SOL - Learn Live Repeat

Late nights in the midnight hours

Having fun till after that

Strange talks

Weird games

Memories were freshly made

Inside jokes

Tired journaling

Strange clothes

Weird games

Next morning

6:45

Alarm goes off

Wake people up

Take a shower

Crawl back in bed

Pack your bag

Remind your friends

Tell the other room

As you eat breakfast

Learn

Live

Repeat

Trip Books

       Between May 5th and 14th I didn't have much time to read outside of the plane flights and bus rides. Despite this, I finished Red Queen and got a bit further in The Scorch Trials. The conclusion to Red Queen was extremely unsatisfying and set the story up for a sequel. The main characters barely make it out of the conflict and away to their fellow Scarlet Guard members. The worst part is that Red Queen came out this year, so I will have to wait for at least another year for the next novel in the series.
       The Scorch Trials is not as interesting as The Maze Runner, the first book in the series, though it has gotten more gripping and much more has happened. Thomas and most of the Gladers have almost made it to the end of the Scorch, where they have been promised a cure. Some new characters have been introduced and are interesting, but the author hasn't provided as much background as I would like. I am hoping that the third book in the series is also interesting and the end of The Scorch Trials gives more information about everything going on.

Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard

       Mare Borrow has lived with Reds her entire life. She is a Red herself. Until she finds herself swept up in the chaos of the Silver market. While she is there the market is attacked by rebellious Reds and her sister ends up getting injured before they can flee and escape back to their home. The next day Silver guards knock on their door and Mare is swept back to the Silver capitol to become a servant for the royals. When Queenstrial comes and she falls into the lightning field she discovers powers she never knew she had.

       With my busy week I didn't get much time to read Red Queen, but from what I did read I am still thoroughly enjoying it. There has been more action and the characters remain interesting. I am looking forward to finishing Red Queen, and, as always, I would recommend it to people who like dystopian fiction.
Currently Reading:
Red Queen
The Scorch Trials

SOL - Trips

Trips

Florida, Boston, California, Washington

The heat of the theme parks

The sand of the beaches

The meetings on the ocean

The underground tours

But a favorite

Is hard to pick

So I won't

'Cause I can't 

And don't want to

"Don't touch the water!"

"Going off to school!"

"If there's a ghost in your photo."

"I got sand everywhere!"

They're all really great

From the 

Underground tours and the 

Meetings on the ocean and the

Sand on the beaches and the

Heat of the theme parks

Washington, California, Boston, Florida

Trips

Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard

       Mare Borrow has lived with Reds her entire life. She is a Red herself. Until she finds herself swept up in the chaos of the Silver market. While she is there the market is attacked by rebellious Reds and her sister ends up getting injured before they can flee and escape back to their home. The next day Silver guards knock on their door and Mare is swept back to the Silver capitol to become a servant for the royals. When Queenstrial comes and she falls into the lightning field she discovers powers she never knew she had.
       I've really enjoyed the beginning of Red Queen. There has been a lot of action which has helped the story remain interesting and fast paced. The characters are well developed with few gaps in their stories. The plot is a bit confusing because of how much has happened in such a short amount of time, but otherwise the story makes sense. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like dystopian novels.

Currently Reading: Red Queen

SOL - Dear Math And Other Annoyances

Dear Math and Other Annoyances,

       All of you only add problems to my life. Math, you add extra assignments and tests and studying. Though you are one of the less annoying topics and I do enjoy your company, you are still not the most fun thing in the world.

       Español, también no son lo peor, aunque me obligan a levantarse temprano dos veces por semana. A veces me siento tan cansado que no puedo concentrarme en lo que estoy haciendo, y eso hace que la tarea increíblemente difícil.

       (Spanish, you are also not the worst, though force me to wake up early twice a week. Sometimes I am so tired I can't focus on what I'm doing, and that makes the homework incredibly difficult.)

       And lastly, sports. You are perhaps the least annoying of all, though you exhaust me and make homework difficult. In the fall and spring I appreciate having something to do in the afternoons, especially the games. Games are the most fun.

