Sixth Day Back

Jeez, sick again. Sucks. I can’t decide if I caught it at the Academy or not. A few of them had the stomach flu, Wesley was sick last week, and Tessa was sick this week. So, could have been lingering sick, or could have caught it fresh. Not sure.

Today’s post shall be brief-if it’s actually possible for me to sum something up briefly.

Took a test in Creative Writing, not sure how I did yet. I’ll find out this Monday. Hope I did well. Wesley won’t take his till next week since he didn’t come last week because he was sick. We also covered outlining of stories. I already knew how to do this one, haha. I was apparently the only one.

Sarah gave me back the story I had turned in last week to see what she thought. I didn’t think it came out that well, but Sarah said it was really good, and that wasn’t even my edited version! My edited version was actually longer, and the descriptions are better to.

I was able to connect to the internet during study hall, so I went crazy with that. First I sent some resources to Max on Tribal Wars. He was lucky he had time to inform me he needed some before classes started, or else he would have waited till I got home to get them. Instead, he got them as soon as HE got home. Haha.

We all got our lunch ready and went to Literature Discussion. We’re suppose to eat lunch in class for the next three, now only two, weeks to make up for the one class we missed. Well, Shannon got caught up in a conversation and forgot about that, but we all had a blast. So I don’t know if those twenty minutes will still count for our class, or not, since we didn’t talk about the book. We actually got a new student, Joshua. He started this week since we started a new book and he wouldn’t be in between anything.

We’re on The Witch of Blackbird Pond now. I didn’t hear Shannon right last week, so I only read the first three chapters, which is what I thought she had said, but it turned out we were suppose to read the first eight. Max only got the first seven read, and Samantha hadn’t read any, because she hadn’t gotten her copy of the book yet. Sam and I both agree, this book is deathly boring!

In Speech we all get to pick a short story, or a excerpt from a novel that we like, and we get to do a speech on it, as well as read whatever we pick in that speech. What we pick has to be able to fill at least five minutes. What we pick also has to be something classic, not just anything. Lidia has us read from books she had brought so that we could get used to telling stories. Being able to give different voices for different characters so we wouldn’t have to say ‘she said’, ‘he said.’ Lidia said she’s really going to have to work with me, because I couldn’t do the different voices. I can’t really change my voice to much. If I try going to high, my voice creaks and if I try going to low, it hurts my throat, so… I don’t know how I’m going to do different characters.

We didn’t have spelling club this week, instead it’s going to be next week, and Chess club is going to be put off till the week after that.

And then we get to go bowling this Friday. Granted, grandma said Robert and I have to be feeling better. She doesn’t want us spreading germs. But I’m so hocked up on medicine right now, I feel high. I don’t even feel sick, except my nose won’t stop running, and I feel stuffy. Should be all cleared before Friday, I hope.

Great thing about this Creative Writing class is, because of all the stuff we’ve been doing and learning about writing, it’s all gotten me writing on one of my stories again. I’ve already added over ten-thousand words to my ‘The Birth of a Night Flower’, which has made mom happy, since it’s her favorite that I’ve been writing. Hopefully, if I keep this up, I’ll have it finished before this fall. Yay!

A Voice In The Wind

Well, since I had requested Grandma read The Host book, she has requested that I read one of her favorites. It’s called A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. It’s the first book of the Mark of the Lion series. Three altogether. I’ve only read the first three chapters, but it’s okay so far. Kind of slow in the beginning. Grandma said it will pick up.

This is the original cover for the book:

But this is my favorite of all the different covers they’ve made for the book:

The one I got from the library is just a plain blue cover with the title and the authors name. I couldn’t find a picture of it. I guess it’s not a wind used one. Though, it’s paper back, I don’t know if these other two are for hardback or not.

Plot, taken from Wiki

It is the story of a young Christian-Jewish slave named Hadassah living under the Roman Empire. When Hadassah is captured by Roman soldiers, her entire family is killed. She serves as a slave to a spoiled young Roman woman named Julia. Although Julia initially dislikes Hadassah because of her plain appearance, she comes to trust her. Hadassah is faithful and kind but afraid of many things. As the story progresses, she gains the courage to tell others about her faith and the God that she serves.

The Lighting Thief Banner

Wow… I haven’t done a banner in quiet awhile I realize. But, I decided I wanted to do one today, so I did one for The Lighting Thief.

I didn’t go into to much on this. I just edited the cover for the book. I may have wanted to do one, but I wasn’t in the mood to take a hour for it. Haha.

The Host

Finished it in less then a day. Which is odd. Since it’s the longest of the five books I was reading. It’s over six-hundred pages, but very good. That’s why I always like science fiction novels, there just so much more entertaining to me. Anything that is always having something happen. That has more stuff happening then it does people actually talking. But since it’s in first person and the two main characters are in one head, technically, everything is thought, or described about what they are feeling, if they don’t speak, so there isn’t much room in a lot of it for actual talking. I realize, that out of the whole book, the actual two main characters say the least out of everyone in the book. And I’m even counting their conversations they hold in their head.

