So...bad time to mention this, but...yeah, I failed NaNoWriMo.
Now, don't go saying to me: "But but but Hannah, you've still got FOUR WHOLE DAYS!" Oh, really? And what do you suppose I do? Write 10,000 words a day? Riiight, I can see that working out for me.
Funnily enough, I recently discovered the rest of my plot. All I need is inspiration to write...except that it only comes during the school day, and I hate writing by hand. I know, excuses and more excuses.
I suppose you idealists may have a point. I still have four days. Who knows what might happen?
-Hannah
(btw, WATCH THIS MOVIE - IT'S GREAT: Flynn Rider <3)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
[Insert creatively-titled journal entry name]
(Quoting a journal thing my English teacher asked us to do for fun - being who I am, I went all out.)
G-d I’m tired. Warning you now, Dr. Noskin, I tend to ramble. The only person I know who seems to appreciate the meditative power of a good, long ramble is my best friend Rebecca Friedlander.
Anyway, what to talk about…oh, right. You mentioned in class that you were interested in what we did with our four-day weekend. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll just go day by day; a lot went on.
Thursday: My dear mother sort of kind of forgot my brother Marc and I had school off, so she spent the day out doing errands and such while we stayed at home. My friend Liz came over, which is something of a semi-miracle considering the love-hate relationship she and I have. Marc, Liz, and I ate some magically delicious Lucky Charms (as I was too lazy to cook everyone lunch,) and we got in some quality writing time for NaNoWriMo. Now, she’s not doing it this year, but my NaNoWriMo story idea inspired Liz to start writing, and we sat together for a few hours bouncing ideas off each other.
Now, as an English teacher, I would hope you know what NaNoWriMo is. If you don’t…basically, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. From midnight November 1 to midnight November 30, I, and over 150,000 others from America and beyond, am attempting to write a 50,000 word novel. If I manage to exceed 50k, the program gives me one month to edit my manuscript, and then for free they’ll publish one copy of my book in paperback. I am, oh, about 16k words behind, but considering I’ve had the worst writer’s block for months, this is a major improvement. With homework, extra-curriculars, and work (yeah, I work as a tutor for b’nei mitzvot students at my synagogue, Congregation Beth Judea,) I’ve got almost no time to write. So, wish me luck!
Back to Liz. So, Mom eventually came home, I ate dinner – homemade chicken parmesan; Mom’s a fantastic cook – and went to work. As soon as I got home, I wrote another 1,000 words, so I felt incredibly accomplished. That is, until I stayed up ridiculously late. Who in their right mind stays up until 3:45? I do, because I can.
Friday: Marc didn’t have the day off, but I was comatose when he left for school, so I didn’t get to walk him over – we live five minutes away from Tripp Elementary, one of District 102’s schools. I got up around 10:45 (again, because I could,) but Mom wasn’t up yet. Rather, she had been up since 5:00, – possibly because my dad sometimes wakes up at weird hours to get work done – so she had every right to be still asleep.
My original plan had been for Rebecca and my other friend Danielle to come over around 2:00 to hang out and do homework, but Danielle cancelled unexpectedly, and Mom and I weren’t ready to go eat lunch until 2:00 anyway. Instead, we took Rebecca out to California Pizza Kitchen (old tradition: one half days in grammar school Mom always took Marc and me to CPK.) We never got to doing homework because Rebecca had to get to fencing practice around 5:00, so instead I found How To Train Your Dragon, one of the best movies I’ve ever seen – on OnDemand. We watched that until she had to leave, and by that time I was home alone and the sun had set. I finished the movie and sat in a forty-five minute reverie in the darkness of my wonderfully empty house.
At 6:30, my parents drove into the garage in a large, silver van I didn’t entirely recognize. Why didn’t I recognize it? Last weekend, without originally planning to, we bought a new 2011 Honda Odyssey. My parents had gone to pick it up. We literally spent an hour playing in it until it was time to pick Marc up from this birthday party he was at. Just like I did when I saw the car, my brother ran across the parking lot and attempted to tackle-hug the new car. (We’ve never gotten a car at the start of the model year – this was an exciting event for all of us.)
We got dinner at this cool gyro place right by where I live, and we went next door to Kaleidoscoops, the famed ice cream shop. It also just so happened to be their last day open. They had been losing money for ages, with the economy and all, so it was to be expected…but, we may have been their last customers. I know it’s just an ice cream store, but they’ve been great about donating to District 102, and it made Buffalo Grove a little less suck-ish.
Saturday: I’m notorious for being anti-social. So, another semi-miracle that occurred was my spending Saturday afternoon at my friend David’s house. Admittedly, I’ve been avoiding him a bit, – he’s been having angsty teenage/girlfriend/grades drama, and as my group’s chief therapist, I was sort of getting sucked in – but it was actually quite fun to hang out with him. We watched the somewhat-new martial arts flick Ninja Assassin. I adore Japanese culture, but at the same time generally dislike purely action movies; even so, overall it wasn’t half bad.
Afterward, I agreed to helping my parents and brother babysit my fifteen-month-old “niece” Elayna. While I have no older siblings, the three Weinstein girls, (Lorna, Abby, and Ariel; they don’t remember you, but you may have heard of them) who babysat me for the first ten years or so my life, are the closest thing I’ve got to sisters. Elayna is Lorna’s daughter.