Sincerely,

Selah

Ship Breaker By Paolo Bacigalupi

       Inside the crumbling hulls of huge oil tankers there is no making mistakes. No stepping in the wrong spot or cutting the wrong wire. On light crew Nailer is forced to venture into such ships and rescue the copper wire and other valuable materials. Day after day of painful and tiring labor left Nailer's father a drunk and addict, and Nailer rarely goes home, living in fear of being beaten. All of this changes when he and Pima come across a wrecked clipper ship. A ship full of riches with enough worth to get them off the island. But the most important object is a single girl.

       I really enjoyed Ship Breaker. I feel like the characters were well written and the plot was continuously interesting, though there were some confusing points. When there was a lot of action going on I felt like the author sometimes left out pieces of the story, making it make less sense. Besides this though, I feel like the story line was unique and the characters were interesting to learn about. I would recommend this book to people who like dystopian fiction and action.

SOL - Snow

       Waking up to snow is almost as bad as waking up to a 100 degree day. Especially after you haven't slept well. Today I woke up before the alarm and could tell though the blinds that the weather was in a foul mood. I cracked open my door and trudged to the bathroom, not even bothering to look outside.
       "Good morning!" My mom says from her room. "Your uniform is dry, though I doubt you'll be having a game today with all the snow." I finally look outside to the grey sky and floppy white flakes and groan internally. I am not particularly fond of snow, even though I've lived with it my whole life, and almost never like waking up to it. Especially not in April. Four months into the year new snow should not be falling. If anything is going to fall from the sky it should be rain. I love rain. That's why I like spring. Usually.
       Walking outside is a whole new task entirely. There's no way to get around the large flakes, and I end up covered before I even reach the front of the car. Once in the car the drive's not so bad. We get the heater going and warm up, the snow slowly melting off our jackets. The worst part of the drive is the traffic. Other cars are going so slowly that we end up crawling our way to school. As we pull onto the school property "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" comes on the radio and I'm pulled back to another time where there wasn't snow on the ground and I was dressed up, performing in front of 80 people. Those were good times. We pull into the loop and I'm forced to get out of my warm, dry haven and embark on the treacherous journey to the front doors.

The Scorch Trials By James Dashner

       Once the Gladers make it out of the maze and into the waiting arms of their supposed rescuers, they feel a sense of security that has been missing for the entirety of their remembered lives. They are taken to a dormitory far away from the worst parts of the city and are given clean clothes, food, and beds. Teresa is isolated from the rest of the group, and when they wake up the next morning she is gone, they're locked in their room, and cranks are breaking their windows and trying to attack them. And that's only the beginning.
       I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 100 pages of The Scorch Trials. The action continues and the characters continue to be built by their choices and actions. Like The Maze Runner, I would recommend The Scorch Trials to people who enjoy dystopian fiction and action packed books.

SOL - It. Was. Wonderful.

       My foot connects with the ball and I send it flying, almost hitting a girl from the other team square in the face. She ducks at the last second and the ball is successfully played up field. Offense takes it the rest of the way and shoots right past the goalie into the net.
       We all go back to kick off positions and repeat the process of stealing and fighting for the ball before scoring again. We do this over and over until the end of the game, each time getting more and more optimistic about finally winning a game. By the end of the game the score is 6 - 0, us 6, Boulder Country Day 0. And the best part was it was my first game this season and I got to play the entire time. I was never subbed out. Not once. It. Was. Wonderful.

Room 214 by Helen Frost and The Maze Runner by James Dashner

       Over break I read Room 214 by Helen Frost and finished The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Room 214 is about the lives and interactions of a classroom of students, their teacher, and the school custodian. The story is told in poems written by the characters about the other student and things going on in their lives. Room 214 is an interesting book, and is written in a unique style. Because the poems are written by different people it keeps the story interesting. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy verse novels and quick reads.

       The conclusion to The Maze Runner wasn't satisfying, though it is only the first in the series and the story continues. The book remained interesting and fast paced, and I would still recommend it to people who enjoy dystopian novels and action packed reads. I am currently reading The Scorch Trials, the second book in the series, and am still on the edge of my seat as the action continues.