What I hate about books like this, is it always leaves me in a very thoughtful mood when I’ve finished. Doesn’t sound so bad, but when I’m in a thoughtful mood, I don’t feel like doing anything. Which annoys me. I usually only get like this at the end of books I really, really liked.

But with the way it ended, there’s plenty of room for a second. And Meyers has even said she wanted to have a second, and even third book. She’s got me so hopeful, I hope she follows through. Because, quiet frankly, the way she ended the book pissed me off. I wanted more from the situation she’d left it with. A lot more.

Five Books

I’m reading five books at the same time. Not literally, of course. Mom asked me how I didn’t get them confused with each other. I asked her how one possible could? Each book is so different. Even though two are Hamish Macbeth books, there still very different.

Death of a Dreamer by M. C. Beaton (aka. Marion Chesney):

Book Summery:
Most newcomers don’t stay long in remote Lochdubh. They arrive filled with romantic notions of life in northern Scotland until boredom, dampness, and nosy villagers send them running back to civilization. Hamish Macbeth is surprised when artist Effie Garrard sticks it out through the winter, especially since her cottage is so far up in the hills that it might take weeks before anyone would know if something happened to her.

By spring Macbeth fears something has. He takes his Land Rover out to check on her, and for once his uncanny sixth sense is wrong! Effie is fine – if being a dreamer and a little odd don’t count. That problem off his mind, Macbeth’s attention turns closer to home. His old flame Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has returned to Lochdubh for a long visit, not that Macbeth still cares. And a landscape painter, up from Glasgow, is charming all the ladies in the area, including the elderly twins Nessie and Jessie Currie. Macbeth’s famous intuition tells him trouble is in the air. And this time Macbeth is spot-on.

Effie Garrard is found dead, an apparent suicide. Although his superiors close the case, Macbeth feels in his bones it is murder. Worse, things begin going haywire in his own life. Another of his old girlfriends turns up in Lochdubh, his heart is being tugged toward an unwise passion, and he may be dreaming too much himself. Distracted by his personal affairs, Macbeth may not see an evil that’s getting too close to him…or a ruthless killer whose violence will give everyone nightmares.

Distracted by his personal affairs, Macbeth may not see an evil that’s getting too close to him…or a ruthless killer whose violence will give everyone nightmares. – That line sold me. This HAD to be the next I read. And I just love the cover. It’s just so mystical looking I couldn’t resit but to grab it. Plus, I will admit, the title really made me like it as well. Those three things tell me I’ll like it, and I haven’t even gotten to the good part in it yet.

Death of a Village by M. C. Beaton (aka. Marion Chesney):

Book Summery:
Intent on having a quiet time by just sitting in a deck chair in his garden, Hamish Macbeth is quite disturbed when a very agitated Elspeth Grant, Loch- dubh’s local reporter and astrologer, arrives. It seems that three citizens of nearby Stoyre have moved to Loch- dubh-but they are quite unwilling to offer Elspeth any facts as to why, causing the reporter in her to suspect they were frightened out of their former village. So now it’s up to constable Hamish Macbeth to step into the case and take a small trip to investigate the goings-on in Stoyre. After many frights and dangers, Hamish soon discovers that a sunken German ship from World War I and its cache of gold bullion are the key to solving the strange demise of the once lively village.

I couldn’t find a typed version of the summery in the back of the book, and I didn’t feel like typing it out, but the one in the book is much better. The line that sold me for this book was ‘Macbeth’s plan may go desperately wrong with an old friend’s death, a scandalous rumor, and the loss of one so brave and true that it might break his heart.’ That’s the last line of the summery on the back of the book.

Love, Lies, and Liquor by M. C. Beaton (aka. Marion Chesney):

Book Summery:
Agatha Raisin is lonely. Busy as she is with her detective agency and the meetings of the Carsely Ladies’ Society, she still misses her ex-husband, James Lacey, so she welcomes his return to the cottage next door with her usual triumph of optimism over experience—especially when he invites her on holiday at a surprise location that was once very dear to him. With visions of a romantic hideaway in Italy or the Pacific dancing in her head, Agatha goes off happily with James to … Snoth-on-Sea, in Sussex.

While James may have fond memories of boyhood holidays there, Snoth-on-Sea has seen better days, as has the once-grand Palace Hotel, now run-down and tacky and freezing cold. Nor do the other guests have much to recommend them, especially the brassy honeymoon couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jankers, who pick a fight with Agatha in the dining room. But trouble has a way of following Agatha even if romance does not: Just as she and James are preparing to flee to warmer climes, Geraldine Jankers is found dead on the beach—strangled with Agatha’s scarf. So much for Agatha’s holiday fantasies: Not only is it time to put her detective skills to work, but the police are not even sure that she’ll be allowed to leave town.

