Although some people will argue that it's a little bit early to talk about Christmas, that's literally all I can think about at the moment. Every year, me and my siblings and now my little cousin Summer perform a play on Christmas day, as a special treat while my dad makes breakfast. However, as the oldest child, it has become my responsibility to run the whole thing and it has become exhausting. Not only do I not want to do it, nobody else has any interest in doing it because all of our ideas haven't gone anywhere so far. Even so, we are forcing ourselves to create one because (quoting my aunt) "it's the highlight to our Christmas every year." Therefore, to make my family happy, my sister and I are on our fifth rep with the team. We have written five drafts of five completely different scripts that my three brothers have voted against. The moral of the story: this is a problem.
Jillian, my sister, has done most of the scriptwriting so far because I have no ideas. Literally none whatsoever. We've written a take on Home Alone, A Christmas Carol, and a few original ideas as well and all of them are, in my opinion, complete trash. Jillian is on her sixth rendition of the script and I'm really hoping this is the one I'm going to at least tolerate. Her previous ideas have involved my brother Beckett getting smashed in the head with a bowling ball (poor Beckett) and then my other brother Harrison proceeding to wack me with a baseball bat (poor me). If you're like me, you were confused about what this has to do with Christmas. To be honest, I still have no idea. Her other ideas were also along the lines of this and I think my parents are beginning to get concerned.
On another note, theirs a part of me that's actually somewhat looking forward to whatever the play will be, but also hoping that it isn't a trainwreck like previous years.
Update:
Jillian wrote a completely separate script that isn't violence-based, which is a good sign. The problem now? How I'm going to explain to my family that we can't do a preview of the show on Thanksgiving, as previously requested.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Monday, November 25, 2019
Julie 3 - Navy vs. SMU
Over the weekend, I went to Annapolis, Maryland with my girl scout troop. The purpose of this trip was to participate in the Scout Day offered at the Navy versus SMU football game. Even though I don’t enjoy watching football, I had a great time spending my weekend with my girl scout troop.
After driving for four hours in a cramped car, we finally arrived at Elks Camp Barrett. This was the camp that most scouts stayed at over the weekend. Due to the scouts arriving late in the afternoon, the camp offered a small snack. The food mainly consisted of junk food, but the drink they offered was, to say the least, interesting. This was the only thing I took and was very surprised by it. It was a bright red substance that had the flavor of cherry cough medicine. It almost had the same consistency as cough medicine but was not as thick. To put it bluntly, it was disgusting. I understand that some people like the drink, but I don’t understand how.
The next morning we woke up super early to go to the Naval Academy for a tour. I have already toured West Point and was excited to tour another military college. I enjoyed the tour and after talking to the Plede who ran it I decided to apply to the Naval Academy. One of the more interesting things I learned during the tour was that there is an entire underground network of tunnels, so you don’t have to trudge through the snow to get to class. I also learned that, like West Point, you are required to take engineering classes and will graduate with an engineering degree.
A few hours after the tour, we went to the stadium. It was just above freezing, and everyone was wearing winter gear. Even though it was freezing I still had the ability to doze off while waiting for the game to start. I knew that I was tired, but I never imagined that I would fall asleep waiting for a football game to start while freezing my butt off. Now, I believe it to be my special power to be able to fall asleep anywhere.
Once the opening ceremonies started, I was fully awake (or at least as much as I could have been). The entire Naval Academy Midshipman Brigade marched onto the field. There were a total of 30 companies covering the field. It was an amazing experience and I can almost imagine myself amongst them. The best part was the school spirit and traditions they followed. After every touchdown and won field goal, part of the brigade would run into the area surrounding the end zone and do push-ups in full formal military garb.
At the end of the very close game, the Navy Midshipman won the game against SMU. Even though I can barely tell you what happened during the game, the entire weekend was full of interesting experiences and opened new opportunities for me.
After driving for four hours in a cramped car, we finally arrived at Elks Camp Barrett. This was the camp that most scouts stayed at over the weekend. Due to the scouts arriving late in the afternoon, the camp offered a small snack. The food mainly consisted of junk food, but the drink they offered was, to say the least, interesting. This was the only thing I took and was very surprised by it. It was a bright red substance that had the flavor of cherry cough medicine. It almost had the same consistency as cough medicine but was not as thick. To put it bluntly, it was disgusting. I understand that some people like the drink, but I don’t understand how.