March 31 - This Is The End

If you knew what you know now,

Would you have dreaded the entire month of March?

Would you have complained so much about posting and commenting every day?

Would you have tried so hard to find good pictures and topics when you thought you were running low?

Probably not.

Because the whole month of March wasn't actually that hard.

I thoroughly enjoyed posting every day and reading other people's writing.

I learned that writing can be easy if you just let it all out on a piece of paper, or, more accurately, a computer screen.

I learned that writing can be hard if you wait till 15 minutes before it's due.

I learned that it's easier to tell people how I really feel if I don't have to talk to them face to face.

But most importantly, I learned that I would be perfectly content to write something every day for the rest of my life.

Would you?

March 30 - The Endless Possibilities Of An iPhone Camera

Oh, the endless possibilities of an iPhone camera.

Like taking a selfie with your brother while waiting for your food at Panera Bread.

Or snapping a shot of your friend trying a color of lipstick at MAC.

Or how about taking a picture of your bus on a field trip just before you realize you're technically not allowed to use your phone.

Or snapping a shot of a cool display at DAM as your group keeps walking, practically leaving you behind.

Or having your phone stolen so your friend can take random pictures of other people before a soccer game.

Or taking an awful selfie after winning giant glasses at a mini golf course because your dad knows who wrote "Paradise City."

March 29 - Something So Pointless

       Sitting at my desk with a library mac and photo booth the possibilities are almost endless. But there's only one effect I should really be interested in: the mirror effect. Somewhere along the way Brynn comes over and starts working at Danielle's desk and leans over to see what I'm doing. As I play around with the effects I find one called "colored pencil" and quickly snap a shot of Brynn and I. We then proceed to quietly giggle as I email it to myself before realizing we're here because we either need to be or are uncurrent, and aren't supposed to talk until the end of lunch. We check for any signs of a teacher. None.

       After I email myself the picture I go back to doing my work and Brynn goes back to doing hers. A little more than a week later I pull up my email to look for good slice pictures and find this one. It triggers the memory and I remember that lunch period fondly. Who knew something so pointless could lead to such a nice memory?

March 28 - A Great Way To Spend A Friday Evening

       "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" Kate grabs the basket's handle and yanks it open, revealing our mystery ingredients: spicy red pepper pasta sauce, white rice, hamburger meat, and mac and cheese sauce powder. We get five minutes to plan and gather ingredients from the pantry and tools from around the kitchen before our 30 minutes of cook time begin. We once again look at our ingredients and combine our own plans to create a master scheme before getting right down to it. She cooks the beef, I cook the sauce and vegetables. We yell at each other from across the kitchen, just like the rest of the teams. Our station is located right next to the stove. The one stove, that only has four burners for all three groups. I reach around people and people reach around me, and before we know it our 30 minutes are almost up and we're plating our delicious concoctions. Each team presents their creations to the judges and takes the criticism well, almost like the professionals on TV. Once that's over we all turn and walk nervously down stairs to await the declaration of just which group got chopped.

March 27 - Why Is This So Hard?!

       Why is this so hard?! I know all the conjugations and what the words mean and how to put it into place. So. Why. Can't. I. Do. This. I just stare at the paper. I've already filled in what I know, but I should know all of it. So why don't I fill it in? AHHHHH!
       Almost the whole period's over and I still haven't filled in everything. I thought Nikki said it would be multiple choice!! Yeah well, it's not.
       And, it's time to go. Nikki asks, "Facil o dificil?" Dificil. Deffinitely dificil. Man that sucked. I probably failed at least half of it. I hope it doesn't affect my overall score. I can't wait till Friday.

March 26 - Now There Is Light

And now you're outside
And there's no more pain
But you know you've died
And can't feel the rain

Back in the cave
Where the diggers still stay
And they never save
And they'll never say

You can see them from here
But you don't want to know
Why their hands smear
The clean water so

Now what do you do
When there's nothing to say
And the sky's not blue
But you can't look away

Now wait just a minute
They're looking at you
And their angry looks cut
Correction, they're looking through you

And then you're gone
Away from the world
Into the sun
You find yourself hurled

Everything's black
And you feel the burn
There's no going back
And you'll never return

March 25 - The Maze Runner By James Dashner

       Last week I finished The Nine Lives of Chloe King and begun The Maze Runner. The end of The Nine Lives of Chloe King had a slightly unsatisfying ending, though most threads were tied up and the characters seemed okay. Many people died that I didn't expect to die, which was annoying. I would still recommend this book to people my age and older who like fast paced action and a touch of fantasy.