I love kids of any age, but this little girl…OY VEY. She doesn’t have a set schedule, she had never had a babysitter before, and she doesn’t eat in a high chair. In the insanity I missed while at David’s house, she was throwing tantrum after tantrum while all her relatives were bustling around to get ready for a cousin’s wedding. By the time I got there, Elayna was eating dinner (read: she would eat a small piece of apple and then go point at her mommy’s picture on the wall and cry.) My dad and I had brought dinner for my mom and brother, but I really didn’t eat much. Instead, I got Elayna to eat. We were also looking after Lorna and Abby’s respective dogs (three large dogs in total,) so they kept trying to get at the food. At that point, I just picked Elayna up and had her on my lap while she ate. I got her to eat everything. I’m a little biased, but she seemed to like me best. :) Marc did a great job keeping her from throwing any more tantrums, but for the few hours in between dinner and bedtime, it was me following her around.
We got her into bed after another tantrum, and after a neighbor came to walk the dogs, she woke up again. My dad and brother left around 9:00 because Marc had Hebrew school the next morning, so I let Mom take care of the fussing baby. She and I were fine until about 11:00, when we both laid down on opposite sides of the couch. Mom was asleep until 1:00, but I forced myself to stay up, just in case. By 1:30 all seven who went to the wedding were back…and drunk. Not too drunk, but enough to make me feel as though a bit of childhood died.
Sunday: As this journal entry is getting really long, I’ll try to keep this short. I woke up at 10:30, and I got up in my pajamas to do homework. Mom and I didn’t get dressed until 5:00 (I usually don’t get dressed on Sundays,) but we eventually had to because we were to meet Julianne (maiden name: Weiss; she also went to Deerfield with you and my aunt) and her husband and son. We were supposed to meet at the re-opened Claim Company, but it was far too crowded…so we ended up at California Pizza Kitchen again.
All in all, a busy weekend. (See what I meant about rambling? I’m a menace!)
As I have homework left, I’m gonna leave it at that. - Hannah
Monday, November 8, 2010
"Blaaaaargh!"
- Denis, a dear friend. XD
I'm avoiding AP Euro catch up to do this. Hey, it ain't due till fifth period on Wednesday; I'll be fiiiine. (I'll just have Rebecca do the highlighting. :P)
NaNoWriMo Update: Just hit 5,062 words. I'm 8,000 and change behind, but I'll manage. The plot's turned in a way I wasn't expecting, but I'm glad it did. I now have more material to work with, so much so that I probably won't be done at 50k words. So hopefully I finish the story in time to have its complete form printed in the paperback copy I'm sure I'll be getting in December after I win.
Yeah.
I'm hungry.
K bye.
-Hannah
I'm avoiding AP Euro catch up to do this. Hey, it ain't due till fifth period on Wednesday; I'll be fiiiine. (I'll just have Rebecca do the highlighting. :P)
NaNoWriMo Update: Just hit 5,062 words. I'm 8,000 and change behind, but I'll manage. The plot's turned in a way I wasn't expecting, but I'm glad it did. I now have more material to work with, so much so that I probably won't be done at 50k words. So hopefully I finish the story in time to have its complete form printed in the paperback copy I'm sure I'll be getting in December after I win.
Yeah.
I'm hungry.
K bye.
-Hannah
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Say it with me now: NANOWRIMO!
For those of you who love writing, National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, starts at midnight tonight, in a little more than eight hours from now. I'm participating for the first time ever, and while the prospect of writing a 50,000 word novel is tantalizing, I'm very nervous.
Scatter-brained as I am, I had a fully-fledged story idea in mind a few weeks ago...and then it waltzed away. I mean, I still have all the characters and the basic gist...I just don't quite know where to start. Writers are notoriously never satisfied with their own writing, and this is so very true for me. I'm a compulsive perfectionist, so the idea of writing and writing without reviewing or revising any of it is scary, to say the least.
I'm going to try and outline some of my story idea (tentatively titled "Within and Without") here, for anyone who's remotely interested:
-This world is a hybrid between Medieval serfdom and futuristic America, but don't assume this is completely sci-fi.
-Everyone in this particular gated community, Nad, has white-blonde hair and gray eyes and pale skin
-Well, not everyone. Sometimes, children are born with jet-black hair, and occasionally some are born with freckles. This is rare and considered undesirable. Many (such as the mother of Myra - the main character) dye their hair to hide it.
-Recently, some have been developing a...condition. The eyes of some people have changed from the pleasent gray to a bloodred.
-Along with the red eyes has come some...tension. The weather patterns in the area have fluctuated violently, as often as once every five minutes. A few younger children are being pulled out of school, and their parents are talking about a disease that causes "blindness."
-The story follows an adolescent named Myra, the daughter of the head of law enforcement in Nad. Not only does she have black hair, but at the age of six her eyes turned crimson. She has been home-schooled since. In public, she wears black glasses and feigns blindness.
-One day shortly before her eyes changed color, in the market Myra saw a blonde, freckly boy with one eye gray and one eye red. A decade later, she is sure he has died on the streets.
-To escape the boredom of her home, Myra slips out to the market and assists the butler in the selling of her mother Camilla's apples. Here, she sells a bushel to a young man, and only as he leaves does his scarf slip and show her his left red eye and right gray. Not a minute later, a blonde toddler picks a fight with a passive brunette baby boy, and in the end the black-haired one gets slapped. This sends Myra into a nose-dive.