The next morning we woke up super early to go to the Naval Academy for a tour. I have already toured West Point and was excited to tour another military college. I enjoyed the tour and after talking to the Plede who ran it I decided to apply to the Naval Academy. One of the more interesting things I learned during the tour was that there is an entire underground network of tunnels, so you don’t have to trudge through the snow to get to class. I also learned that, like West Point, you are required to take engineering classes and will graduate with an engineering degree.
A few hours after the tour, we went to the stadium. It was just above freezing, and everyone was wearing winter gear. Even though it was freezing I still had the ability to doze off while waiting for the game to start. I knew that I was tired, but I never imagined that I would fall asleep waiting for a football game to start while freezing my butt off. Now, I believe it to be my special power to be able to fall asleep anywhere.
Once the opening ceremonies started, I was fully awake (or at least as much as I could have been). The entire Naval Academy Midshipman Brigade marched onto the field. There were a total of 30 companies covering the field. It was an amazing experience and I can almost imagine myself amongst them. The best part was the school spirit and traditions they followed. After every touchdown and won field goal, part of the brigade would run into the area surrounding the end zone and do push-ups in full formal military garb.
At the end of the very close game, the Navy Midshipman won the game against SMU. Even though I can barely tell you what happened during the game, the entire weekend was full of interesting experiences and opened new opportunities for me.
Stephan 3: Being on Time
This morning while I was sitting in my car, I was left with lots of time to think, as my brother was late yet again. Most days I find myself waiting for him. Although it may be a small annoyance to deal with day to day, it is a much bigger issue than it seems. In this situation, it may not have a huge effect on anything, but the habit still remains.
One of the most important skills that a person can have in life is being on time. A poor sense of time can cause you to constantly rush and create issues in the long run. It may not seem like a minute here or there makes much of a difference, but it really can make a major difference. First off it creates a great first impression. People will see you as a dependable and reliable person that they can trust.
The next thing that it shows is that you actually care about something. Think about the message you are sending when you fail to show up on time. If you want to show that you are invested in something or care about someone, it should be your top priority. In the end, people really appreciate it when you make an effort. The final thing that being on time does is it reduces stress. One of the most stressful things, at least for me, is being short on time or running late. I can’t count how many times running late has wrecked my thought process, preventing me from getting anything done. I’ve learned that it is so much better to give yourself time, leading to a worry-free drive.
Owen 3: Money Doesn't Grow on Trees!
For as long as I can remember I am not the best when it comes to saving money. A sentence that would best describe my financial status would be that once I get money, it burns a hole in my pocket. Although I am still a spender at heart I have become better at saving over the last few years however I am amidst a personal financial crisis at the moment. Over the past three weeks or so, I’ve found myself desperately searching for jobs before the holiday season. No matter how hard I try or how many places I apply to it just feels like I can’t get the job.
Not only have I applied to Dick’s Sporting Good’s 3 times, Wegmans 3 times, CVS twice, and Kohl’s and Five Below both once but I’ve also reached out to other small businesses. This countless job searching has started to lead me towards a path of giving up. However, I refuse to do that. Luckily enough for me, I was able to save up money over the summer and the fall by working at my local golf course. However, as the season turns and fall becomes winter, the course will be closing and I will no longer have a job. Being the spender at heart I am, I spent about half of my earnings on numerous things this summer. Now luckily being in high school you can get away with this but sooner or later I will have to change my ways.
Why am I saying all of this? Well, reality has hit recently and soon I’m going to have to start paying for gas and my car insurance starting in January when I get my license. Although I have saved up a decent amount of money from my previous job, I will need to have more money saved up and stop spending it so much!
If anybody has any businesses they know are hiring please comment them below, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks
Joe 1: Existential Crises and Really, Really Bad Hair
Over the past weekend, Nazareth Area High School Theater Troupe opened our production of Our Town. Written by Thorton Wilder in 1937, the show has stood the test of time because of its timeless themes, heartfelt story, and, most importantly, how dirt cheap it is to produce. The set consisted of two tables, an assortment of chairs, two ladders, and a wooden board.