       The beginning of The Maze Runner is gripping and interesting, though a bit confusing. Lots happens in the first 96 pages and new things continue to come up around every corner. Because in the beginning of the book the main character shows up in a new place with no memory of his past everything is confusing. He is being introduced to new creatures, places, and word, which is confusing for the reader because at first we don't know what most of the characters are talking about. So far I'm enjoying The Maze Runner, and would recommend it to people who like The Hunger Games and other dystopian novels.

March 24 - Then There's No More Light

In the cave

Where the unknown lays

And the ghosts all rave

About the grand old days

In the cave

Where the waterfall streams

And you can't quite save

All the frozen dreams

In the cave

Where the points all hang

And you have to be brave

To ignore the dark's tang

In the dark

When you can't quite see

How to manage a spark

How to make yourself free

In the light

When everything's real

And you just can't fight

How happy you feel

And back in the cave

Where you want to fight

But they dig your grave

Then there's no more light

March 23 - Hold On, I'm Getting A Snapchat...

WorldNews, March 23, 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA TAKES OVER THE WORLD ! !

       From Instagram to Twitter to FaceTime, social media is slowly but surely taking over the world. People spend so much time swiping on profiles and talking via texting that they don't leave time for actual people. Because of this the younger generations will completely loose the ability to connect with actual people. We have scored an exclusive interview with the president himself about his opinion on social media. This is a bit of what he said:

"...I believe that social media is both a good and bad thing. It allows people to communicate over long distances, though some people use it so much that they get caught up in it instead of watching where they are going, which can lead to injury, and even death. Because sites like Twitter and Facebook exist, people are going to use them no matter what we do. And if we closed the sites the general population would get extremely upset, which could lead to other unrest..."

       So there you have it folks, social media is slowly but surely taking over the - Hold on, I'm getting a Snapchat...

March 22 - HERE WE COME SUMMER ! !

       Come summer, we like to eat dinner outside. My dad grills salmon or burgers or whatever and we all sit around our patio table and eat. It's nice. Really nice. We have to swat away flies or protect our meat from the wasps, but it's worth it. Speaking of flies, when I was little and my brother was young enough to still need naps, me, my mom, and Miles were outside at the table doing something, when it was time for his nap. My mom went inside to put him to sleep, leaving me outside. I've been told that she heard me screaming or came outside to find me crying or something like that, but apparently there was a fly or two that wouldn't leave me alone. I would swat them away, and they would come back. And I was terrified. And I mean TERRIFIED. I don't remember this, but I've heard the story, and can totally imagine me doing that. Anyway, I still enjoy these summer evening escapes, and look forward to the weather warming up. HERE WE COME SUMMER ! !

March 21 - Miracles

Miracles.

Do they happen?

Yes.

No.

I.

Don't.

Know.

Do you?

Lets pretend they do.

What would happen?

World peace?

Eternal happiness?

No more sickness?

No.

No, that would suck.

That would be the most boring place in the world.

What if Disney was real?

What if you could wish on a blue star?

Or have your wish granted by a fairy godmother?

Or be healed by a magical flower?

Would that be a good life?

Maybe.

Probably.

But it would be so easy.

And that would be hard.

It's better to just believe.

Just believe in miracles.

March 20 - Welcome, Seattle, To Our Humble City

       When I roll over to look at my clock it reads 9:something or other in bright red numbers. I look again, not caring what exactly the something or other part actually is, but to make sure it says AM. It's not bright enough to be 9 AM. I know that for a fact. By 9 it's usually bright and sunny and disruptive, but today it looks like it could be 7 AM outside. I roll over and go back to sleep.

