We did have tents, s’mores, and a whole lot of mosquitoes. Luckily, we had a plumbing system! But on my camping trip, we did some extreme sports. White water rafting, zip lining, and rappelling. The white water rafting really gave you an adrenaline rush! We went on class two to class five (!!!) rapids. My friend fell out of the boat once, but we managed to get her back in. My guide was really nice and quiet, until we hit the first rapid. She screamed at us so loud that we started to panic. I was at the front of the boat, so I got wet. A lot. Twice, we were allowed to get out of the boat to go down “Swimmer’s Rapids.” I did it. It was fun, but the first time I got crushed against a rock and the second time I got pulled under water for a little while. We also went to “Jumping Rock,” a rock that you obviously jump off of. I’ve jumped off tons of bridges before (no joke!) so it was no problamo for me. But when we hit the class five rapids, my whole boat got freaked out. Our guide started talking about the undercut rocks, which means that water goes under the rocks. If you go under, you don’t come back out. Being in the front in that situation is scary. I almost fell out a couple of times there, but we made it through!

Zip lining was fun, but not as exciting. We zip lined over five ones, all about 80 feet up. Once we had to zip line to a tree platform, about 90 feet in the air this time, with about a foot of space. Scary. I got stuck on the zip line, my pulley flipped over. I had to be rescued by the guide, who said that this was the first time he’d seen someone get stuck. That made me feel better.

Finally, rappelling. This was intense. We had to climb down an 80 foot cliff. You could also free fall down a 55 foot cliff. I started with the 80 foot one. It was scary throwing yourself off the edge of a cliff, but once you got the hang of it, it was okay. The 55 foot one was FUN! You just drop.

So, I guess you call what I did “camping.” I had tents, bugs, and s’mores. But I also had fun sports, good food, and plumbing.

Have you ever had any cool camping experiences?

I felt confident as I walked across the stage - I thought I looked decent, and I loved my dress. I remembered to stand up straight, as I have a slouching habit, and I shook with my right hand and took my diploma with my left. I didn’t trip, which was something surprising! When I walked off stage, someone unexpectedly took my picture, so I probably look super surprised in it. But I don’t care. I’m just happy that I made it out without:

1. Getting detention. I’m an angel, I know.
2. Getting suspended/expelled. I think my grade set a new record for number of expulsions and suspensions in one year!

Afterward, I went to the cafeteria and hugged all my friends. We’re all getting split up into different high schools this year, so we’re all really sad. A lot of people cried, and I must have taken over 100 pictures. But we all looked pretty, and we all know that we’re going to IM and call each other constantly, so it wasn’t that sad.

When I went home, I had a graduation present waiting for me. Actually, my brother did too, even though he’s only going into 7th grade. We opened them, and they were….drumroll please… LAPTOPS!!! My old one was sooooo crappy so I’m so glad I got a new one for high school. I love it so much, it’s a lot faster and clearer than my old one.

That was my day. I laughed, I got nervous, I was surprised, I cried a bit, and I was happy. It was a bipolar day. Oh, and GO CLASS OF 2012!!

Like my dramatic start? No, I’m not some kind of alien or weirdo. But today, during my language arts class, I did notice how different I was from my class and friends. We’re studying the Holocaust, and we were looking at this photo. It is now very famous, and someone wrote a poem about it. This is how the poem goes:

I would like to be an artist
So I could make a Painting of you
Little Polish Boy

Standing with your Little hat on your head
The Star of David on your coat
Standing in the ghetto with your arms up as many Nazi machine guns pointing at you

I would make a monument of you and the world who said nothing

I would like to be a composer so I could write a concerto of you
Little Polish Boy

Standing with your Little hat on your head
The Star of David on your coat Standing in the ghetto with your arms up as many Nazi machine guns pointing at you

I would write a concerto of you and the world who said nothing

I am not an artist
But my mind had painted
a painting of you

Ten Million Miles High is the Painting
so the whole universe can see you Now
Little Polish Boy

Standing with your Little hat
on your head
The Star of David
on your coat
Standing in the ghetto with your arms up as many Nazi machine guns pointing at you

And the World who said nothing

I’ll make this painting so bright
that it will blind the eyes
of the world who saw nothing

Ten billion miles high will be the monument
so the whole universe can remember of you
Little Polish Boy

Standing with your Little hat
on your head
The Star of David
on your coat

Standing in the ghetto
with your arms up
as many Nazi machine guns pointing at you

And the monument will tremble so the blind world
Now will know

What fear is in the darkness

The world
Who said nothing

I am not a composer
but I will write a composition
for five trillion trumpets
so it will blast the ear drums
of this world

The world’s
Who heard nothing

I
am
Sorry
that
It was you
and
Not me.