I was cast as Charles Webb, a charismatic newspaper editor for the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The father of the romantic lead of the show, Mr. Webb had no shortage of things to do on stage. At one point, my character addresses the audience directly, even walking off the stage and standing among the crowd for a short time. I will admit, I was having a lot of fun.
One of the defining elements of my character was his hairstyle. Anybody who knows me knows I prefer to let my mop of hair just do its own thing with a little bit of styling to make sure I don’t look like I’m a jungle child. So, naturally, the costume department told me these instructions; “get it flat and part it down the middle.”
Well dignity, it was great knowing you.
This is probably the place to give my sister due credit, as she valiantly embarked on the hair wrestling quest with me. She doused my hair with the showerhead while I loudly complained it was too cold, and then meticulously parted it with a broken comb until we cemented it with enough gel to pave our road. All for the end result that made me look like a fresh egg.
All joking aside, Our Town was a very compelling experience for me in many aspects. For one, it required me to act in ways I wasn’t really used to. There was a great scene where I awkwardly fudge my way through a conversation with my son-in-law to-be until we are both utterly lost. The complex themes of retrospective death and living in the moment also touched a lot of people. My own father, who had never cried in front of me in my 16 years of life, was misty-eyed as he gave me a big hug after the curtains closed.
I think Thorton Wilder was onto something when he told the tale of a life in Grover’s Corners. Maybe the hair has evolved past being a built-in bike helmet of hair gel, but the show truly told a tale that can be taken to heart in any era. I think that’s what sticks with me so much coming away from this experience. So much of life is consistent no matter who you are, where you are, when you are. It’s a reassuring thing to consider.
Thanks, Mr. Wilder.
I was cast as Charles Webb, a charismatic newspaper editor for the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The father of the romantic lead of the show, Mr. Webb had no shortage of things to do on stage. At one point, my character addresses the audience directly, even walking off the stage and standing among the crowd for a short time. I will admit, I was having a lot of fun.
One of the defining elements of my character was his hairstyle. Anybody who knows me knows I prefer to let my mop of hair just do its own thing with a little bit of styling to make sure I don’t look like I’m a jungle child. So, naturally, the costume department told me these instructions; “get it flat and part it down the middle.”
Well dignity, it was great knowing you.
This is probably the place to give my sister due credit, as she valiantly embarked on the hair wrestling quest with me. She doused my hair with the showerhead while I loudly complained it was too cold, and then meticulously parted it with a broken comb until we cemented it with enough gel to pave our road. All for the end result that made me look like a fresh egg.
All joking aside, Our Town was a very compelling experience for me in many aspects. For one, it required me to act in ways I wasn’t really used to. There was a great scene where I awkwardly fudge my way through a conversation with my son-in-law to-be until we are both utterly lost. The complex themes of retrospective death and living in the moment also touched a lot of people. My own father, who had never cried in front of me in my 16 years of life, was misty-eyed as he gave me a big hug after the curtains closed.
I think Thorton Wilder was onto something when he told the tale of a life in Grover’s Corners. Maybe the hair has evolved past being a built-in bike helmet of hair gel, but the show truly told a tale that can be taken to heart in any era. I think that’s what sticks with me so much coming away from this experience. So much of life is consistent no matter who you are, where you are, when you are. It’s a reassuring thing to consider.
Thanks, Mr. Wilder.
Liam 3 - Thanksgiving
The Meaning of Thanksgiving
As all of you know, this Thursday is Thanksgiving. This holiday has a pretty straightforward appearance - get together with family on the 4th Thursday in November and eat lots of food. Once this modern facade is removed, Thanksgiving becomes more complex. The first Thanksgiving is commonly attributed to the Mayflower pilgrims and Indians in Massachusetts. This was by no means the first Thanksgiving. There is a doubt as to whether or not it is even the first Thanksgiving in North America. The original Thanksgivings were Puritan holy days of celebration in response to acts of special providence. There were several days of Thanksgiving in a year. The practice of having days of Thanksgiving continued with the European settlement of the New World. There were Thanksgivings in Canada, Massachusetts, Virginia, or Florida.
