It’s been too long…

I can’t believe its been weeks without a new post from me! I’ve been swamped with homework, tests, community service projects and planning for the school yearbook. I guess that may explain why it’s been so long. And the fact that on my weekends…I’m much too lazy to take the time to cross another list item off. I’d rather spend my time relaxing and preparing myself for the long week ahead. However, with one of my good friend’s help, Natalie, she has inspired me to get back to blogging. Mainly because she’s going to feature my blog in the school newspaper. I’ll get some press, but that means I better start writing on here more often again. So, although I’m not promising anything…let’s hope for the best and see if I can make the time to cross items off and keep blogging. Please check out my “Let’s get lost in a book” page and comment recommending books for me to read. Thanks so much and hopefully I won’t neglect my poor blog anymore.

Long awaited update

I apologize for not posting frequently anymore. The dreaded school year has started and the first few weeks back are always stressful and an adjustment, so hang with me until I get back into the swing of things! Sorry for the short post, but sometimes, short and sweet is even better.

#34. Carve initials into a tree can successfully be crossed off. Although I did it, I’m not very proud of the results. Since the tree I chose didn’t have smooth bark it’s pretty difficult to even notice my initials. Plus, I carved them so big that it almost wraps completely around the small tree. The picture only shows my first two initials because it was close to impossible to take a picture of all of my initials since it wrapped around.

#45. Make high school scrapbook. Check. Over the last few days of summer I really worked hard on this scrapbook. Although it’s only the first two years of high school, I have next summer to work on my Junior and Senior year. Plus, I wouldn’t be able to even complete my senior year portion yet. Even though I didn’t really like making the scrapbook, I know it will be something I’ll enjoy looking back on and remembering all the good times.

#26. Don’t eat for 24 hours

Mohandas K. Gandhi, he has been my idol, inspiration and hero, and now I have even more respect for this man. In honor of him I attempted to fast for 24 hours. Last night at 9:45 I had chocolate chip cookies, and that was it for a long time. My goal was to reach 9:45 tonight without eating any food. I woke up at 9:45 this morning (12 hours already passed) and until 4:30 I survived only on one piece of gum, coffee and a diet Dr. Pepper. Around mid-afternoon I was not feeling so hot. I started shaking and feeling pretty weak, with a headache too. I toughed it out until 4:45…a total of 19 hours without food. But after that, I had to eat. I devoured a sandwich, apple, chips and a pack of fruit snacks. Immediately I started feeling better. I can’t say I would ever do this again as it wasn’t the best experience, but it did give me more respect for Gandhi. How he fasted for so long remains a mystery to me. Even though I didn’t stick it out for a full 24 hours, I would count this one as a success. I went longer without food than I ever have before and definitely came away with a greater appreciation for food.

Slowly but surely…

I apologize for taking so long to write another post. Thanks to Hurricane Irene, my power was knocked out for a few days. And, as much as I hate to say it…not much has happened since my last post. I found out that the concert ticket prices are ridiculous! They expect me to pay over $100 for two concert tickets. I don’t think so. So, as of now, that list item will be on hold until a cheaper concert comes into play. Very disappointing though. On a lighter note, I am progressing through Gandhi’s autobiography. Maybe not as fast as I would like, but I’m reading it thoroughly. Just the other day I got a coloring book (princess themed of course) and a pack of crayons. I can’t say that I’ve finished the entire coloring book already, but I’ll get that done before summer ends too. Let’s just say that the pages I’ve colored so far are A+ material. I’ll try to get busy again with my list items, but most of them now are ones that take a lot more planning and time to accomplish. Sorry it has taken so long for me to post again, but I’ll try to do better. Although, with school starting up in a week, I’m thinking (and hoping I’ll be able to) post once a week. Enjoy the last few days of summer!