       By the time I actually get up it's only 10 something, but it still looks the same. I slept in my clothes last night with my hair in a messy ponytail, and as I look in the mirror I immediately regret this decision. My leggings are twisted and I'm swimming in my sweatshirt as I reach up to yank my hair from its chaotic place. By the time I push open my door I've managed to put my hair in a half manageable ponytail and straighten myself out enough to look like I didn't just sleep for over 12 hours. Minus my eyes, which look sunken in and are half closed with sleep. I glance out the window outside my door and realize why it looks like it should be no later than 7. The grey clouds that cover the sky remind my of Seattle, and the foggy feel of my neighborhood reminds me even more. I love this kind of weather. Welcome, Seattle, to our humble city.

March 19 - Cape Cod

Cape Cod

So many memories

So little time

Like when we went to the beach and weren't allowed to touch the water

Or when we were allowed to touch the water and it stung my legs

Like when we went to the ocean on our first night there

To find snails and get soaked and have to drive back in the dark

Or when we stopped in Chatham

And got Razzles for the first time in forever

And when we got pulled up massive dunes by the people in front of us

And ate cranberries fresh from the bogs

And when we saw humpback whales making bubble rings

And learned about whaling

Or threw gummy lobsters and other candy at our friend's cars

In hopes of making it in the window before the light turned green

Back when there wasn't as much chaos and confusion

Back when everything was simpler and change wasn't imminent

Back when I didn't know things like what crepuscular means and how to build a geo dome

Those were the good times

The really good times

And I'm glad I was there

With the people I was with

Because if  hadn't been

They would never have had the gummy lobsters to throw

Or the extra person to make the count uneven

And I would never have been there

And that would have been sad

Cape

Cod

March 18 - The Nine Lives Of Chloe King By Liz Braswell

       Chloe King has turned 16 and is changing. Not the typical kind of changes, but weird, out of the ordinary changes. Like claws. Oh, and the reflexes and the night vision and the agility and stamina and homicide attempts. From the guy with the knifes and ninja stars and fighting skills and persistence. And then there are Alyec, Chloe's hot Russian boyfriend, and Brian, her other hot mysterious "boyfriend." Yeah, they're pretty important too. And then there are the actual homicide attempts. There's the one where Chloe and her two best friends are walking a long the Golden Gate Bridge and the Rogue shows up, as well as Brian and Alyec. Well, it's complicated.

      I'm finally more than 2/3 of the way through this 800 page book, and am still greatly enjoying it. It has gotten more exciting, and the writing is still good and plot line interesting and complicated. I would still recommend it to people, maybe older than me, who like fast paced action and a bit of fantasy.

March 17 - Knees

This slice is an exeption to my theme of the week.

       I reach down to pick up the volleyball, and my knee does who knows what. It feels like it pops completely out of place, and as soon as I twist a little bit pops back in. I go down on my right knee and put my hands out on the ground. I don't think it's still popped out, but it hurts. I flip over and sit with my legs straight out in front of me and look at my knee. Well, it's probably not broken. My mom rushes over and Molly goes to get an ice pack as I sit there cursing under my breath. 

       Later I ice it as I sit at The Miracle Worker. I'm taking up three chairs, which, thankfully,
is okay because the theater isn't sold out. Before I go to bed I wrap it in two ace bandages.

       The next day I keep the ace bandages wrapped around my knee and limp around. I also end up standing at booth sales for roughly 4 hours and 40 minutes.

       The following day I go to the doctor. I only ended up stretching a ligament, which means I can't play soccer until it doesn't hurt anymore.

(peace sign courtesy of Briahn :P)

March 16 - Sitting With My Feet Up

       I would love to sit with my feet out a car window like this girl. Though my shoes would be purple and beat up it would look about the same. Which makes me think of all the times I've sat with my feet up. Whether I was wearing my cons or my boots or no shoes at all, I like to sit with my feet up. I often put my feet up on people's chairs when they're not there, or even when they are and aren't using the seat. I like to cross my legs when I sit back in my chair, and often when I sit forward too. I've sat in the purple chairs in my living room with my feet up on the coffee table, which I'm not supposed to do. And my personal favorite, sitting in my desk chair with my feet up on my bed reading a book, or doing homework, or whatever I might be doing that day. I like to have the window open so I can hear, feel, taste, and smell the outside air. And If I could, I would be outside completely, doing my homework or reading a book or whatever I would be doing at the time, with my feet dangling down or curled up under me or, maybe, I will be lying down looking at the clouds with my feet high above me.