This all applies to how we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so many things to be thankful for it seems that by limiting Thanksgiving to one day, we miss the true meaning. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and be thankful for the gifts we receive with a big family meal. We can and should give thanks whenever there is a reason to. Thanksgiving has become more of a beginning to the holiday season than a time of thankfulness. Following Thanksgiving with Black Friday has given it a vibe of excess that is entirely against the original meaning. The increasing model of consumerism has taken away from the moral and spiritual original Thanksgiving. Before digging into the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy on Thursday, I think that we would all benefit from thinking about something for which we are truly thankful.
Kadison 3 - Frozen
I had been waiting for this very moment for 6 years. The time had finally come: Frozen 2 was out in theaters! My friends and I had already bought our tickets a couple days ago to make sure we all got seats next to each other. Friday afternoon, we went out for lunch at Red Robin and then proceeded to the theater. This may sound a little overdramatic, but my friends and I were practically bouncing in our seats with excitement.
We all remember the first Frozen movie; I don’t think “Let It Go” stopped playing on the radio for the rest of the year. The amount of money Disney probably made off of merchandise is insane to think about. Frozen 2 did not try for another iconic song; even Idina Menzel (the voice of Elsa) said that “Let It Go” was simply “lighting in a bottle”. Although none of the songs were as catchy, I definitely still enjoyed all of them. Each song related to the plot nicely and had their own uniqueness.
There were probably two or three times while watching the movie that my eyes got a little wet. I won’t spoil it here, but the people who have seen it know exactly what I’m talking about. I found the movie to be a little darker and a lot deeper than the previous film, as Elsa and Anna had to figure out how to repair and rectify their ancestor’s past decisions. Throughout the movie, they search for the cause of the four elemental spirit’s anger, and eventually, the truth is revealed.
[This next paragraph will include spoilers! Read at your own risk!]
I think one of the most important lessons of the movie was the importance of following your own path. Elsa did not want to lose what she had going in Arendelle but realized she had to uncover the truth about the past. Elsa knew she had to follow the calling (quite literally) north. This leads her to journey (with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven) to the Enchanted Forest. After finding her parent’s shipwreck, Elsa understood that this next part of the journey north she must do alone. She followed the calling to Ahtohallan, a place said to hold all explanations of the past, and finally felt like she belonged and understood her true purpose. Elsa found out that her powers were gifted by the forest, and that she is the fifth spirit. Her (and Anna’s) purpose is to bridge the human and spirit world together.
[The spoilers are over!]
I would definitely recommend watching Frozen 2. Although it was sort of cheesy (aren't all Disney movies?), the underlying themes are interesting and the plot does not follow one of those basic cookie-cutter patterns. The songs are also very moving and often include foreshadowing. At the very least, you can get some movie-theater popcorn and candy out of it!
Ryan 3: My Schedule for School
This school year I have slept in more than any other because juniors have privilege. As an underclassmen I was so used to waking up at 6:45 am to get ready for school just to find myself exhausted everyday on the bus. Now that I'm a junior I go in to school late everyday with no punishment and it is awesome.
My schedule for the first semester allows me to go to school at 8:51 am on ACE letter days and 11:02 on BDF letter days. My first block class is cyber sports nutrition and on BDF days my second block is a study hall, but with junior privilege I don't have to attend those. On top of this I have lunch one right after second block, allowing me to go into school at 11:02 am every other day. On the other ACE days I have to come in at 8:51 am for my second block class in school.
This schedule may sound too good to be true, but it is. I'm still taking challenging courses like honors anatomy, honors pre-calculus, and AP language. On the downside I still sleep in too late and get tardies. I don't think I can ever wake up for a 7:30 am start again, which is really bad.
Overall, I am really happy with my school schedule this semester. It has helped me out a lot and given me a lot more freedom. Next year I hope I have another flexible schedule.
Alanna, 3; Psychology is Interesting
This year, I am taking AP Psychology and yes, most of the topics we talk about bore me to life, but this week we read this article from Sweden about a new pronoun they created called “Hen”. This is a mix between the Sweden pronouns “hon” (she) and “han” (he). This word was added to the Swedish dictionary in 2011 to promote gender neutrality. It can be used when the gender of a person is not known or when it is not desirable to specify them as either a "she" or "he". With this pronoun, Swedish gender-neutral activists hoped to banish gender specification.