#31. Go a weekend without technology

Ah, technology, how I missed you. The sweet static pop of the TV coming on, the joy of turning on my phone and seeing all the missed messages and the feel of the computer keyboard clacking under my fingers…these were missed over the weekend. However, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And, actually way more enjoyable than I thought. There was plenty of reading (The Host by Stephenie Meyer finished, and Gandhi’s autobiography further read) and lots of solitaire playing. I got to be quite the champ. My family even humored me by playing a game of Scattergories. My brother and I went to the river and sunbathed, which took up a few hours of time. Doing this no technology weekend I gained the skill of patience and the ability to enjoy solitude. I usually can’t stand being by myself for very long; I thrive off of being around other people. However, I spent a good two…possibly three hours just sitting out on the back deck waiting for the perfect moment to snap a picture of a hummingbird/butterfly eating. Without the constant noise and pressure to constantly be in contact with people 24/7, it was actually somewhat of a relief to not have all the gadgets around me. I can’t say that I’ll ever do this again, but it was definitely a learning experience. And something that made me realize I could spend my time doing different things other than always staring at some form of a screen.

 

Although these pictures were not taken from this weekend, I figured it makes a post more enjoyable to look at when there are pictures to see. And these things were exactly what I was doing this weekend. The only picture from the weekend is the one of the butterfly.

Technology= off limits

As of midnight tonight, I will be swearing off all technology. I’m not really looking forward to this list item at all, but I figure it’ll show me what else I can fill my time with instead of pointless TV watching and computer browsing. When I say technology, I’m limiting myself from the TV, computer and cell phone. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with the long hours of this weekend, but I imagine it’ll involve a lot of reading and day dreaming. Wish me luck, and sorry I won’t be able to post until more than 48 hours from now!

Double Whammy!

After feeling the rush and joy of crossing another item off of my list, I felt the need to go ahead and get more done. So, last night I decided to pull an all-nighter. I figured it was perfect since I had nothing planned for the next day. Well, when your entire family is up in their rooms either asleep or with the door shut by 10:30…it sure makes for a long, lonely night. I started the night of by watching How I Met Your Mother, and then browsing the web. After that I figured I might as well go ahead and update my blog after wearing red lipstick all day. So, that took up some time. But, it was still only about 12:30, the night was young…and I was already tired. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it. I kept texting Drew all night with updates of how it was going. She was asleep of course, but it helped keep me motivated to stay up. I learned a few things pulling an all-nighter. One: the later you stay up, the more you get done. Two: as the night progresses, so does your hunger…and it never wants healthy food either. I chowed down on a few packs of fruit snacks, candy and some pretzels, I couldn’t help my self. But, I also made it a pretty productive night. I actually wrote another one of my college essays (it’ll still need to be proof-read a few times and revised, but hey, it’s finally written!). And, here comes the double whammy part…#22. Write a Letter to a Soldier can be officially crossed off too. I wrote four letters that I’m going to send using the program A Million Thanks (great program, check it out!). I hope the soldiers feel appreciated for all the dedication and hard work they do for our country. They deserve some thanks. So I encourage everyone to take some time out of their day to write them a thank you note, even if it’s not the best…heck, I did mine at 3:30 in the morning. After writing the notes and decorating the fronts of them, I went to go visit my cat. For anyone that knows me, you’d know how much I love my cats. So, I figured the best way to document #8. Pull an All-Nighter, would be to take a picture with my little cutie. Of course I’m not looking my finest, I’m bumming it to the max. But, I’m trying to have a picture for every list item, so I figured I had to have one. Apologies if the picture gives you nightmares. After the photo-shoot, I came inside and watched a movie (which I almost fell asleep during…but don’t worry, I fought to stay awake). Then, at 4:30 in the morning who did I happen to see but my mother coming down the stairs. What a little early bird! She looked so shocked to see me up, but I was about to head upstairs to get ready for bed so we only talked for a minute before I left to finally go to bed. I fought and fought hard to keep my eyes open until 5:00 am. I turned the light off at 5:03 and I guarantee you, I was fast asleep by 5:05. So, I’d say it was a very good past two days with three list items crossed off. I’m exhausted now because I’m still recovering from last night, but hopefully I’ll catch up on sleep soon! And don’t forget to please take the time to write to a soldier who gives up seeing his family and everyday comforts to keep you safe at home. I’m sure they would appreciate it more than you can imagine.