Everyone in my class said the same thing. When asked what the little boy was feeling, everyone said fear. They all said that he was being completely victimized. I saw differently. Although I did agree with their thoughts, I took it a step further. I thought that the little boy was acting heroic, that he ran away from the crowd of Jewish people, purposely surrendered in front of the Nazis, and silently begged for their mercy. I believed that he was trying to prove how innocent he was, and how he wasn’t harmful at all. I thought that instead of fully consumed by fear, that he also had hope, and was trying to prove that there is good in everyone. I didn’t think that he was just randomly pulled from the crowd and had a gun pointed at him, I thought that he ran from the crowd, and showed bravery and heroism. I thought that that’s what the author of the poem thought as well.

I wish I was there, I wish I knew the story behind that little Polish boy…

Dear Maria, Count Me In - All Time Low

This song ROCKS. All Time Low is kind of like a Boys Like Girls type band, so of course I love ‘em! Also check out Six Feet Under the Stars.

Listen?

First Time - Lifehouse

Lifehouse is a pretty popular band, so maybe you’ve heard of this. I’m really the only one at my school though. Also check out You and Me.

Listen?

Bigger Than Love - My Favorite Highway

I just recently found out about this song and band. This song isn’t even sold on iTunes! Also check out You’re Making it Come Alive.

Listen?

If Everyone Cared - Nickelback

I love Nickelback, and I totally get this song’s message. Watch the video below, it’s really cool. Also check out Rockstar.

Listen?

Let Go - Boys Like Girls

Boys Like Girls is a waaaaaaaay popular band, but mostly people only know The Great Escape. This song was “resung” by them, and it’s a lot slower. Also check out Hero/Heroine.

Listen?

I don’t know… I just feel really special when I have a song I really like that no one else knows about. But now, you all know about these songs!

On a typical day, when the bell rings, my class sits down. We eagerly await the arrival of the math teacher, Mr. Hollis. As soon as he enters the room, we all clap and cheer loudly, as he bows and says things like “what can I say?” and “thank you, thank you.” When he sits down, usually one student compliments him (jokingly of course!) and tells him “I like your shirt Mr. Hollis!” Mr. Hollis replies by saying something along the lines of “who wouldn’t”? He then proceeds to tell us a story about how he was chased by the paparazzi since math teachers are “oh so cool” and how they wanted to put him on a reality TV show. More jokes, of course. And then we get…. a little more serious.

Mr. Hollis tells us to take out our “beautiful homefun.” At the beginning of the year, he explained to us that math wasn’t “work,” it was “fun.” Hence the name “homefun.” Anyway, we take out the assignment from the previous night. He goes through all the answers, then asks for any “beautiful questions.” Everyone asks their questions, and then he asks “any other beautifulness?” There’s no response. Then he says, in an Italian accent, “Okay for you?” And we respond, also in Italian accents, “Okay for us!”

But that’s not even the fun part. When he gets to teaching us, he never uses the book’s way. He teaches us little short cuts and names them things like “The Hollis Method,” “The Hollis Checklist,” etc. Some other shortcuts, the more interesting ones, involve singing. Yes, we sing in class. One song is about algebraic equations, and about doing the opposite.

“When it says add, you subtract.

When it says subtract, you add.

When it says multishply, you divide, and

When it says divide you, multishply!”

(My teacher pronounces “multiply” “multishply” by the way.) Another one is about factor trees and prime factorizations.

“Oh factor tree, oh factor tree,

How you bring factors home to me.”

In our lessons, he also improvises, and teaches us the lessons in story. In one lesson, astronauts discovered the rare and valuable mineral, Hollisidium. In another, a brave princess fought off a dragon using a jelly donut. The stories vary.

