A.P. = Advanced Placement or an Absolute Punishment?

If you have read the blog entry a ways back entitled "Mid-terms Part Two" you know that I am not very fond of History class. Then why was I one of the eight kids pulled out of class today to inform us that we were all chosen for an A.P. or Advanced Placement U.S. History 2 class for next year? This was a crazy idea at first thought, but then again I was recommended, the other students in it are up to my maturity level and I have the grades to support it. So after talking about it with my parents I have decided to take the class! We will see how this goes, but even though it is a bit of a challenge being a college course I think I can manage. After that news was given to us by our current history teacher about five of the girls in my class including me were told to stand in the front of the room. So, we did, wondering what else was in store for us today. Our class is currently studying women's rights so we were going on strike in the front of the room with blank posters in our hands chanting some ridiculous saying that our teacher made up that all of us were too shy to say so we just stood there shyly. Then, oh then, we got 'arrested' by the obnoxious guys in class but they were also too shy to put us in the slammer. They seemed at first like they were serious, taking off their sweatshirts and jackets to the effect of "I'm a tough guy and oh yeah I'm a freshman too." But the reenactment was discontinued and it was time to get back to class.

American Idol is one of my favorite shows of all time. Say what you want, say it's rigged and the judges are too critical and it was better when Paula Abdul was on it but I still love it. It has gone downhill since season seven, but I still continue to watch it. At my school every year there is a singing contest, much like American Idol. Students can come and laugh at the people who should never open their mouths to sing and be amazed at people in school who really have a talent, and then vote on who they think is the best. Rehearsal was today after school and I had planned to stay after school for math. While doing my math homework I heard funky disco music being played ever so loudly outside of the classroom door. They were rehearsing in the hallway, and oh boy was it a challenge to do Algebra while upperclassmen are running up and down the hallway. It was funny though to hear the music being played, my math teacher even started dancing, which was a bit odd but good for a laugh. Then when I was done with my math and about to leave school I was stopped by the performance in the hall that I was trying to pass through. I, lucky me, got to see the whole performance, which was actually pretty cool. Then when the upperclassmen were done dancing to the funky music I passes by even more excited to see the show coming up.

That is all

-"M"

I'm not blind but there is a slight chance I might be deaf

"Really I could have sworn you said..." Is a phrase that I've come to use on a daily basis. I could be going deaf, but it could also be that people don't speak up. I sound a lot like my parents now; asking people to repeat things that were said too fast or things that they just can't understand, because they "whispered" or "mumbled". "B", though happens to think I need hearing aids. Just in time to test this scenario the Scoliosis, hearing, and vision test was taken today at school. We were called down during 7th period three at a time to the nurses office. I have a really straight back, I even get criticized, which I think is pretty funny, from my friends in school about how I sit up so straight that they can't see over my head. My response to this is "When you are crippled and so bent over from slouching that your fingertips almost touch the ground, I'd be glad to open doors for you." The woman who checked me for scoliosis said that I tilt slightly to the right, mostly because I am right handed and I carry my book bag on my right shoulder with all of my books in it. After that check it was on to vision and hearing. I went out of the first room to the next, when I see my friend, lets call him "P" sitting outside with a worried look on the other nurse's face. I asked "P" what had happened, turns out he broke the headphones for the hearing test. Lovely now I can't even take the hearing test, they have to reschedule it! It was hilarious though how "P" didn't mean to damage it in any way, he was just putting the headphones on when he heard a crack and they basically fell apart. "P" apologized many times with the only reply from the nurse being "You better be". Then she asked him why he did such a thing. Poor "P" now the rest of my class has to take the hearing test on another day. My hearing or lack there of will be proven to be false on a later date. I am not deaf "B" I can hear you just fine! But you may have to speak up sometimes.

