks, guys. You rock. For real.

Tetricies

One game of tetris. This post is my safety in case it lasts an hour.

The Best Advice

"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am--a reluctant enthusiast--a part time crusader--a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards." -Edward Abbey

What a Wednesday

I was supposed to get beheaded today. I was supposed to die. The French mob was supposed to kick my ass and I was supposed to lose the game. However, I was denied death by the stupidity of my classmates. By some crazy twist of who knows what, I kept my head and took back the throne. And all I can say is that I'm so glad it's over. Also, I really hope I pass this class.

Next item on the agenda: math class. It took me nine minutes of sitting in a classroom by myself for me to realize that it's Wednesday. I don't have math on Wednesday. Great. It's time for a movie and a nap.

awkward....

that'll teach me to respect someone's privacy...

body hair

Remember when you were a kid, and you saw something that truly awed you? Something that was so out of the realm of your understanding that you just sat back and oggled--when you genuinely were filled with wonder. Today, Kristen told me that she thought bodies were weird, and we were collectively wondering about hair and how strange everything is when a friend cut in that, "well, our bodies are equipped with hair in the most (some smart words) places, places where we lose heat the most easily..." and he continued to explain the exact function of what was the source of our wonder. It was interesting. But curiosity was cracked open and wonder was completely destroyed. And I got annoyed. Nothing is safe here. No piece of my innocence is left unscathed in the place where 'knowledge is power' and information is easily hunted down. Knowledge is power and it's wonderful and great. But thanks a lot, College, for destroying any sense of wonder I can feel for the world.

alma del core

I had my PA today for voice. So basically I spent my day freaking out about how I only knew the words to one of my songs and how I was in no voice to sing in front of the entire music faculty and how I didn't know if I was supposed to bow when I came in and how I couldn't forget to pronounce my accompanist's name correctly and how I looked fat in my dress and how this would probably be the most humiliating three minutes of my music journey at Gustavus thus far. Whew. It wasn't bad. At all. In fact, it went far better than I could have hoped. And I am now done with voice as a freshman, which is wonderful. I've kind of despised voice lessons throughout the year. From my teacher telling me to lift the aliens out of my head (among thousands of other instructions I couldn't understand) to my embarrassment when my morning "gunk" inhibiting any kind of nice sound became a weekly visitor to my lesson, I could have done without. However, now thinking back, I've learned this year. And free lessons is a really great annoyance to have. So thanks, Gustavus Music Department. And thanks, Trish; I'll be sure to keep an eye on the aliens throughout the summer.

comfortable

Today I learned that it's important to sometimes be uncomfortable and generally less than confident. It helps you to realize that you can make it through. And it also helps you realize that that's not always the worst thing.

I promised 4 today, and seeing as I only have 49 minutes left in the day, I will put this thought on hold.

Look at me go.

Look at me procrastinating blogs even. I even impress myself sometimes.

tomorrow, i'll write 4.

It's been a big weekend for me. I got my first pedicure, reevaluated my future, and watched a movie about dragons. Home is nice.

simple

This is a cop-out, cause I don't reeeally want to blog all that badly. But I mentioned only a few days ago that I once watched Nick put a kid on the roof. Here's the story:

The sticky summer air smelled of seaweed and salty burgers, and the crowd of excited fans buzzed with talk of the day’s events. The 1998 Summer Boat Show was underway in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Hundreds of fans had come out to watch professional water skiers and wake boarders compete--performing unbelievable displays of athleticism both in the air and on the water.

Being my father’s daughter, I was more or less immune to the competitive high overtaking the crowd. My dad had owned a boat business for several years, making me a veteran show observer as well as worker. I bounced around the boats as if they were my personal jungle gym, cleaning dirt off the seats when I was feeling especially helpful and looking to my dad for an approving smile. However, the moment he was otherwise occupied, I escaped the crowds and boats to embark on an adventure with my brothers. We scurried around the swarms of people to explore the marina’s nearby tavern as well as the woods behind. I yelped as my older brother, Nick, popped out from behind trees, always proud of his clever ability to tease our younger brother, Ryan, and me.

An epic adventure of ‘Cowboys versus the Alien Invasion’ was suddenly interrupted by the high-pitched giggle of Little Patrick Fitzgibbens. The Fitzgibbens’ were close personal friends of my parents and annually spent the week at the show with my father. Sure enough, the barely babbling two-and-a-half year old had waddled smack into the middle of our game once again. Disgruntled, I darted in the other direction to join my brothers in a new game: “run-and-hide-til-Little-Patrick-goes-away.” It was not until Little Patrick fell and cut himself on a tree branch that I felt any sort of apprehension. I sighed and walked back to inspect his wound. Yep, we were stuck with him.

We soon exhausted our usual charades, and our troupe, with Little Patrick in tow, was antsy for a new adventure. Coming upon the backdoor of the tavern, I saw Nick’s eyes light up with a fresh scheme. The small, log tavern was cut into the hill, and the far side of the slightly slanted roof was just low enough for a nine-year-old boy to clamber up, and that is exactly what Nick did. Taking careful steps up and onward, he soon reached the tip top of the tavern. “I claim this land for Nicky Koch!” he proudly declared. He was on top of the world. However, down on the ground, my stomach was in knots. I looked around nervously, scouting my best possible escape route. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew that something about this was very wrong, and more than anything I wanted to be back cleaning scum off the boats on the other side of the marina. Nick scooted back down the roof slowly. “Come on Kels,” he grinned, “it’s so cool.” I shook my head vigorously. “It’s okay,” he said, “we’ll all go.” He jumped down. “Okay, smallest first.” He grabbed Little Patrick’s hand.