-That night, as Myra packs a bag to run away, Camilla seeks her out and hands her a bottle of bleach. Myra realizes her mother has been like her all along.
-The butler helps Myra abscond, but as soon as she's out of the house, the world overwhelmes her.
-Just on time, the boy with heterochromia, Lin, finds her and leads her out of the gates. No one ever leaves the community.
-The rest of the story is the journey Myra, Lin, and Cass (a 25-year-old rebel leader from Nad with black hair, red eyes, and freckles) make to the red-eyed holding and their discoveries as they battle their powers and themselves.
So yeah. Wish me luck. :)
-Hannah
Scatter-brained as I am, I had a fully-fledged story idea in mind a few weeks ago...and then it waltzed away. I mean, I still have all the characters and the basic gist...I just don't quite know where to start. Writers are notoriously never satisfied with their own writing, and this is so very true for me. I'm a compulsive perfectionist, so the idea of writing and writing without reviewing or revising any of it is scary, to say the least.
I'm going to try and outline some of my story idea (tentatively titled "Within and Without") here, for anyone who's remotely interested:
-This world is a hybrid between Medieval serfdom and futuristic America, but don't assume this is completely sci-fi.
-Everyone in this particular gated community, Nad, has white-blonde hair and gray eyes and pale skin
-Well, not everyone. Sometimes, children are born with jet-black hair, and occasionally some are born with freckles. This is rare and considered undesirable. Many (such as the mother of Myra - the main character) dye their hair to hide it.
-Recently, some have been developing a...condition. The eyes of some people have changed from the pleasent gray to a bloodred.
-Along with the red eyes has come some...tension. The weather patterns in the area have fluctuated violently, as often as once every five minutes. A few younger children are being pulled out of school, and their parents are talking about a disease that causes "blindness."
-The story follows an adolescent named Myra, the daughter of the head of law enforcement in Nad. Not only does she have black hair, but at the age of six her eyes turned crimson. She has been home-schooled since. In public, she wears black glasses and feigns blindness.
-One day shortly before her eyes changed color, in the market Myra saw a blonde, freckly boy with one eye gray and one eye red. A decade later, she is sure he has died on the streets.
-To escape the boredom of her home, Myra slips out to the market and assists the butler in the selling of her mother Camilla's apples. Here, she sells a bushel to a young man, and only as he leaves does his scarf slip and show her his left red eye and right gray. Not a minute later, a blonde toddler picks a fight with a passive brunette baby boy, and in the end the black-haired one gets slapped. This sends Myra into a nose-dive.
-That night, as Myra packs a bag to run away, Camilla seeks her out and hands her a bottle of bleach. Myra realizes her mother has been like her all along.
-The butler helps Myra abscond, but as soon as she's out of the house, the world overwhelmes her.
-Just on time, the boy with heterochromia, Lin, finds her and leads her out of the gates. No one ever leaves the community.
-The rest of the story is the journey Myra, Lin, and Cass (a 25-year-old rebel leader from Nad with black hair, red eyes, and freckles) make to the red-eyed holding and their discoveries as they battle their powers and themselves.
So yeah. Wish me luck. :)
-Hannah
Sunday, October 24, 2010
In Which Golden Rules are Meant to be Broken
Like the one about sharing? There is a point where it's necessary to scream "TMI" to the heavens. I've just about reached that point.
(I will not name names, but those who read this can prolly infer who I'm talking about.)
I have a very close guy friend. I also have a close female friend. They're hanging out on the weekends.
...and making out.
The girl - let's call her *Bathsheba - is having school problems, but not boy problems. Luckily for me, she doesn't bother me much about it for advice. The boy - who we'll call *Adonijah - is having girl problems, which will - according to him - lead to school problems. Unlike Bathsheba, he always bothers me for advice about it. They're a problematic couple, you see.
Bathsheba is okay with this "friends-with-kissy-face" situation because she isn't ready for a relationship right now. However, Adonijah is having some feelings. These strong feelings are causing him a great deal of confusion and pain. I'm not trying to downplay his feelings, but I've told him he will probably have to deal with this on his own.
Unfortunately for me, he has spent the better part of the last month asking me for advice. I want to help him, but I've discovered I don't know how to. So, not only will he not stop reminding me he's in pain, but he's now constantly rubbing in my face that for one of the first times in my life, I can't help someone.
It's a scary thing that I can't help. I'm my group's therapist. They come to me when they need advice or help or just to rant. But, for once, I want Adonijah to stop coming to me. I actually started crying today because I'm drowning in his pain! I'm sure he doesn't mean to be doing that, but that doesn't change the fact that other people's drama is suffocating me.
Normally I'd be okay with handling other people's drama. It's not the first time I've had to do it. But, in relation to this post, I've just got over a whole lot of my own drama. I'm in no state to be sorting out the problems of my friends when I am struggling with my own.
Well, that's really all I had to say. I needed to get that off my chest.
One more thing before I go: we might not have Quidditch at the party, guys. Rebecca and I are considering a smaller-scale thing, but I'm not sure how that'll go. Regardless, we'll still have fun - we're a fun group. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen because you can trust me when I say we've got alternatives.
That's all.
-Hannah
*These are some Talmudic allusions. Just sayin'.
(I will not name names, but those who read this can prolly infer who I'm talking about.)
I have a very close guy friend. I also have a close female friend. They're hanging out on the weekends.