Pull Up Your Pants Please

Well at least it was a nice day out today, but we again had another fire drill. It came at the perfect time - fourth period History class. We were just about to start taking notes when all of a sudden we felt relief, hearing the obnoxious siren ring out. Our class quickly shuffled outside, but on our way there one kid in my class let's call him Pants Boy didn't remember to pull his pants up this morning. I guess this is the new fashion, but in my opinion it is very lazy plus a hazard. Pants Boy had his jeans at his knees jumping to pull them up anytime they got too low but eventually they did as we were rushing out the door for the fire drill. Red-checkered boxers and all, Pants Boy was hopping along not really all that embarrassed of exposing his back end to the whole class. He finally pulled his pants up to his waist when we got outside, but they wouldn't stay there for long. Along with getting thrown to the ground in this game that they guys were playing, Pants Boy's pants once again fell to his ankles. I think next time he should buy jeans that fit him better or wear a belt and hoist them up to his waist for once! Another fire drill but at least we were outside for some time during the beautiful weather we are having.

When a child finds out a new noise to make they just keep making it over and over again, or when they realize that a certain thing they do annoys somebody they will, again, do it over and over. While writing an essay that none of us felt like writing, let's call him Squeak was making his shoes squeak by moving them back and forth. Once he found out that his shoes made this noise that was the only thing he did for about five minutes.And that was the only thing I could hear when I was attempting to write a five-paragraph essay. I tried thinking the words in my head that I was going to write "Out of all of... SQUEAK... the...SQUEAK...poems." and it drove me nuts. Thankfully he finally stopped being amazed at what the friction of rubber and cement can do and the squeaking stopped. Overall it has been a humorous and great day. Not much happened though. Maybe more tomorrow.

That is all

-"M"

Fine, Pinch me. I'm not Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone. Almost everyone was clad in their green clothes today and their green earrings, necklaces, socks, and so on. But what does one do when they are not Irish? My biology teacher heard this morning a disk-jockey on the radio allowing a pinch to be given to any person that was not wearing green. And yes, today I wore purple so I was pinched in the arm by my friend "K" and not so gentle was she. But what can I say I'm Italian! My mom's friend always used to say "Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's day." Well if this is the case then shouldn't everyone also be a fool on April Fool's Day. Plus I wore the only green shirt I have on Monday, forgetting that Wednesday was the day devoted to this color.

The sun was shining bright today - a break for the lot of us living in Massachusetts, for we have had storms and dark weather for what seems like a very long time. I am a speed walker and this can get annoying especially in the hallway of school. When people travel at their leisure and don't mind being late for class is what I dislike the most. Or when I am speed-walking and the person in front of me just stops in their tracks to talk to someone or to think about something, yes I guess they aren't good at multitasking, and then I bump into them. Or the drifters, the people that go from one side of the hallway to another and mess up everyone's path in the process. I guess now I know why at my middle school they had tape down the middle of the hallway and why teacher's would always say "You have to do the 'right' thing and walk on the right side of the hallway." This does in fact make perfect sense and I think high school students need to be told this. Today I was trying to get to a class that gives detention if we are late. So my speed-walking kicked in and I was passing people fine until I came to the middle of the hallway, which means there are a pair of doors that have to be opened. Destined to pass the guy just in front of me and beat him to the door my strides got even longer and my footsteps faster. I got to the door and opened it, feeling accomplished for about five seconds until I heard a thunk. What I didn't notice when I was about to open the door was that the guy behind me still had his head in the way of the door. Yep, I hit him square in the forehead. Apologizing frantically I said "I'm sooo sorry, are you okay?" He shook his head yes and I hoped he wouldn't have a red mark on his head for the rest of the day. I felt so bad, after all the poor kid had to go to class after this incident.

Finally I reached Biology class. This class has a wide variety of students and it is very common that something unusual will happen. For example, today as we were leaving the song "Lean On Me" came into someone's mind and they just started singing it out. The the rest of the class chimed in, and why not, being sixth period and almost time to go home we all need someone to lean on. All out of tune our class even continued to sing this song throughout the hallway passing to seventh period. They continued to sing until all I could hear was a hum in the distance.

Again happy St. Patrick's Day!