My pulse quickened. Every ounce of me knew that this was exactly the kind of danger than my mom was always going on about. There were so many bones to broken, bandages to use, tears to be shed. There was no possibility of my climbing the roof, and it certainly was no place for Patrick. I knew that it was time to either speak up and ruin the game or forever hold my peace. My shaking seven-year-old legs carried me towards the brother I idolized, my mind set on telling him it was time to head back. But as I stood looking up at him, I realized that I couldn’t say no. I so badly wanted him to have fun with me, to think I was cool like him. And anyway, who knew, maybe it would be fun. It was just one game; no one would get hurt.

Before I could allow myself to think any further, Nick and I were pushing the tiny, diaper-bottomed load onto the roof, using all the the carefulness two children on their tiptoes could muster. Finally, Little Patrick used his own stubby legs to stand and take his first step. I took a quick breath in. He took another step and giggled as he made his way to a flat part of the roof, a new territory to explore. Relief washed over me. He was happy. This wasn’t all bad. Nick went next once again, and I helped as he struggled with fatigued muscles to hoist his body onto the platform.

I glanced around and suddenly realized that I could no longer see Patrick anywhere. Searching the roof with squinted eyes from every angle, I jumped into panic mode--I took off looking for someone, anyone who might be able to help. I had barely taken three steps when I bounced smack into the stomach of a very large and visibly angry man. Without saying a word he pushed me aside and leapt onto the roof. Seconds later, he reappeared with Little Patrick crooked uncomfortably, like a football, under one arm. As it turns out, this man was the owner of the tavern and had been sitting pleasantly in his office when a toddler knocked and waved enthusiastically at him from outside his third floor window. Once Little Patrick was on the ground safely, the man turned to me and to Nick, who was now standing nervously by my side. I bawled as we were berated, believing that never, in the history of all of humankind, had anyone ever done something so terrifyingly horrible.

Humiliated, we next faced Little Patrick’s mother and father, and to this day I do not believe there has ever been a set of angrier parents. I was too embarrassed to look at them as they swore that their son would never be left alone with such irresponsible children again. Between sobs I begged my mom to believe that I never, ever in my life or in a million years wanted to hurt Little Patrick, and I had only done it because Nick convinced me it was okay. My mom took me in her lap and gently explained that just because other people were doing something didn’t make it okay, and it was my job to tell when something was right or wrong. After a week in my room with no one but Dr. Seuss to entertain me, the lesson was duly noted and ingrained, a lesson not only that I needed to hear as a seven-year-old, but one that still holds true today: Toddlers don’t belong on roofs. It’s that simple.

The Thursday list

Sorry for the lack of positivity...

The king will probably be dead in a week. That's not a super encouraging motivator for my homework.

I'm not The Holiday anymore. And I think being human is harder than feeling bad for not.

Megan has no deep thoughts to share with the world.

Hillary picks her nose.

^^That's a lie.

When we're young, they tell us we can do anything and that we can be anyone. We can't.

I've learned more about myself this year than I knew existed. I kind of liked not knowing.

ramen

I wrote a song tonight. First ever. I feel like a second grader because I absolutely no talent in the area, but it made me feel better. And that's what music's supposed to do, right?

May the 4th be with you

Today is the day set aside for "my people." It is a day for those of use who enjoy the finer things in life, namely Star Wars. For lightsabers and wookies, Han Solo and even Jar-Jar Binks, for Dantooine and everything but those dang ewoks who ruin everything. This is a day of champions.

Today I remember my first ever Star Wars marathon, back when my 14-year-old naivety had me unaware of the gem inside Al's box set of dvds. It is the day I remember good times and cookie dough binges--for Star Wars is not just about the material, but the fellowship. I remember read-alouds and watching "For Luck" 23 times in a row. Today is a day of nostalgia.

Today is a day when we celebrate nerdiness and the bond that comes in following the icon George Lucas. May the Force be with you all.

It's been a really nothing day. I've napped. That's about it. I'm just...meh.

another blog inspired by alisa

Today I was told to stop worrying about outcomes, and simply stand for principle. Granted, this was in the context of a politics game, but I think I fail to make that distinction often. I am competitive. I tend to beat that fact into the ground, but it's true. I think that things are pointless if I can't win, and I feel as though I am nothing when I fail. Because truly, why do anything if you know it's a lost cause? Why would you spend so much time and effort, only to see it wasted? That's why I'm competitive. I'm competitive because I want all my work to mean something.

But what about when it doesn't go my way? What about when it can't? Sure, it may drive me crazy, but does that mean I should abandon principle? Does that mean I should forget who I am and what I stand for? The point I saw today was that sometimes it's enough simply to know you tried. I might not see it, but by simply standing firm on my own two feet, I can make a tiny dent. We see things in black and white, but sometimes it's possible to stick our little piece of white into darkness and make people think. Opinion and principle, that's what makes things grey. Standing for something is powerful. It shows guts and strength. Sometimes you can win even when the outcome is opposite of what you hoped. I guess I just rarely see it that way.