This one was funny to bring home. I told mom the title and said it sounded interesting. She just gave me the oddest look and asked why. I honestly don’t know. I just saw the title and grabbed it.

And, of course, I’m still reading The Lighting Thief. I’m only reading the chapters Shannon tells me to each week.

The Host by Stephenie Meyers:

Book Summery:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining “wild” humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie’s thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer’s mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body’s desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

I don’t really like reading romance, but there’s more science fiction in this book then romance, that’s what made me want to read it. The ideas she put into this book are just so awesome. I hope Stephine Meyers works more on this. She says she wants to have two more books in the series, so my fingers are crossed she start on them soon. This book is much, much better then her Twilight book.

I actually tried reading this book once before. About a few months ago, but I wasn’t in much of a mood I found out. I would pick it up, flip through it, read a few lines, then quit. Finally, I decided to pick it up from the library again and this time I’m reading it. And even though I say I don’t really like reading romance, something Meyers said about her book made me want to try and read it again.

Meyer had no plans for a romance between Ian and Wanderer until Jared “got on [her] last nerve”, and Ian “refused to be ignored”. – I admit, even I couldn’t resit but to read it after reading that.

Second Day Back

Well, the second day back at the Academy started off confusing. Grandma had been confused about the days Chess Club was, so we almost got left at the Academy an hour and a half longer. And everyone leaves at two, so it would have been boring wait. Unless we joined in Spelling Club, but I don’t either of us wanted to do that, especially my brother. But, Joanna got things straight and picked us up on time.

We spent all of our hour in Creative Writing giving our memoirs and Acrostics, then afterward, Sarah talked about brainstorming ideas. We each had our own Writing Territories (as Sarah called them) by time we were done. Morgan claimed she had fifty-nine when she was done, but Jacob (younger one) and I didn’t believe her. I still don’t think she had that many. Jacob said he only had eight, but I had somewhere near twenty or so. And a few more that I didn’t write down.

We’re suppose to have a page of writing, or more, about a moment of choice that happened to us in our lives. And she wanted it to be under one of our Territories. Mine will be under brothers, funny, and birthday stories.

It’s about a time when I smacked my brother in the head with a bat at my cousin C.J.’s sixth birthday. My brother had been sitting behind me as I was getting ready to swing at the pinata. I was blindfolded of course. And the idiot just had to stand right when I swung the bat. I gave him a nice size knot on the side of the head. For years he blamed me for the small little hole he has in his forehead, but I remind him repeatedly that I hit him on the side of the head, not his forehead. Plus, mom had clearly told him that’s when he was learning to walk and he kept falling down on the gravel. Why she was letting him walk on gravel at that age, I will never know.

After class, I went ahead and listened to my music and played around with some word puzzles my grandma gave me to keep me preoccupied, since I didn’t have anything to study for study hall. Once everyone came in for lunch, I went to get Robert and my lunch. Joanna stopped me and asked me how I thought we should make up the classes we missed our first day when it showed and it was canceled. Well, I told her every week to add fifteen minutes to each class, since all the classes are an hour long, except Speech and History. But I told her Speech could follow with fifteen extra minutes, as well. That way, no class run into each other. And I told her since History has to make up two hours, and since there’s only three students, they could just meet someplace during the week and make up for it. Since Max, Chris, and Robert all live in different towns, I suggested Charles Town, since it’s in the middle of all three. So, their all going to meet at the library one day and do their class there.

It took me less then two minutes to solve a problem a bunch of thirty and over woman couldn’t figure out in two weeks. I thought that was kind of funny. Seeing as how they all are far smarter then me I’m sure.

Well, I went back to getting lunch, but I realized the lunch was gone. Robert had already gotten it. I was confused for a moment because I hadn’t seen him go by, I’d thought we’d forgotten our lunch for a moment. Haha. During lunch, I also solved a problem for Helen. She was having trouble with her laptop. I guess I was having a brain day or something.

During lunch, I’d spoken with Shannon about Literature Discussion and Tristan, of course, made a comment. Something that’d kind of ticked me off, so I chased him with a fork. He stepped on my foot several times when I’d caught him, but with my boots, I can’t feel anything. Haha. I told him I wouldn’t kill him today, but when I went back to lunch, Dwight told me I should have stabbed him. I told him Tessa might miss him. I asked her if she would, and she said no, so actually, I could have.

We went to Literature Discussion while Robert did PE.

We horsed around a bit since Shannon wasn’t in yet. Max started playing with the table, lifting it up and shaking it, like he had in History last semester. So I kicked him. I told him he can’t do that now, since in History, he had been two seats away and I couldn’t reach him, but here, I was sitting right across from him.