...and making out.
The girl - let's call her *Bathsheba - is having school problems, but not boy problems. Luckily for me, she doesn't bother me much about it for advice. The boy - who we'll call *Adonijah - is having girl problems, which will - according to him - lead to school problems. Unlike Bathsheba, he always bothers me for advice about it. They're a problematic couple, you see.
Bathsheba is okay with this "friends-with-kissy-face" situation because she isn't ready for a relationship right now. However, Adonijah is having some feelings. These strong feelings are causing him a great deal of confusion and pain. I'm not trying to downplay his feelings, but I've told him he will probably have to deal with this on his own.
Unfortunately for me, he has spent the better part of the last month asking me for advice. I want to help him, but I've discovered I don't know how to. So, not only will he not stop reminding me he's in pain, but he's now constantly rubbing in my face that for one of the first times in my life, I can't help someone.
It's a scary thing that I can't help. I'm my group's therapist. They come to me when they need advice or help or just to rant. But, for once, I want Adonijah to stop coming to me. I actually started crying today because I'm drowning in his pain! I'm sure he doesn't mean to be doing that, but that doesn't change the fact that other people's drama is suffocating me.
Normally I'd be okay with handling other people's drama. It's not the first time I've had to do it. But, in relation to this post, I've just got over a whole lot of my own drama. I'm in no state to be sorting out the problems of my friends when I am struggling with my own.
Well, that's really all I had to say. I needed to get that off my chest.
One more thing before I go: we might not have Quidditch at the party, guys. Rebecca and I are considering a smaller-scale thing, but I'm not sure how that'll go. Regardless, we'll still have fun - we're a fun group. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen because you can trust me when I say we've got alternatives.
That's all.
-Hannah
*These are some Talmudic allusions. Just sayin'.
Friday, October 22, 2010
"Ponies AND rainbows?"
Ah, nothing like a good quote to end the school week with. Courtesy of The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. For Percy Jackson fans that don't already know, this is the first book in the second PJ series. No, Percy and co. are no longer the main characters, but they do still exist. In fact, this book begins just a few months after the end of The Last Olympian. I do have my own copy, and you can borrow it if you'd like, but I'll warn ya now that the waiting list is long.
(Speaking of which, I still haven't quite figured out the official list. Excuse the interlude...
-Liz
-Danielle
-David
-John R. from math
-Andrew from English and Spanish
-Rebecca, somewhere down the line?)
Like I said, a lot of people. Which gives me some happy, fuzzy feelings in my tummy. Why? I have no idea. I just like that I have a big enough library that I can lend out books all the time. It feels good. Which brings me to another interlude...
(Who has what of mine? Let's try to remember:
-Rebecca - Witch & Wizard - is also next in line for complete PJ series and Nicholas Flamel series
-David - all three Night World volumes - and I have his Greek/Roman mythology book
-Andrew - Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian
-Julia - my DVDs of HP5 and HP6)
Hey, if I can't become a psychologist, and the CIA rejects me, I could always be a librarian.
Speaking of YA fantasy novels, I had a super-power moment again while I was home alone an hour ago. I tend to do that when I'm alone: imagine I've got some ability. Today, I was shooting invisible arrows made of energy and flying on air currents.
Every since I was very young, my dearest wish has been to have a power. Any power would be fine, but in particular powers of the mind (telekinesis, telepathy, premonition) and of the elements (pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, "bending" of the elements, - like air, water, earth, and fire in A:TLA - summoning of elements like Percy Jackson or Leo Valdez can do in Riordan's books) pique my interest.
Why would I need or want a power? I'm definitely unique enough as I am, what with my insane-fast brain and other traits my friends and peers and family love to emulate. Truth be told, I'm not sure. Maybe I want the reassurance that there's something more than the darkness clouding my view as I form my opinions on this world. Maybe I've got an over-active imagination. Maybe I'd rather live in my books and shows and movies than on Earth.
So, my few readers, a parting question: What power would you want? And, more importantly, would you even want a power in the first place?
-Hannah
(Speaking of which, I still haven't quite figured out the official list. Excuse the interlude...
-Liz
-Danielle
-David
-John R. from math
-Andrew from English and Spanish
-Rebecca, somewhere down the line?)
Like I said, a lot of people. Which gives me some happy, fuzzy feelings in my tummy. Why? I have no idea. I just like that I have a big enough library that I can lend out books all the time. It feels good. Which brings me to another interlude...
(Who has what of mine? Let's try to remember:
-Rebecca - Witch & Wizard - is also next in line for complete PJ series and Nicholas Flamel series
-David - all three Night World volumes - and I have his Greek/Roman mythology book
-Andrew - Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian
-Julia - my DVDs of HP5 and HP6)
Hey, if I can't become a psychologist, and the CIA rejects me, I could always be a librarian.
Speaking of YA fantasy novels, I had a super-power moment again while I was home alone an hour ago. I tend to do that when I'm alone: imagine I've got some ability. Today, I was shooting invisible arrows made of energy and flying on air currents.
Every since I was very young, my dearest wish has been to have a power. Any power would be fine, but in particular powers of the mind (telekinesis, telepathy, premonition) and of the elements (pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, "bending" of the elements, - like air, water, earth, and fire in A:TLA - summoning of elements like Percy Jackson or Leo Valdez can do in Riordan's books) pique my interest.