That is all

-"M"

Well, I think I've been caught

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while I know you know about Church Boy. Well now I think my parents know about him; I know they know who he is and see him every Sunday, but now they most likely know about my crush on him. The way they probably found out was during the process of changing my sheets. I have a cold now and it was really bad yesterday, but is getting better today. And the worst chore I can think of is changing sheets on a bed, especially if you have to flip the mattress and it is turning into what my mom calls "a hot dog bun". So my parents willingly changed my sheets for me, which I was grateful for until I realized, after they had changed the sheets that I had a picture of Church Boy under my pillow to hide it from them when I was showing my friends what he looks like. I looked everywhere for the picture, under my bed, in the garbage, on the kitchen table but it was nowhere to be found. I then looked on the headboard of my bead where all my c.d.'s are kept, and there folded up was the picture. My heart was fluttering as I considered all of the possibilities of how it got there - My parents obviously found it and they either didn't bother looking at it thinking it was me being a fan girl of a boy in a band, or they opened it revealing Church Boy to their very eyes. So I brought this dilemma to "B", and I asked, "If you were my parents and you saw a folded piece of paper under my pillow, would you open it?" Considering this for about five seconds "B"'s answer was "Yes." She then reminded me that if my parents are so involved with my life that they always make sure I have my cell phone on ring-tone and that I keep my shoes on in the car, that unfolding a piece of paper was probably a thing they would do. So far they haven't said anything but there is another pot-luck dinner this Friday and they might say something about it. Being friends with Church Boy's dad, my dad might slip a word or two to him and that would be the worst thing ever. I guess.

That is all

-"M"

You know it's never a good thing when you are called by your first and middle name

Hello internet readers it has been a long time since anyone has updated this blog. As you know "B" has decided to not write on the blog anymore, but that doesn't mean that I won't continue writing on here.

Anyway, today was the day that we had to decide our futures. Our career pathways were chosen today. The pathways we choose have to relate to what our jobs will be. Why, though do we have to decide this now?! We are only freshman! Today we went from class to class signing up for next year's courses; sophomore year is quickly approaching. The worst thing to hear when you are a child is your first, middle, and sometimes last name said all together very loud and in a voice that is recognized as your mother's. There is always a consequence coming when full names are used to call a child. Also hearing your first, middle, and last name said over a microphone at graduation can be a daunting thought to most youth. But when teachers use middle names in class at high school it is just weird and kind of a bragging rights to the kids who have unusual middle names or very proper ones like Donald. Our english teacher today, as he was signing off our papers to recommend our class for honors english 10 next year said aloud our first and middle names, the ones that could be pronounced that is. Some people have different middle names that are hard to pronounce at first but once heard in the proper way of saying they sound really unique. For example I met this kid once whose middle name was Thyme. One of my classmates was sarcastically rooted on by others in the class because his middle name was Donald. Scarlet faced, and smiling he walked up to the teacher's desk awaiting his future class for english.

Now jumping back to last Saturday. It was my friend "R"'s Birthday, so we had planned to go see a play and then go out to dinner with my other friend "K". The play was very entertaining and I would like to see it again. If anyone wants to look it up it is called the Mikado, a Japanese heritage play. It is tradition at my friend "R"'s birthday to have a scavenger hunt around her house. It usually leads to a treat for the party attendees. The scavenger hunt this year however was a bit different than the previous years - it was held outside throughout the city. After the play was over with "R"'s mom surprised us with this news and excitedly we ran off to the first destination - an Irish restaurant. For anyone who is reading this that lives where I live, it is the Irish restaurant, that I won't name, near the library. Scaring people in the window of this restaurant, I screamed "There it is!!!!" when I found the clue. The people in the window could not see the clue because it was on the wall underneath the window. They gave me strange looks as I tried to detach the paper clue from the wall. We followed the next few clues which somehow involved us going by that same window-front over and over again, until the people I'm guessing were sick of seeing us running and screaming by. At one point in our trek we had to cross a street, which in our city near park square, can be very challenging. Before we did so I looked down at the ground and in the snow was a brand new twenty dollar bill. I called my friends over, and in disbelief they saw the green bill in my hand. Looking down my friend "K" found yet another mint-condition twenty dollar bill. Then my friend "R", the birthday girl, looked and found the last twenty dollar bill. Amazed by what we found we asked "R"'s mom if this was part of the scavenger hunt, stunned, she said no. So we ran to "R"'s dad to ask him if he would stay in the area we found the money to see if anyone by chance lost sixty dollars. I am still amazed by this today; it is usual to find maybe a dollar or two but not three twenty dollar bills. And yes we looked to see if they were real, and they all had the security thread in them. What a Saturday night - running around the city, finding twenty dollars a piece, and going out to dinner, it was the best birthday party I have attended so far.

That is all

-"M"