After that, Sam joked about Dwight’s Ebook, then Tristan commented saying my glasses looked weird. So I said ‘so does your hair’. Everyone laughed. He asked what was weird about it, and I said it was crooked. He said he liked it that way. And I said ‘it’s because your whole head is crooked’, everyone laughed again. Then he pulled his keys out and started combing his hair with them. Morgan laughed at him and asked why he did that, and he said he also cut his hair with his keys, and I sad, ‘so that’s why it’s crooked.’ Honestly, when I said that stuff, it didn’t sound funny, but apparently it was, since everyone was laughing. I apparently can be witty without even knowing it.

We got to talking about the book and we talked about the part where Clarisse wanted to give Percy his… I don’t remember what it was called, but she wanted to give him a swirly for it. Then Shannon started talking about what the swimmers at Max, Sam, and Morgan’s swimming place did for someone when they turned into a seiner. And she said that they got to pick a junior to do whatever they wanted. So I said everyone in the class had to do what I wanted since I was the only seiner. But Max was the only junior, since everyone else was to young, so I said he did. And I told him that he had to walk the teachers pet (Sam). It had been a joke, since I had called Max the teachers pet, because he was the teachers kid, and he had forgotten his homework, it didn’t mater, because she’d already read it. But then, somehow, I don’t remember how, Sam had turned into the teachers pet. I think it was since he was the teachers other kid, and she had helped him with his homework. So Sam played as a dog. He took being the teachers pet very seriously. Haha.

Our homework this week is to look up all twelve of the Olympian gods, plus Hades and someone else, I don’t remember the last one. And we are suppose to try and write out name in Greek, and make a Greek pot with a scene from the book. I made a joke that I would put Max’s head blowing up on mine.

When Shannon had held up the piece of paper she had with the Greek alphabet, I held it up in front of Sam and asked if he could read it, since he was dyslexic. He said that reading Greek was actually easier for him to read then English. Kind of funny.

When leaving Literature Discussion, I got in a hurry so that I would be on time for Speech and ended up tripping on my own feet. Shannon made the joke that Max had pushed me, since he was behind me. I knew she was joking because she winked at me when she said it. Giving me another reason to beat up Max. Haha.

Well, Lydia was late, so I didn’t have to actually rush. We had plenty of time to go watch Robert finish his PE. He was doing push-ups, so Max said he would join him. He said he was good at them because he was like a monkey. So I called him a monkey boy. Then Helen said that when they did push-ups, it was like a chicken pecking the ground, since their noses had to touch the ground. So Max went from being a monkey to being a chicken.

I’d been in the kitchen, and they have this window in it, so Max asked if I would get his note book for him, so I did, but instead of giving it to him, I gave it to Tessa and she hide it. He tried bribing her with a quarter. It didn’t work. She’d hide his note book in the girls bathroom. Haha.

Max stole my pen then, in return for us hiding his note book. But he made the mistake of giving it to Tristan. I could catch Tristan very easy, since Tristan has this habit of running in a room, then getting stuck. And he did. He ran into the Speech class. He tried getting Lydia to take the pen, but she wouldn’t, so I snatched it from him, and went back and told Max. Then, for taking my pen, I tried to draw on his face, but Robert couldn’t keep his down, so Tessa ended up getting a marker and getting him in the arm.

Then, for revenge, Robert held me down, but I got away, so Max wasn’t able to draw on my face. Haha. Max held Tristan down next, and I was able to draw a line on the side of Tristan cheek. It was easier to hold Tristan down then it was to hold Max down, since Max is so damn tall.

Our fun ended when we were called in for Speech. I was running to get to the class room fast, but I looked down suddenly when I saw a pen on the floor and looked up just in time to jump to miss Sam’s foot. He’d tried tripping me, but railed. Max had learned the hard way not to try that, so I had to teach his brother the same. I doubt he’ll try that again. Haha.

In Speech, we were suppose to do our most embarrassing moment speeches. In my case, an awkward moment. She asked who wanted to go first, so I volunteered Tristan. He said you couldn’t volunteer someone else. Well, Lydia did numbers, but instead of letting us draw them, she threw them at us. They landed right in front of me and Tristan. It was kind of cool. Morgan’s flew off the table to her side.

Tristan ended up getting one, and I got last, like I wanted. I gloated, saying ‘the numbers LOVE me.’ Tristan told me that sounded wrong, and after thinking about it, it did sound wrong the way I said it. Haha.

Tristan’s moment was when he was driving his four wheeler and had nearly flipped it and broken his leg. I didn’t think it sounded embarrassing at all. I nearly flipped a four wheeler on myself, but all I felt was like laughing at myself. I don’t know why he thought it was embarrassing.

Morgan’s was when she had tripped in front of her friends and a bunch of high school boys at one of their swimming meetings. Again, not embarrassing, just get up and laugh. Everyone else had, but, everyone falls. It’s not like it’s something only she would do. But instead, she just wined.

Lydia said they were all good. She said mine was good as well, since what I had been feeling and what I had gone through in my awkward moment was something a lot of people feel, and I did good expressing it in my speech.