Why would I need or want a power? I'm definitely unique enough as I am, what with my insane-fast brain and other traits my friends and peers and family love to emulate. Truth be told, I'm not sure. Maybe I want the reassurance that there's something more than the darkness clouding my view as I form my opinions on this world. Maybe I've got an over-active imagination. Maybe I'd rather live in my books and shows and movies than on Earth.
So, my few readers, a parting question: What power would you want? And, more importantly, would you even want a power in the first place?
-Hannah
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Halloween Update
*headdesk*
-Rebecca and I are picking up our respective Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw! tees from HT
-The bulk of the scavenger hunt is planned - many thanks to Liz
-Rebecca and I went shopping last weekend and picked up most decorations
-We begin decorations this weekend :) should be fun
-FINALLY GOT OUT INVITES. Managed to be green and only print 12 (when I'm inviting like nearly 30 people :D ah, the power of the internet)
-Will be writing Quidditch rules this weekend and making up tournament board
-*sigh*
Gotta go. Happy late arrival!
-Hannah
-Rebecca and I are picking up our respective Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw! tees from HT
-The bulk of the scavenger hunt is planned - many thanks to Liz
-Rebecca and I went shopping last weekend and picked up most decorations
-We begin decorations this weekend :) should be fun
-FINALLY GOT OUT INVITES. Managed to be green and only print 12 (when I'm inviting like nearly 30 people :D ah, the power of the internet)
-Will be writing Quidditch rules this weekend and making up tournament board
-*sigh*
Gotta go. Happy late arrival!
-Hannah
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Doubt
I'm a skeptical person. I spend half the time yelling at people for complimenting my intelligence, and I spend the other half worrying over whether my intelligence is still intact.
This is one of those moments where I'm wondering if my intelligence is still working.
Reasons it might be:
-I memorized fifty symbols and names in for chemistry...in five minutes.
-I'm so immersed in Spanish that at one point today when my math teacher said something, I translated it from English into Spanish in my head and then back to English...without even meaning to.
-I was recently asked by student from the next grade up to edit his essay for his AP US History class...even while rushing on an essay, my grammar is always perfect. His was no where near.
Reasons it might not be:
-I don't quite know what I'm writing on this essay.
-I procrastinated for the second day in a row on this essay. It was originally due today. It was moved to tomorrow.
-I think my brother is better at math than I was when he was his age. Normally, that wouldn't bother me, because my main things are English and writing and history, but then my mom read off every individual score he got on the ISATs in math. He got everything right. EVERYTHING. And then she read off his lexile level. And then she asked me what mine was. There's only like a five-hundred point difference between our levels, which Mom found amusing. She then stated how little the difference is. (My mother is uninformed. I couldn't figure out how to word it, but I tried to explain how little the level raises every year. Then I realized how pitiful that would sound. So I said nothing.) Apparently my face looked funny. That may or may not be because I was trying so hard not to cry. MY BROTHER DOESN'T EVEN LIKE READING. I LOVE READING. The only pleasure I got out of this was that I was better at his age at writing than he is.
I'm tired. I got nine hours of sleep. It is 9:39 PM. Last school year, I could stay up 'til 3:00 easily. Now it's a battle to stay up past 8:30. I don't know what happened, but it's screwing with my ability to get my homework done. I was forced to "take a break from" Speech and Drama, and I'm just waiting for Mom to tell me to quit Hebrew Club. Right now is not a happy time.
I'm writing an essay about happiness, and I myself am not happy.
*sigh*
-Hannah
This is one of those moments where I'm wondering if my intelligence is still working.
Reasons it might be:
-I memorized fifty symbols and names in for chemistry...in five minutes.
-I'm so immersed in Spanish that at one point today when my math teacher said something, I translated it from English into Spanish in my head and then back to English...without even meaning to.
-I was recently asked by student from the next grade up to edit his essay for his AP US History class...even while rushing on an essay, my grammar is always perfect. His was no where near.
Reasons it might not be:
-I don't quite know what I'm writing on this essay.
-I procrastinated for the second day in a row on this essay. It was originally due today. It was moved to tomorrow.
-I think my brother is better at math than I was when he was his age. Normally, that wouldn't bother me, because my main things are English and writing and history, but then my mom read off every individual score he got on the ISATs in math. He got everything right. EVERYTHING. And then she read off his lexile level. And then she asked me what mine was. There's only like a five-hundred point difference between our levels, which Mom found amusing. She then stated how little the difference is. (My mother is uninformed. I couldn't figure out how to word it, but I tried to explain how little the level raises every year. Then I realized how pitiful that would sound. So I said nothing.) Apparently my face looked funny. That may or may not be because I was trying so hard not to cry. MY BROTHER DOESN'T EVEN LIKE READING. I LOVE READING. The only pleasure I got out of this was that I was better at his age at writing than he is.
I'm tired. I got nine hours of sleep. It is 9:39 PM. Last school year, I could stay up 'til 3:00 easily. Now it's a battle to stay up past 8:30. I don't know what happened, but it's screwing with my ability to get my homework done. I was forced to "take a break from" Speech and Drama, and I'm just waiting for Mom to tell me to quit Hebrew Club. Right now is not a happy time.
I'm writing an essay about happiness, and I myself am not happy.
*sigh*
-Hannah
Saturday, October 2, 2010
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hog-y-wog-y-wog-warts, teach us something please!"