I have never been one to get involved in controversial issues but reading this article piqued my interest. I am in no way am I a critic of gender neutrality, I am just indifferent to the issue. This article stated, “What many gender-neutral activists are after is a society that entirely erases traditional gender roles and stereotypes at even the most mundane levels.” My question is, why is acceptance not your goal, but instead total erasement? I believe we could live in a much more peaceful world is everyone just accepted each other's opinions and moved on, but I know that can’t happen. They also mentioned changing the entire school systems, starting with preschools becoming gender-neutral. This meant putting a girl and a boy into school at the age of 5 and telling them they are the same. I understand girls and boys being equal but I do not understand how people can explain to a 5-year-old boy that the girl standing next to him is in no way different. Meili and I talked about it for almost an hour and a half over the phone and our conclusion came to yes, girl and boy are equal
and can equally be qualified for specific things but a girl can reproduce and give life, where a guy
cannot, therefore we were confused as to their way of thinking.
and can equally be qualified for specific things but a girl can reproduce and give life, where a guy
cannot, therefore we were confused as to their way of thinking.
To learn more and hopefully get a better understanding of their subject, I did some research. Most gender-neutral activists are not looking for everyone to refer to themselves as a “hen” but instead just the small things like gender-neutral bathrooms. Most say they feel trapped in a world where they are not accepted and are just looking for a way out. This contradicted what the article we read in Psychology wrote. After doing more research other than reading one article I understood their goal instead of thin slicing.
Why Can't Thanksgiving Be A Week Earlier?
In my family, Thanksgiving has never been a decision of whose house we should go to-- which grandparents we choose that year and dealing with the side comments from the other ones. We have always gone to my mom’s parents’ house because I only have cousins on that side. My dad being an only child with divorced parents makes it… let’s just say difficult. Spending the holiday with my mom’s side is the tradition, I can’t remember a year where we’ve gone anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, I am fully invested in the spirit of Thanksgiving and the entire premise: giving thanks for all of our blessings. But can’t it just be one week earlier? I love the Christmas season more than anything, and I would love for it to be even just a couple days longer. Last year Thanksgiving was on the 22nd and now the 28th? That is six days of pure Christmas joy lost, completely thrown away.
Even worse, I am a believer of no things Christmas before Thanksgiving; I physically cannot listen to Christmas music or watch Christmas movies until the drive home on Thanksgiving day. For some reason, it is simply not the same. In my opinion, we need to give Thanksgiving the credit and appreciation it deserves. And naturally, my best friend is the absolute opposite, she hates Thanksgiving with a burning passion and thinks it is a waste of time. So I spend most of my preparation for one of my favorite holidays avoiding her Christmas cheer. However, the Christmas season is simply too short-lived. One month from today is Christmas, and Thanksgiving is in three days-- come on, America, let’s push our wonderful Thanksgiving up a bit.
Connor 3: Working at Dunkin
I spent my entire weekend at Dunkin Donuts. I went to bed on Friday night and work up a half hour before my shift at 2pm. Then I got home at 10:30 and went to bed, only to wake up the next day at 1:30 so I could get ready and go back to work at 2. Then, as the cycle goes, I got home at 10:30, went to bed, and now we are here. Now that I work weekends from 2-10, I no longer get to actually enjoy my time off from school.
Spending 8 hours at work, 2 days in a row really put into perspective how boring life really is. I spend at least 12 hours sleeping, so that would give me 4 hours of time when I’m not at work. During those 4 hours would be when I eat and get my homework and housework done.
Working at Dunkin really isn’t that bad though. I usually work nights, so after 6 o’clock the drive-through is usually slow. I mostly just clean and stock the drive-through, then wait till 8:30, throw away the donuts (While keeping some for various purposes). There used to be this scary old witch from Hansel and Gretel type lady who would take the donuts for the deer, but we haven’t seen her in weeks so we assume she died. Last night a cop took a trash bag full of donuts to the deer, so I am genuinely concerned for deer in this area.
If no one comes in drive-through then I literally just sit down and wait for it to be time to do things. At nine I do the dishes because the people I close with are either allergic to the sanitizer or pulls rank because she's worked her for 20 years.