Next week we’re suppose to come in with a joke. Tristan and Morgan said they have a good one, and I think I do, but Lydia said nothing bad, and I think mine might fall under that, so I think I’ll just go in with a blond joke. Can’t ever fail with those.

Since Joanna had gotten things straight with grandma, we got picked up right on time, soon after my Speech class ended.

This Thursday we’re going to go bowling with a lot of the kids from the Academy. It’ll be the first time we’ve seen or spoken to any of them outside of the Academy. Besides the teachers and Max.

Books and Homework

I hate doing homework. But Creative Writing homework is fun, and frustrating. I hate describing myself. Well, I can pick all the bad things, but I’m not very good at picking good things. And for my Acrostic, I was having trouble coming up with enough words. I finally caved and called my Grandma. She supplied my ‘N’, ‘I’, and ‘L’.

Nocturnal (I really wonder if that is a good one, seeing as how that usually leaves me moody during the day.)
Imaginative
Creative
Outgoing
Listener
Erratic

That last one is kind of funny, because I kept wanted to put Neurotic, instead of Erratic. Mainly because I thought Neurotic was what I wanted, but it turns out I was pronouncing it wrong. Because of losing my ‘N’, it took Grandma and me forever to actually find an ‘N’ word that described me. Though, she offered several funny ones right off, but I couldn’t actually use them.

Because of the trouble we were having with the ‘N’, Grandma kept asking me if I was sure I didn’t want to use my first name, but since everyone knows me at the Academy as Nicole, I wanted to stick with that.

My six word memoir was easy.

I love to read and write.

Took me about three seconds. Haha.

For my two hours of reading, I went to the library to pick some new books. Most of the reading I do is just rereading my favorite books, or reading stories online, so I figured I would get myself something new to read.

Death of a Witch by M. C. Beaton. M. C. Beaton is a pseudonym for Marion Chesney. All her Hamish Macbeth books titles start with the word Death of a. I love mystery stories, I could have sat and looked through all of the books they had in the mystery section, but I was pressed for time when I went.

The books pretty good so far, I haven’t found out who the killer is yet, but I will in the next few chapters. I’m so bad at skipping ahead and finding out what actually happens, then reading the rest, but so far, I’ve kept myself from doing that. It’s very hard.

I thought it was kind of funny that I picked this one in particular. I mainly picked it because I liked the title out of all her others, but what got me was this one is one of her newer ones. Released just last year. She has another one out this year called Death of a Valentine. I just found it ironic that I’d pick one of her newest written ones without even knowing it. Haha.

Her Hamish Macbeth series was actually turned into a three season series. I’m thinking about trying and finding them so I can watch them. Her books with Hamish Macbeth sound interesting in all, and I really like this one I’m readying. I had been put off about reading it before because I had just glanced at the cover and read the name Macbeth. I hated that play. I don’t know why, I liked all the other Shakespeare plays, but that one I hated so badly. And, for some odd reason, I had been convinced the book had something to do with the play. If I’d just picked it up and read the back, I would have found out I was being stupid. I would have had this book read weeks ago if I’d done that. Haha. All well.

First Day Back

Well, the first day back at the Academy was a blast. It was funny, though. At the Academy last semester, my brother and I were together pretty much every second, since we had the same schedules. But this time, the only time we saw each other was after my Creative Writing class in the kitchen when he went to get a drink, when Hied let the History out on a few minutes break, and then of course we sat together at lunch, and then we didn’t see each other until after the rest of the Academy was done. Well, actually, I did see him just before Speech began. I had walked in on him in the lunch room right before he had his Algebra lesson with Hied (dude, that guy teaches almost everything!). I had been wondering where he was, so I’d gone to check. I saw him, pointed at him and said “There you are”, then I turned and walked away. He looked confused, which was funny.

Writing class was great. Though, there are two Jacob’s in this class, so I don’t know how the teach is going to deal with that. She’ll call one, and get both. Haha. Though, one Jacob is close to my age, while the other I think is Middle School age.

Morgan from my Speech class is in this one, and Westley, from my brothers PE class, is also in there. That was a little surprising, since the kid is only like ten. I think he’s the youngest student there.

First day we just did introductions, and then the teacher pulled out some ice-breaker cards she’d wrote out. They all had questions on them that we were going to answer. We each did two. The younger Jacob got one that asked what the most embarrassing this was that he’d done. He didn’t want to share that (I saw that coming), so instead he gave the second most embarrassing. But it took him a minutes to figure out what that was, so the other Jacob went. I don’t remember all of them, but I know Westley got one that asked him what the weirdest thing to eat was, and Morgan got something asking her where she’d go for vacation, or something. Though, actually, that might have been the younger Jacob’s other question… I don’t remember. I remember my second one was about what was my favorite type of music and why, I remember that because the teacher had got that one mixed up, so we both had done it. And my first question was what was my best talent or characteristic. I couldn’t think of anything! So, I just said my imagination. Which is funny, because when I asked mom what would be my best talent or characteristic, she said the same thing, and I hadn’t even told her what my answer was. Hehe.