HALLOWEEN PLANNING CRAZE.
Once again, I am planning a super-amazing Halloween party, only this year, IT'S AT BECCA'S HOUSE. :D I'm getting really good at planning events to be held at other people's houses.
Guess the theme. What? I can't hear you. So I'll just tell you.
*clears throat*
HARRY POTTER. (That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.)
It being my original true obsession, I believe a Harry Potter-themed party has been my destiny since 2004.
There's gonna be:
-CLASSES (a scavenger hunt)
-QUIDDITCH (yes, really)
-A SORTING CEREMONY (Julia and Danielle, you should know where you're going.)
-COMMON ROOMS
-FOOD
-AND A MOVIE (guess which!)
XD I'm enjoying myself right now; can you tell? Just sayin', I'll either be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, depending on which one needs more people. SO HARD TO CHOOSE. I used to be a hard-core Gryffindor, but recently I started getting Ravenclaw A LOT. (And the occasional Hufflepuff; what sucks is, I'm actually a REALLY good finder.)
Anyway, yeah, that's all. I have to make a to-do list, start planning the scavenger hunt, do two subjects of homework, make some invitations, try to watch the last two episodes of Haven, and try to get a few chapters read in The Da Vinci Code.
Hark, a vagrant!
-Hannah
Once again, I am planning a super-amazing Halloween party, only this year, IT'S AT BECCA'S HOUSE. :D I'm getting really good at planning events to be held at other people's houses.
Guess the theme. What? I can't hear you. So I'll just tell you.
*clears throat*
HARRY POTTER. (That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.)
It being my original true obsession, I believe a Harry Potter-themed party has been my destiny since 2004.
There's gonna be:
-CLASSES (a scavenger hunt)
-QUIDDITCH (yes, really)
-A SORTING CEREMONY (Julia and Danielle, you should know where you're going.)
-COMMON ROOMS
-FOOD
-AND A MOVIE (guess which!)
XD I'm enjoying myself right now; can you tell? Just sayin', I'll either be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, depending on which one needs more people. SO HARD TO CHOOSE. I used to be a hard-core Gryffindor, but recently I started getting Ravenclaw A LOT. (And the occasional Hufflepuff; what sucks is, I'm actually a REALLY good finder.)
Anyway, yeah, that's all. I have to make a to-do list, start planning the scavenger hunt, do two subjects of homework, make some invitations, try to watch the last two episodes of Haven, and try to get a few chapters read in The Da Vinci Code.
Hark, a vagrant!
-Hannah
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Ups and Downs
I have wonderful friends. Just thought I'd mention that.
I suppose every teenager is angsty by default, so I'll try to pass off my last post as blowing off steam (it really wasn't that, though.)
So, because I'm - like Devin said - a sap, I'd like to list everyone who contributed to my overall comfort level over the past few days:
-Devin, who poked my side as he walked by when my head was buried in my arms
-Daniel, whose questioning of his own sudden happiness and appreciation of my capacity to help reminded me I'm not a horrible bitch all the time
-Rebecca, who instead of getting mad at me for refuting my own intelligence, merely praised me for my capacity to care for others
-Alysa, who thinks Mr. Fuess is cute AND can sing
-Julia, who can talk well but not speak well
-Amanda, who thinks Anne Frank is a Kleenex and her beau Peter is generic
-Marni, who thinks air pressure will be the death of us all
-Stana Katic, for playing Kate Beckett on the ABC TV show Castle
Suddenly I'm feeling better. Probably not as good as the aformentioned Daniel, but better still than I was on Monday.
(G-d, I wish I blogged about something people actually CARE about. Ah, well.)
"I'm swimming in the smoke, of bridges I have burned, so don't apologize, I'm losing what I don't deserve, what I don't deserve..." - Linkin Park, "Burning In The Skies," Track 3 off of A Thousand Suns
-Hannah
I suppose every teenager is angsty by default, so I'll try to pass off my last post as blowing off steam (it really wasn't that, though.)
So, because I'm - like Devin said - a sap, I'd like to list everyone who contributed to my overall comfort level over the past few days:
-Devin, who poked my side as he walked by when my head was buried in my arms
-Daniel, whose questioning of his own sudden happiness and appreciation of my capacity to help reminded me I'm not a horrible bitch all the time
-Rebecca, who instead of getting mad at me for refuting my own intelligence, merely praised me for my capacity to care for others
-Alysa, who thinks Mr. Fuess is cute AND can sing
-Julia, who can talk well but not speak well
-Amanda, who thinks Anne Frank is a Kleenex and her beau Peter is generic
-Marni, who thinks air pressure will be the death of us all
-Stana Katic, for playing Kate Beckett on the ABC TV show Castle
Suddenly I'm feeling better. Probably not as good as the aformentioned Daniel, but better still than I was on Monday.
(G-d, I wish I blogged about something people actually CARE about. Ah, well.)
"I'm swimming in the smoke, of bridges I have burned, so don't apologize, I'm losing what I don't deserve, what I don't deserve..." - Linkin Park, "Burning In The Skies," Track 3 off of A Thousand Suns
-Hannah
Monday, September 27, 2010
Boys Suck (In which I hate on myself)
Well, some do.
I've just discovered I'm going through quite a rough time emotionally, and something tells me it's nothing to do with my period.