Working is pretty boring most of the time, but it really isn’t that bad. Much better than my other job. If anyone ever needs any Munchkins, I usually have the hookup at my locker.
Spending 8 hours at work, 2 days in a row really put into perspective how boring life really is. I spend at least 12 hours sleeping, so that would give me 4 hours of time when I’m not at work. During those 4 hours would be when I eat and get my homework and housework done.
Working at Dunkin really isn’t that bad though. I usually work nights, so after 6 o’clock the drive-through is usually slow. I mostly just clean and stock the drive-through, then wait till 8:30, throw away the donuts (While keeping some for various purposes). There used to be this scary old witch from Hansel and Gretel type lady who would take the donuts for the deer, but we haven’t seen her in weeks so we assume she died. Last night a cop took a trash bag full of donuts to the deer, so I am genuinely concerned for deer in this area.
If no one comes in drive-through then I literally just sit down and wait for it to be time to do things. At nine I do the dishes because the people I close with are either allergic to the sanitizer or pulls rank because she's worked her for 20 years.
Working is pretty boring most of the time, but it really isn’t that bad. Much better than my other job. If anyone ever needs any Munchkins, I usually have the hookup at my locker.
Liz 3: Finally baking again!
With the holidays coming up, I decided I was going to make a dessert to bring to my family’s thanksgiving. I love baking, and it has been a long time since I’ve done it so I’m super excited!
I decided to make a recipe created by a baker that I love and follow on Instagram. His account is called The Scran Line, and the baker, Nick, is from Australia and he’s a super awesome member of the LGBT+ community. Some of his cakes and cupcakes are so over the top that I never imagined I would be able to make them. However, I’m going to try. I chose a simpler recipe, and I’m going to modify it slightly to make them…..not so over the top. I’ll be making Nutella and peanut butter cupcakes. They’re a chocolate banana cake with a Nutella core and peanut butter frosting. I think chocolate, peanut butter, and banana are some of the best flavors to combine, so I can only imagine how good these cupcakes will taste. However, I’m not a huge fan of Nutella, so a glob of it in the middle of my cupcakes doesn’t sound super appealing to me. I will not be including the Nutella in my adaptation of the recipe. I’m going to be making the cupcakes Tuesday and Wednesday after school, so I’ll definitely post an update with a picture of how they turn out.
I decided to make a recipe created by a baker that I love and follow on Instagram. His account is called The Scran Line, and the baker, Nick, is from Australia and he’s a super awesome member of the LGBT+ community. Some of his cakes and cupcakes are so over the top that I never imagined I would be able to make them. However, I’m going to try. I chose a simpler recipe, and I’m going to modify it slightly to make them…..not so over the top. I’ll be making Nutella and peanut butter cupcakes. They’re a chocolate banana cake with a Nutella core and peanut butter frosting. I think chocolate, peanut butter, and banana are some of the best flavors to combine, so I can only imagine how good these cupcakes will taste. However, I’m not a huge fan of Nutella, so a glob of it in the middle of my cupcakes doesn’t sound super appealing to me. I will not be including the Nutella in my adaptation of the recipe. I’m going to be making the cupcakes Tuesday and Wednesday after school, so I’ll definitely post an update with a picture of how they turn out.
Sydney Week #3 Job Shadow
This last Friday I was able to do my job shadow for junior sem. Although I was kind of nervous to go at first I ended up having a really fun time. I went to a company called Data Works, and since I was shadowing the President of the company, he had me go around to 4 of the other workers and learn about their jobs.
I learned a lot more from some of the workers than others, but for the most part each of them tried to get 2 main points across. The first of these points was that everyone in the workplace had to work together. If they didn’t work as a cohesive unit then nothing would be able to get done since all of their work is based off of what other people accomplish. This lesson is something that is very important in any job because if you can’t work well with others then nothing will ever get done.
The next lesson I learned was how to stay organized. One of the people that I shadowed was quite OCD, but that lead him to teach me about staying organized and to make sure that I’m doing everything as efficiently as possible. Although a lot of what he was telling me was something that I already try to do, it was interesting to hear how it has impacted his career. Since he is organized in everything that he does, he doesn’t waste the company's time or money making him a valuable asset rather than a hindrance.
Overall, I had a very positive experience with my job shadow. I’m glad I was able to meet all the wonderful people that work there, and learn about the company.