Once those were over, she talked about Acrostics. She said for homework we had to each do our name. And then she also wanted us to do a six word memoir for ourselves. High schoolers had to do both, but for the middle schoolers, they only had to do one, unless they wanted to do both.

Sarah said she wanted us to get a lot more reading in as well, because that would also help us with out writing, so she’s got us high schoolers reading two hours a week and the middle schoolers reading one. Ha! I got that beat. On average, I read about thirty hours a week, and that’s just on week days. Haha. The younger Jacob said he read about twelve a week, including weekends. But Sarah wants us to pick one of the books we’re reading and write on this sheet she gave us a few things about it. She said it really works, because then she can take out opinions and give them to others as well, so others can know if the book was good or not, or from what we said, if they would want to read it.

Next week we’re going to do brainstorming for ideas on what we each can write something on.

Then, after Creative Writing, we had, or, actually, I had, and hours break for studying, or doing whatever I wanted, as long as it didn’t bother others. Morgan had to rush to her Creative Arts class, and the younger Jacob had to leave. I don’t know where the older one went, but he was there later for the Chess Club, so. And Westley was doing something in the lunch room, I guessed he was studying.

During lunch, when Creative Arts was out, Sam asked me the dumbest question. I was wearing my glasses, so when I walked past him, he stopped me and asked ‘What’s with the glasses?’. I told him ‘There glasses, what do you think they are for?’ and the idiot actually stopped to think. I didn’t think he could get stupider. Or maybe he was just trying to be funny. I don’t know.

My brother went to PE while Max, Tristan, Dwight, Samantha, Morgan, Sam, and I went to Literature Art. Shannon officially has the largest class. Last semester, it was Tristan, Morgan, Sam, and Jessie. I think Tessa might have been in it, I don’t remember seeing her in the room, though. But, she lost Jessie, and gained me, Max, Dwight, and Samantha. The table was completely FULL. It was holding more people they it’s capacity was built for.

I think Literature Art is my favorite class. It’s very fun. Shannon had warned Sam, since he’d already read the book and tended to get carried away, that if he answered to many of the questions and didn’t give anyone else a chance, she would have everyone start raising hands. Well, he misunderstood her, so he made himself a little sign that said ME! and raised it up every time he answered a question. It was funny. That got Tristan to making a sign for himself. His said HI. So when class was over, he raised it real high it the air and Shannon asked if he had a question. He said ‘No, I just wanted to say hi.’ Haha.

Dwight and I had seen the movie, so we kept comparing the book to the movie. The book wins, BIG TIME. The fact that Chorin is brown and not white in the movie still pisses me off.

Shannon, later in the class, had pulled a piece of paper out with questions for it on ADHD. She said that she was going to ask us these questions and we’d answer. So we did. There were like ten of them, and I only raised my hand on about four. Haha. Shannon said I was the most normal in the class, which made my weird. As mom put it ‘Even when your the normal-est person in the room, you’re still the weirdest person in the room.’

I don’t remember what the last question was, but apparently it had been a good one, because it led me and Max to high five-ing. But after class, I just couldn’t remember it! Uge!

Max kept giving things away about the other books, which I didn’t mind, because I like spoilers. But, he said something about Sally turning Gabe to stone, but then he stopped and said he didn’t want to ruin it. I told him that if he doesn’t want to give anything about the book I am on away, then fine. But if you’re going to mention something that about the other four that makes me curious, you’d better spill it or I’ll smack you over the head with this book. So he spilled. It was funny. He knows I will hit him if he didn’t. Haha.

For homework, we have to look up things about Centaurs. Dwight offered to look up how to play Pinochle, since Shannon wanted someone to. And we read six through ten in ‘The Lighting Thief’.

After Literature, Tristan and me went straight to Speech. Lydia wasn’t in the room yet. I don’t remember what Tristan had said, but it had me hit him over the head with my book. He asked why I was beating on him since we were friends, and I told him ‘I beat my friends worse then I do my enemies’, then Tristan said ‘who needs enemies when they have friends like you.’ We both laughed.

Lydia came into the room with Morgan shortly after. It was odd, Lydia only had three people this time. But because of that, we can get a lot more work done in our hour and a half.

For out first exercise, she wanted us to practice our diaphragm breathing by trying to ready a passage from something while holding our breath in. If we took a breath, we had to stop.

When Lydia asked who wanted to go first, Morgan said she didn’t, so I said, Morgan did. But then Tristan said he didn’t want to go first, so Morgan and I both pointed at him. He was sitting between us, so it made it even funnier. I ended up going first. Drats. Haha. I can’t hold my breath in well, so both Morgan and Tristan had read more then I was able to.