I need to rant, and here seems like the choice place to do it:
My G-d. How did I let this happen to me? Again? I thought I was done with this, this petty dwelling on superficial emotional ties to those I only wish I knew. For my sanity, I'll keep saying I like both boys, and I'll try so hard to divy up my longing between the two. But the one, he won't leave me alone.
And it's not just him. It's these past couple weeks. I love school, I love my friends, and I get home and it all falls apart. I stop working, I stop paying attention, I get paranoid, I worry, I get upset, I complain, I yell at myself. I've been through so much worse and yet this feels so very, very bad.
I want it to go away. When did life suddenly become so complicated? I've been in school barely more than a month, and I already feel like I'm drowning.
I attribute it to boys because of him being there - every day, in my head or sitting right next to me - but it's more than that. The idea of college is scaring me. Since last year, all school ever talks about is "AP this" or "college that." I feel like I'm too young. I don't want to go away yet. I don't feel like a child, but I feel like during my childhood I wasn't a kid at all - I was a middle-aged woman trapped in the body of a young girl. And I still am. And then suddenly I go back to being insolent and trusting and hyper and wishing I was just a few years younger so I could relive those horrible years and make them better.
In a world where so many are hungry, lost, afraid, and angry, I too am lost and afraid and hungry for something more meaningful than this. I feel the burden of thousands and thousands of people I've never even met. I'm afraid of happiness because deep down I know there are people in this world who deserve it so much more than I. I keep telling myself this is just a rough patch, that it always works itself out in the end, but it feels so much more expansive when you're living it.
And now here I am, choking on my tears. I probably look like a mess. Well, I have homework, so I need to go lock myself in my room (with my messy desk and piles of clothes and broken headphones) and try to finish before midnight.
"Life's a bitch and then you die." - my mother
-Hannah
This song has invaded on my consciousness. Get it out, please, make it go away.
I've just discovered I'm going through quite a rough time emotionally, and something tells me it's nothing to do with my period.
I need to rant, and here seems like the choice place to do it:
My G-d. How did I let this happen to me? Again? I thought I was done with this, this petty dwelling on superficial emotional ties to those I only wish I knew. For my sanity, I'll keep saying I like both boys, and I'll try so hard to divy up my longing between the two. But the one, he won't leave me alone.
And it's not just him. It's these past couple weeks. I love school, I love my friends, and I get home and it all falls apart. I stop working, I stop paying attention, I get paranoid, I worry, I get upset, I complain, I yell at myself. I've been through so much worse and yet this feels so very, very bad.
I want it to go away. When did life suddenly become so complicated? I've been in school barely more than a month, and I already feel like I'm drowning.
I attribute it to boys because of him being there - every day, in my head or sitting right next to me - but it's more than that. The idea of college is scaring me. Since last year, all school ever talks about is "AP this" or "college that." I feel like I'm too young. I don't want to go away yet. I don't feel like a child, but I feel like during my childhood I wasn't a kid at all - I was a middle-aged woman trapped in the body of a young girl. And I still am. And then suddenly I go back to being insolent and trusting and hyper and wishing I was just a few years younger so I could relive those horrible years and make them better.
In a world where so many are hungry, lost, afraid, and angry, I too am lost and afraid and hungry for something more meaningful than this. I feel the burden of thousands and thousands of people I've never even met. I'm afraid of happiness because deep down I know there are people in this world who deserve it so much more than I. I keep telling myself this is just a rough patch, that it always works itself out in the end, but it feels so much more expansive when you're living it.
And now here I am, choking on my tears. I probably look like a mess. Well, I have homework, so I need to go lock myself in my room (with my messy desk and piles of clothes and broken headphones) and try to finish before midnight.
"Life's a bitch and then you die." - my mother
-Hannah
This song has invaded on my consciousness. Get it out, please, make it go away.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
In which I'm suddenly three inches taller.
G-D I LOVE HEELS.
*ahem*
Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
So, tonight's my school's Homecoming. I didn't go last year, but I did go to the Turnabout Dance (bad idea - baaaaad idea.) No, I wasn't asked to go, Devin, so shaddup.
I dunno if it's an obvious thing, but I actually love getting dressed up. In recent years I've become a lot girlier than I ever intended to, but somehow I think that's a good thing.
This right here is my dress, Julia:
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/dresses/juniors/PRD~660051/Speechless+Glitter+Flocked+Dress.jsp#
I'm actually about to leave to get my make-up done. Like, right now, so I'm gonna go.
I love you all! Peace! Love! Antihistamines!
-Hannah
*ahem*
Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
So, tonight's my school's Homecoming. I didn't go last year, but I did go to the Turnabout Dance (bad idea - baaaaad idea.) No, I wasn't asked to go, Devin, so shaddup.
I dunno if it's an obvious thing, but I actually love getting dressed up. In recent years I've become a lot girlier than I ever intended to, but somehow I think that's a good thing.
This right here is my dress, Julia:
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/dresses/juniors/PRD~660051/Speechless+Glitter+Flocked+Dress.jsp#
I'm actually about to leave to get my make-up done. Like, right now, so I'm gonna go.
I love you all! Peace! Love! Antihistamines!
-Hannah
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
"The potatoes are talking to me. They say you're LYING."
-Sophia, my student. :D Good kid.
If there's no such thing as normal, would it be out of line to say that all adjectives are relative? And would it be out of line to say that most labels we teens like use to create barriers are also relative?
The word that comes to mind: Bitch.