He also has nicknames for everything and everyone. When ever we mention problem #8, he adds on to it “8 skate and a donate!” With problem #76, it’s “76 trombones in the big parade!” My nickname is “Abby Gee!” But there are several others like “Sydney Australia,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Jacob Hanky,” “Little John,” “Niki of the Atal,” and “Danny Rizzzzzzzzzzzk.”

We also name our homework. It’s stuff like “Home Joy” and “Home Extraterrific.” But it’s also stuff that we joked about that day, like “Home Hollisidium” or “Home CSI*Name of My School.*” The bonus questions on quizzes are called “Extra Joy,” “Extra Happiness,” and “Word Happiness.”

Another fun thing worth mentioning in that class is the “Big Board.” It has the top ten students in the accelerated algebra class. It also has the two worst scorers. These people with bad grades are people like “Betty Don’t” and “Bill Bored.”(Say them out loud, you’ll catch on!)

So there you have it! Our math class. But what else can you expect coming from a teacher who has a paperweight that says “Math = Love” on his desk?

What’s your favorite class? Do you have any classes where you do something unusual?

Hello…umm thanks I guess. But honestly if that is all you can say..go buy a life. They sell them cheap on Ebay! =)

WTH?? You’re telling me to go buy a life? Reasons why this comment is stupid:

1. It’s insulting me after I took my precious time (time that I’ll never get back!) to review your lame site. I know that sounds mean, but if she’s going to get that honest and disregard other’s feelings, then so will I.
2. It doesn’t make sense. If you’re saying that I didn’t say a lot, then obviously I have a life! If I typed up a novel about your site, then obviously I don’t have a life!
3. That phrase “go buy a life on Ebay” is so stupid.
4. Is the smiley face supposed to make me feel better or something? Because it’s not working.

How can some people be so unappreciative, ungrateful, and just plain rude like that?

Just FYI, I told her that I was going to blog about her, so she knows this is coming.

But seriously, your site didn’t have many good qualities okay? You knew you were signing up for an honest review, and if you didn’t see the fact that your site isn’t wonderful coming, then I’m sorry, but I told you the truth. Why are you  getting mad because I was honest? Sorry if you’re allergic to honesty or something, but how about you fix up your site and try again later? I’d love that so much better then you telling me to get a life.

Clearly Invisible

True Illusion

I like them both, but I don’t know if a)  they appeal to anyone else b) which to pick c) if I should change my site name at all. So what do you think?

1. ” Abby is doing really well after her surgery.” That’s good to know, it wouldn’t be good if I didn’t recover.
2. ” Abby is a Congo African Grey parrot.” My secret alias!
3. ” Abby is in the house and kidnaps a woman from the settlement as an exchange hostage.” Darn, my secret has been discovered…
4. ” Abby is very intelligent.” Awwww thank you!
5. ” Abby is Michaela.” Huh? Another secret identity?
6. ” Abby is currently four years old.” *gasp* I went back in time? It’s 1998??
7. ” Abby is a sophomore golfer from Waterville.” Yes, I’m a professional golfer and I totally know where Waterville is…
8. ” Abby is a 5′ 1″ brunette.” Well, you got the brunette part right.
9. ” Abby is cool.” Sooooo true.
10. “Abby is a child of heaven now.” What?? I died??!! Well, I guess I better end this post then.

1. Rainbow Stars Tank Top - it’s so cool and so me! I love stars (a lot!) and rainbow colors, so hello perfect tank top!
2.  Hollister Tee - I don’t own anything from Hollister and don’t really like it very much, but I <3 this shirt! It looks plain, but you should see it on the mannequin.
3. dELiAs Dress - I really like this dress, the weave thingy makes it simple but cool.
4. Cherry Flats - Yay! Cherries!
5. Starry Shirt - Like I said, I love stars and the black and blue together make this shirt so cool!
6. Fox Logo Tee - crazy, but I <3 it.
7. Striped Shoes - These shoes in green are so springy, so they’re perfect.
8. Blue Dot Bikini - I need a new bathing suit, and this one in blue is so cool!
9. Music Notes Tee - totally me.
10. Rebel Angels - a nice book to celebrate my shopping spree with!

Ahhh, spring break. A time of shopping (obviously), relaxation, and the relief that all your tests are FINALLY over with.

What are you doing for spring break?