After that, Lydia wanted us to practice our listening. She had us sit for five minutes in silence so we could pick out what we could hear. I told her when we were done I was tempted to poke Tristan in the ribs so he’d yell ‘ow’, then I would have had at least one more noise to add to my list. I actually did when I’d said that, and he really did yell ow. Haha. I have bad hearing, so I didn’t get as much as the others did. Though, everything I did have, when I listed them, it had everyone laughing. Mainly because I was noticing things no one else had.

After everything else, for our last exercise, Lydia wanted us to practice out facial expressions and how well we could express and emotion. I was funny seeing the other two standing oddly. I got brave, sad, and another, but I don’t remember what it was. Sad was funny because Tristan wailed out and dropped to the floor. Haha. But when we had to do shy, pride, jealousy, and joy, I had a little trouble. I’ve never been shy, I’ve never been jealous, and if I’ve been proud, I don’t remember. I wasn’t sure what to do, so Lydia described what I should feel, and I did the best I could. For proud, I just stared at the ground with my hands on my hips, while Tristan and Morgan both did something looking up at the ceiling. Lydia asked me what I was doing and I told her I was pretending I was looking down on people, thinking they were smaller then me. She said that had been good. She said I had been acknowledging others, but still thinking I was better then them, but Tristan and Morgan had been looking up, not acknowledging others.

For shy, I just turned my back to everyone and hide my face. That made Tristan laugh because he wasn’t sure what I was doing. Tristan and I both laughed at Morgan, because for her shy pose, she had dropped to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest as she stared at the floor. She wined because she was the only one who’d gotten on the floor (Tristan’s sad pose on the ground didn’t happen til after the shy one). For jealousy, I still wasn’t sure what I was suppose to do, so I just looked angry. She said I did good because I looked tense, but she asked why I looked angry, and I said if I’m suppose to be jealous of someone, I’m thinking I’m going to hit them. Made her laugh.

For joy, I had just spread my arms, like I was being thankful, since I was suppose to be happy, but apparently people don’t do that when their happy, because she said I didn’t look happy. Haha. I can feel emotions, but apparently, when it comes to body language, I just can’t show it. Haha.

Lydia had started talking about how actors and people like them have to use diaphragmatic breathing, then she said we were being just like actresses then. I made a comment right then. I said ‘Tristan, you’re a girl.’ He looked at me and confused, and insulted. He asked why. I said ‘Well, Lydia said we’re all like actresses, and she didn’t say any of us were like actors, so, you’re a girl apparently.’ That made Lydia laughed. Tristan laughed as well. Lydia corrected herself then went on.

For homework, all we have to do is think of an embarrassing moment for next week. Since Lydia packed us full last semester, since she didn’t think she’d come back for a second, we won’t have as much a work load this semester. I was expecting to have to have a ten minutes long speech ready for next week, so it was a relief not having so much a load. Though, I had to ask if I could just think of an awkward moment. Because, honestly, I’ve never been embarrassed my whole life. People have tried, but honestly, I don’t really care what other people think, so I just don’t get embarrassed when something happens that should be embarrassing. So she said I could come up with an awkward moment.

I already have mine. I don’t remember how old I was, I think maybe ten, or nine, but I was in the doctors office with Grandma, my brother, and my cousin Ryan. This old person came in. She was about my Grandma’s age. She sat down across from us and started talking to us like she knew us well. Then she started to talk to me. I just could not remember who she was. She seemed to know me so well, but I just didn’t know who she was. She stopped talking after a few moments, I guess after seeing the look on my face. She asked me ‘You don’t remember who I am, do you?’ and I replied ‘honestly, no. I have no idea who you are.’ And she laughed and told me she was one of my other cousins grandma. I still didn’t really get who she was until she’d left and my Grandma explained which of my cousins she was talking about, and when I’d actually meant her before. But it had been awkward. I was suppose to try and talk to her like I knew her, but I mean, I had no idea what to say. I honestly thought she was just an stranger.

Hell… My fingers hurt! Haha. I think this is the longest Academy post I’ve made. Heck, I think it’s the longest post I’ve made on here period.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

I don’t understand why they don’t just call it ‘The Lighting Thief’ like the book.

Well, through the whole movie I was comparing things from the book. The one thing that irritated me the most was that Chiron is WHITE. White I tell you. Not brown. Such a small detail out of all the things they changed, but that one annoyed me the most. But you know, with all the other Centaurs, you’d think they would keep that in, since it makes him look different from the other brown ones and such. And since he’s a character, rather then someone they just stuck in the background.

I knew who had done it through the whole thing. But since I read the book. Hehe. It took my brother at least over halfway through the movie until he figured it out. And not too soon, since they were about to tell who it was. Or figure it out, actually.

What shocked me-and still does-is how BIG the gods were in their scene close to the end. It was awesome. What a great affect. And Uma Thurman as Medusa was funny.

I think I annoyed my mom, though. I kept leaning over and telling her what was wrong and what they changed from the book.