Emma 3: Thanksgiving Food
Seeing family and friends and being thankful for everyone and everything in your life is what Thanksgiving is about. However, the food is also a key part of the day. Everyone looks forward to the feast of mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, stuffing, corn, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and many other traditional Thanksgiving foods that are typically reserved for this day.
To me, every Thanksgiving food is worth the year-long wait, except for cranberry sauce. My family has it every year for Thanksgiving, and I just can’t seem to share their enthusiasm for it. They put it on their turkey as a condiment or eat it as a side dish. I’ve tried it both ways and neither of them taste make it taste any better.
The supreme food of Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes. They go well with every other Thanksgiving food, so if mashed potatoes get onto any of the other food, it still tastes good. Another bonus of mashed potatoes is that virtually anyone can make them without ruining them. No matter which member of my family hosts Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes are always perfect.
I won’t be home to have my usual Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family this year because I’ll be in New York, so I’m hoping my immediate family will at least get one of my favorite foods for dinner. Last year I missed my family’s Thanksgiving dinner because I was in California, and we had burritos instead of the traditional foods. Even though I am very grateful to be able to travel to new places, I really missed seeing my family and all of the traditions of Thanksgiving, so I’m sad I’ll be missing it again. Hopefully next year I can stay home for Thanksgiving and eat lots of mashed potatoes.
To me, every Thanksgiving food is worth the year-long wait, except for cranberry sauce. My family has it every year for Thanksgiving, and I just can’t seem to share their enthusiasm for it. They put it on their turkey as a condiment or eat it as a side dish. I’ve tried it both ways and neither of them taste make it taste any better.
The supreme food of Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes. They go well with every other Thanksgiving food, so if mashed potatoes get onto any of the other food, it still tastes good. Another bonus of mashed potatoes is that virtually anyone can make them without ruining them. No matter which member of my family hosts Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes are always perfect.
I won’t be home to have my usual Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family this year because I’ll be in New York, so I’m hoping my immediate family will at least get one of my favorite foods for dinner. Last year I missed my family’s Thanksgiving dinner because I was in California, and we had burritos instead of the traditional foods. Even though I am very grateful to be able to travel to new places, I really missed seeing my family and all of the traditions of Thanksgiving, so I’m sad I’ll be missing it again. Hopefully next year I can stay home for Thanksgiving and eat lots of mashed potatoes.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
MeiLi 3- Junior Year is the Hardest They Say
Today I went to Billy's Downtown Diner in Allentown with my mom and our family friends that I haven't seen in forever. My Aunt Katherine is a crazy sixth grade teacher who loves drama and gossip and delivers the funniest jokes and insults I've ever heard and I love her absolutely to death, and her daughter Rachel has basically been my friend since we were in the womb. We were seated at our table at 11:15 or so, and somewhere between 11:30 (when they showed up) and 1:00 (when we all left) the topic of school came up. Now, this is obviously not a surprise. Especially when both the adults at the table were sixth grade teachers that shared a wall for the majority of my life. They asked how my Junior year was going and I slowly started to realize that the answer was... pretty good.
I was shocked that I actually meant it. I've had some pretty high ups and some pretty low downs so far this year, but school wise? Its going great. Everyone always says how tough and stressful your junior year is supposed to be. I was told countless times to savor every moment of freshman and sophomore year, but to be completely honest sophomore year was way harder. I was stressed out all the time, and my grades were no where near where they should've been. My time management skills were no where to be found and neither was my confidence or motivation when it came to school work. Its not as though my classes are any easier this year, I'm taking two APs and two art classes with a heavy workload, and the majority of my first period class is me going home and teaching myself the entire unit. I don't feel as though my time management skills have improved and I'm out of the house doing social things a lot more than last year, and yet my GPA and overall achievement in my classes is a lot better.
I think I'm waiting for the stress to hit me, that feeling of an overload of work and the terrifying panic that comes after I don't get it all done. I just hope it doesn't eventually hit. I hope junior year ISN'T the hardest year of high school.