March 15 - Camping

Each day this week I will choose a picture from morguefile.com and base my slice off of it.

Out of all the times I've gone hiking or camping, a few stand out:

1. Last year towards the beginning of school we had our first field trip. No one was particularly excited, though the anticipation built because we didn't know where we were going. the day of the trip came, and everyone dressed semi appropriately: warmish clothes, lunch, water bottle, etc. It was't a problem until we found out we were going to Chief Mountain. Some of us, including myself, had hiked there before, and remembered it to be an okay place to hike. We got there and there was snow everywhere. Above tree line it was even worse. The wind practically blew us of the mountains and froze our breath away at the same time.
2. When I was younger my family went camping a lot, and it was a blast. The best trip was to Turquoise Lake. We went back there several times with our family and friends, and now everything is a jumbled mess of memories. I remember playing along the shore in several spots, fishing and not catching anything, finding salamanders, making "Kids Island," and spilling chili down my front when we were eating in our tent's porch while it was raining. All memories are good, some better than others, but I would love to go back.
3. One summer my mom and her friend were training to climb a fourteener. My brother, our friends, her, and I went hiking a lot that summer. We went to this forested area just off the highway that I had been to with school. We had lots of fun almost trespassing on private property, eating trail mix, and doing other super secret activities that ended up involving an orange cricket on my hand.

As you can see, I have many positive memories of hiking and the great outdoors, and plan on making many more.

March 14 - Oceans

       The ocean does something magical to people like me. As soon as you reach it you feel like everything in the entire world is perfect and serene and nothing could ever go wrong. This, however, is not actually the case. When I reach the ocean I know that everything could go wrong and I could get sucked away under the waves and inhale so much water that I turn into a mermaid and live out the rest of my life under the sea singing songs and being totally awesome like they are in The Little Mermaid. Okay, so maybe the whole mermaid thing is unlikely, but still, something could go wrong.
       Despite the possibility of dying or being mortally wounded, I still love oceans. Especially when I can splash my way through the waves and not care if I get wet or not. They're even better if you're there with people you care about. Oh, and also at sunset. The one time I was at the ocean at sunset it was absolutely gorgeous. And back to the mermaid thing, that would be totally awesome too.

March 13 - Sleep

       Are you the kind of person that stays up to 2 am on a school night? Yeah, I'm not either, most off the time. Ok, well I don't know that it's ever been 2 am, but maybe midnight sometimes. On an average school night I get roughly 7-8 hours of sleep, which is usually enough. Why, then, do I fall asleep as we drive to school? It's happened before, but today I tell myself I will stay awake for the entire half hour to school. Right now I'm doing pretty well, considering the fact that we've made it about half way. That's about when I start to drift off. My eye lids droop a little, but I force them back open over and over again, trying to focus on the music or what's whizzing past outside the window. It doesn't help. My mind wanders again and I find myself waking up before I realize I'm asleep. This time I wake up because my brother takes a loud slurp of juice. I sit up with a start and look behind me. Next to me my mom laughs a little and tells me it was just Miles taking a drink. I sit back and face the front, unintentionally going back to sleep. The next time my eyes pop open we're pulling into the Logan driveway.

March 12 - The Poem Of Magnets

March 11 - Kindred By Octavia E. Butler

       Dana finds herself in 1815, which is definitely not normal. She saves a young boy from drowning, then goes back to 1976. She was in 1815 for at least a few minutes, but only away from her time for 10-15 seconds. How strange. And then it happens again.

       This was week two of Kindred, and the ending was definitely unexpected. I don't want to give anything away, but Dana does something that she has been contemplating, though you would never think she would actually do. Kindred is filled with action and suspense, and is amazingly written. I would definitely recommend it for people in middle school or older who like historic fiction and sic fi.