Pretty good movie overall, though. Now, for class Monday, I just have to remember not to compare the movie and book, since we’re only suppose to talk about the book. But I do love correcting people, even if they don’t know I am. Haha.

Plot

At the top of the Empire State Building, Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) meets with Zeus (Sean Bean), who comments that the storm clouds have no lightning and and that his master bolt has been stolen. He blames Poseidon’s son for the theft. Despite Poseidon’s claims of his son’s innocence, Zeus gives Poseidon 14 days to return it, lest war break out.

During a field trip to an exhibition of Greek and Roman art, teenager Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), is lured away from the crowd by a Fury disguised as his substitute English teacher, who then attacks him, questioning him about the lightning bolt. The incredulous Percy, who has no knowledge of this, is rescued by his Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan). After dispatching the Fury, Brunner gives Percy a magical pen. On Brunner’s instruction, Percy’s best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), takes Percy to a training camp for demigods, Camp Half-Blood, along with Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson (Catherine Keener). During their trip to the camp, Percy attempts to learn about his biological father from Sally, but they are attacked by a Minotaur. Although Percy and Grover, who is revealed to be a satyr, make it to the camp, its defenses prohibit entrance to Sally, who is captured by the Minotaur, and disappears before Percy. Percy engages the Minotaur with the magical pen, which turns into a sword named Riptide, eventually killing the creature with one of its horns.

In touring the Camp Half-Blood, Percy learns that Brunner is the mythological centaur Chiron, and the camp’s trainer, and that his father is the god Poseidon. He also meets Luke Castellan (Jake Abel), the son of Hermes, and Annabeth Chase (Alexandra Daddario), the demigod daughter of Athena. While at the camp, Percy learns that water has the power to heal his injuries, and allows him to manifest his magical abilities.

Hades later appears and reveals that Sally Jackson is his prisoner, and proposes she be traded for the master bolt. Chiron instructs Percy not to bargain with the demon, but to go to Olympus to convince Zeus of his innocence. Percy sneaks away from the camp to travel to the Underworld, along with Grover and Annabeth, who secure for him from Luke a portable shield, flying shoes and a map to Persephone’s pearls, one of which will reveal the exit from the Underworld when retrieved.

At Aunty Em’s Garden Emporium, the trio are attacked by Medusa (Uma Thurman), but manage to decapitate her, and take the pearl from her bracelet. They also take her head, which they later successfully use against a hydra that attacks them during their acquisition of another pearl from the crown of a giant statue of Athena at the Parthenon replica in Nashville, Tennessee. They acquire the third and final pearl from a roulette wheel at a hotel casino in Las Vegas, in part with help from Poseidon, who aids them against Lotus Eaters. The map reveals an entrance to the Underworld in Hollywood, California.

The trio enter the Underworld, where, after traveling across the River Styx, they encounter Persephone, who takes them to Hades. Percy attempts to explain to Hades that he is not the lightning thief. During an ensuing melee, Percy drops his shield, whose handle conceals the missing master bolt, which Hades takes. However, the trio manage to reacquire it before escaping the Underworld with the rescued Sally. They are transported to the top of the Empire State Building, which they learn is the location to the entrance to Olympus. They are confronted by Luke, who reveals himself to have been the real lightning thief. Expressing his desire for a new generation of rulers to take over Olympus, he explains that he had hoped that the trio would not have escaped the Underworld alive, and after stealing the bolt from Percy, the two engage in battle. After using his water powers to dispatch Luke, Percy arrives in Olympus, where he presents the retrieved bolt, and reveals the truth about Luke. Poseidon explains to Percy the reason why they could not know each other during Percy’s childhood, but expresses his love for his son. Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood, where he resumes his training. Sally forces Gabe out of their apartment, and as he goes to get a beer from the fridge, opens it only to be turned to stone because Medusa’s unprotected eyes are staring right back at him.

Stupid Snows Finally Done It

I’ve officially had it with all this snow. I was able to find a Lighting Thief copy this Saturday. We went to a bookstore in the mall and they had only five copies left, so I was lucky. I stuck my head in it all Sunday and got everything I was suppose to have read, read. I went through everything for my classes and had everything ready. I even went to bed really early like I always do so that I can be well rested for class.

Then I woke early and checked my mail. School was canceled because Salem school had canceled. All because of the stupid snow. The stupid snows finally done it.

Though, on a happier note, The Lighting Thief is turning out to be a really good book. Though, some parts kinda piss me off. The main character, Percy, takes way more crap from people then he should. He keeps wanting to deck the people, but he thinks of what would happen afterward, but honestly, he should just hit them and screw the consequences. He deserves to be able to give them something for the crap they put him through. I mean, he’s a twelve-year-old kid with dyslexics, and ADHD, they really should be thrown into a large pit for how they treat him.

Times like this, I wish the characters were real, then I would hit them for him. And I would be all to happy to do it.