It has so many connotations. My friend Devin calls me "Bitch" at least once a day, but he doesn't mean it - he calls me that when we're "arguing." I call my best friend a "manipulative bitch" because it's one of our favorite House/Wilson quotes from House MD. Bitches are female canines. There are a couple people that come to mind when I think of this over-used cuss word.
I try - and excel - at putting myself in other people's shoes. So, even the people I consider to be bitches probably aren't really bitches to everyone.
Makes it hard to dislike people, doesn't it?
(It does.)
-Hannah
If there's no such thing as normal, would it be out of line to say that all adjectives are relative? And would it be out of line to say that most labels we teens like use to create barriers are also relative?
The word that comes to mind: Bitch.
It has so many connotations. My friend Devin calls me "Bitch" at least once a day, but he doesn't mean it - he calls me that when we're "arguing." I call my best friend a "manipulative bitch" because it's one of our favorite House/Wilson quotes from House MD. Bitches are female canines. There are a couple people that come to mind when I think of this over-used cuss word.
I try - and excel - at putting myself in other people's shoes. So, even the people I consider to be bitches probably aren't really bitches to everyone.
Makes it hard to dislike people, doesn't it?
(It does.)
-Hannah
Monday, September 20, 2010
First Posts are Always Really Awkward
I mean, seriously, what am I supposed to say? I don't need to introduce myself, as that's what a bio is for. I don't need to list my favorite things, as that's what a profile is for. So...uh...hello, all.
Hi. I'm Hannah. I'm younger than I sound, but feel older than I am. My opinions differ from many my own age. I like long walks on the beach, laughing with friends, and playing Frisbee with my Cocker Spaniel, Rufus. (Anyone who understood that reference gets a gold star.) I tend to make ridiculously obscure references to my various TV shows, movies, and books that very few get. Which is okay by me, because I think it's fun to confuse people.
Let's see, what else can I say without repelling anyone who finds this blog? Well, um, I'm listening to "Wretches and Kings" by Linkin Park, which, then again, still might offend some people. One of the most confusing things I've encountered lately is the extreme reactions to Linkin Park's new album "A Thousand Suns." A lot of their "old" fans hate this new album because it's got a very new sound. They long for the days of "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora," which is stupid because every new album Linkin Park has ever released has had a completely new sound. As I listen to A1000S now, I hear the love child of "Hybrid Theory," their first album, and "Minutes to Midnight," their third album.
As my best friend aptly said, even if you can't appreciate this new sound, you should at least recognize the work of art it is. They seamlessly incorporate audio clips from famous speeches (namely clips from speeches made by J. Robert Oppenheimer - in fact, the title of the album is derived from his quotation of the Bhagavad Gita.) While their other albums were just hodge-podges of different songs, this album is what's called a "concept album." A concept album is one in which all the songs fit under one culminating theme, or even tell a story. "American Idiot" by Green Day is commonly-known among teenagers, and it in fact is a concept album - it was even made into a rock opera.
All I'm saying is that even if they don't like it, these "old" fans should try to appreciate it.
(You all will soon learn I have a problem with speaking with a point. I ramble and rant more often than I discuss in an organized way.)
Well, I think this is enough for now. Chuck and House MD both have their premieres in an hour (I'll be watching House for once, while everyone else - my mom, my dad, and my brother - will be watching Chuck.) I should prolly start my homework.
As a rule of thumb, I will try to update once a week. - Hannah :D
Hi. I'm Hannah. I'm younger than I sound, but feel older than I am. My opinions differ from many my own age. I like long walks on the beach, laughing with friends, and playing Frisbee with my Cocker Spaniel, Rufus. (Anyone who understood that reference gets a gold star.) I tend to make ridiculously obscure references to my various TV shows, movies, and books that very few get. Which is okay by me, because I think it's fun to confuse people.
Let's see, what else can I say without repelling anyone who finds this blog? Well, um, I'm listening to "Wretches and Kings" by Linkin Park, which, then again, still might offend some people. One of the most confusing things I've encountered lately is the extreme reactions to Linkin Park's new album "A Thousand Suns." A lot of their "old" fans hate this new album because it's got a very new sound. They long for the days of "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora," which is stupid because every new album Linkin Park has ever released has had a completely new sound. As I listen to A1000S now, I hear the love child of "Hybrid Theory," their first album, and "Minutes to Midnight," their third album.
As my best friend aptly said, even if you can't appreciate this new sound, you should at least recognize the work of art it is. They seamlessly incorporate audio clips from famous speeches (namely clips from speeches made by J. Robert Oppenheimer - in fact, the title of the album is derived from his quotation of the Bhagavad Gita.) While their other albums were just hodge-podges of different songs, this album is what's called a "concept album." A concept album is one in which all the songs fit under one culminating theme, or even tell a story. "American Idiot" by Green Day is commonly-known among teenagers, and it in fact is a concept album - it was even made into a rock opera.
All I'm saying is that even if they don't like it, these "old" fans should try to appreciate it.
(You all will soon learn I have a problem with speaking with a point. I ramble and rant more often than I discuss in an organized way.)
Well, I think this is enough for now. Chuck and House MD both have their premieres in an hour (I'll be watching House for once, while everyone else - my mom, my dad, and my brother - will be watching Chuck.) I should prolly start my homework.
As a rule of thumb, I will try to update once a week. - Hannah :D
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)