I was shocked that I actually meant it. I've had some pretty high ups and some pretty low downs so far this year, but school wise? Its going great. Everyone always says how tough and stressful your junior year is supposed to be. I was told countless times to savor every moment of freshman and sophomore year, but to be completely honest sophomore year was way harder. I was stressed out all the time, and my grades were no where near where they should've been. My time management skills were no where to be found and neither was my confidence or motivation when it came to school work. Its not as though my classes are any easier this year, I'm taking two APs and two art classes with a heavy workload, and the majority of my first period class is me going home and teaching myself the entire unit. I don't feel as though my time management skills have improved and I'm out of the house doing social things a lot more than last year, and yet my GPA and overall achievement in my classes is a lot better.
I think I'm waiting for the stress to hit me, that feeling of an overload of work and the terrifying panic that comes after I don't get it all done. I just hope it doesn't eventually hit. I hope junior year ISN'T the hardest year of high school.
Renee, 3, Motivation
This past month I have been struggling to find the motivation to keep up with my school work. I always manage to get it done, but it is not done as well as I know I'm capable of. With my demanding part-time job, as well as wanting to see my friends in my free time, I put myself in the horrible situation of doing homework or studying last minute.
The reasons as to why I'm not getting anything done are definitely fixable, but I don't have the energy to try to fix them. Recently, I have been so content with my social life, that that is all I focus on. In a way, this is a positive as it is making a great impact on my mental health, but I know that in the long run, my grades will matter and I need to learn to balance both. It stresses me out internally, yet I do nothing about it!
I do have a valid excuse, for the most part, I am not just a horrible student. I was sick this past week and missed a few assessments, but when I find the motivation to study and feel prepared to make up the work, I get hit with a family or work issue. Maybe the world wants me to have bad grades for a little while (just kidding, I think).
Yes, I do know all these things are issues. Yes, I know how I could fix them, but for some reason, I just won't go through with it. If anyone has any tips on how to get out of this procrastination funk, it would be greatly appreciated. Yes, I've tried coffee and no, it hasn't worked.
The reasons as to why I'm not getting anything done are definitely fixable, but I don't have the energy to try to fix them. Recently, I have been so content with my social life, that that is all I focus on. In a way, this is a positive as it is making a great impact on my mental health, but I know that in the long run, my grades will matter and I need to learn to balance both. It stresses me out internally, yet I do nothing about it!
I do have a valid excuse, for the most part, I am not just a horrible student. I was sick this past week and missed a few assessments, but when I find the motivation to study and feel prepared to make up the work, I get hit with a family or work issue. Maybe the world wants me to have bad grades for a little while (just kidding, I think).
Yes, I do know all these things are issues. Yes, I know how I could fix them, but for some reason, I just won't go through with it. If anyone has any tips on how to get out of this procrastination funk, it would be greatly appreciated. Yes, I've tried coffee and no, it hasn't worked.
Liz 2: A New Beginning
There was a good chunk of time in the beginning of the school year where I missed a lot of school. I was going through a lot in my own life, and the stress of that and school work ending up making me constantly sick. I was really behind on my school work, and it got to the point where I was never doing homework for the following day, instead, I was trying to catch up. It was a constant cycle I couldn’t break out of. I spent weekend after weekend trying to do the mountain of homework I had, while still trying to balance my job and my social life as well. It was honestly really stressful and hard, but I was determined to get out of it.
At the end of quarter one, I told myself that I was gonna be on top of things for the upcoming quarter, and I actually was! I was doing my homework on time, my grades improved drastically and it helped me feel more in control of my life. Now you’re probably thinking, “Liz, what do you mean you feel on top of things? This blog post is almost a week late!” I know. This week I fell behind again, due to a new work schedule and some weird cold-allergy thing I’ve been dealing with. It sucks because I was really proud of myself for getting all my work done on time. But, I’m not going to let it get to me, and I’m determined to get back on track.
At the end of quarter one, I told myself that I was gonna be on top of things for the upcoming quarter, and I actually was! I was doing my homework on time, my grades improved drastically and it helped me feel more in control of my life. Now you’re probably thinking, “Liz, what do you mean you feel on top of things? This blog post is almost a week late!” I know. This week I fell behind again, due to a new work schedule and some weird cold-allergy thing I’ve been dealing with. It sucks because I was really proud of myself for getting all my work done on time. But, I’m not going to let it get to me, and I’m determined to get back on track.
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