Snow (#10)

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Everyone was talking about how this past weekend we were going to get bombarded with inches and inches of snow. We all kept our fingers crossed for no school on Monday, but sadly, Monday morning came and we all had to roll on out of bed just to drag ourselves to this wonderful place we call Lowell High. I'm sure everyone was delighted, but if you think about it, it would've been kind of ridiculous to cancel school for not even half of foot of snow. If you have the luxury of walking to school every morning, I'm sure you'll appreciate how Lowell has meticulously cleaned its sidewalks. NOT. And not mention the ginormous snow pile on the corner of the freshman academy that's blocking off a whole section of a driving lane. Whoever plowed that snow must have had some serious common sense issues.

The snow really isn't that bad, and if you've lived in New England for long enough then you should be used to it. I've heard a rumor about this winter being one of the worst ones in history, but I've seen nothing credible to actually prove that. Part of me wishes that it will snow and snow and snow, just so that we can sneak in as many snow days as possible. As we all know, us as seniors don't have to make them up. On the other hand though, part of me wishes for it not to snow so much because its just a hassle to get through. Snow makes everything so much more complicated. Simple tasks just as going to the store take double the time it would if there wasn't any snow. I complain about the snow an awful lot, but when I really think about it, if I were to live in a place like Florida for long enough, I would most likely miss the snow. Well, eventually. I'm sure this winter will be over before we know it, but until then, let's all try to enjoy it while we can.

Coffee Addiction (#9)

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Most people would agree that coffee is generally bad for your health. All people ever point out are the bad effects coffee can have on a person, but no one ever takes the time out to research if what they believe is actually true or not. A couple of days ago, I decided to do just that, and go online to see if coffee was really all that bad. What I came across was an article from the Today Show about coffee addiction.

The article talked about the pros and cons of drinking coffee daily. It said that if one drinks unfiltered coffee, the effects are very damaging. But when you drink filtered coffee, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Drinking filtered coffee (which is really the majority of coffees sold at places like Dunkins' and Coffee Mill, along with instant and home made coffee) will help prevent most major illnesses in the United States, like diabetes, cancer and even Parkinson's disease. It has also been proven to lessen depression and heart attacks (especially in women). All this is valid for drinking 1-3 cups of coffee a day, which according to the article, is just a "moderate consumption".

So for all of you that think being addicted to coffee is the absolute worst thing in the world, there you have it. And if you don't believe all of this, here's the link.

Black Friday Shopping! (#8)

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This year Black Friday was lots of fun for me. For the last couple of years I didn't have the money to go shopping, but this year I had more than enough. So much that I didn't even spend it all! I woke up on Friday morning at 5:30am, after going to bed around 2:30. I had like ten minutes to get ready before my ride came to pick me up. Which isn't enough time at all! But whatever, I was just happy to be going out. When I arrived at the mall, I was surprised to see that there was barely anyone there. I expected it to be packed, but I guess not. The first store I went to was Aeropostle, where EVERYTHING was 60% off. I got some shirts for my younger brother, shirts that originally cost 24-25 dollars, but I got them for 7-8 dollars. I also went to Hollister where EVERYTHING was 50% off! I got some sweaters there and made my way over to Charlotte Russe, where all shoes were buy one get one for $5. I left the mall after a few hours and took a break from shopping.
When I returned to the same mall, it was incredibly packed with people. I had to wait like 20 minutes to find a parking spot. Throughout the day I bought stuff for my mom, my brother, my stepfather and myself. I found that it was a pretty productive day, but when I finally got home I was incredibly exhausted. So exhausted that the muscles in my legs were pounding. It isn't easy shopping for the whole day you know, but I'm glad that I was blessed enough to even go out in the first place.

My First Job (#7)

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Its official. I finally have a job. Guess where? Yup, Dunkin Donuts. It may not be the most exciting job, but hey, its a job. I went for my interview last weekend, and I was really nervous, but the manager was a really nice lady so  she made me feel more comfortable.

I'm more nervous than excited to start working. I've never had a job before and I have no idea what to expect. This past weekend I went in for some training and I expected to learn how to make the coffee, the sandwiches, etc. But all I did was fill out some paper work. I filled out something called a W-4 for the first time, and I had absolutely no idea what that even was or how to fill it out. I was sort of embarrassed to ask the manger what it was, but she was nice about it.

I guess working will have its ups and downs. I know there will be days when I get home late, exhausted but still have to do homework. But that's all part of being a teenager. I'm just happy I no longer have to depend on my parents as much now for money. That's really the exciting part. I think I'll enjoy working at this Dunkin Donuts because from what I've observed, its really not all that busy like all the other Dunkin Donuts around the city. The one I'm working at is in Lowell General Hospital, so all the customers seem pretty nice. I just hope I don't mess up people's orders often. Wish me luck!

My 18th Birthday (#6)

Last Thursday was the day that almost every teen waits for their entire lives.  Well at least I was waiting for it. Last Thursday was the day I finally turned 18. I am now a legal adult! It hasn't really set in yet, but I'm sure it will. I didn't really think I was going to do anything on my birthday because it was a Thursday, but I ended up doing quite a few things. First off, some of my friends surprised me by leaving a box of delicious cupcakes on my desk in sixth period, which you can see in the bottom right hand corner of the picture. They were pretty good. I honestly thought that that was it, that was the end of my day. But when I got home, my mom told me she was taking me to my dad's house, where I was surprised with a cake, roses and my favorite Lidnt dark chocolates. From there, my dad took me out for dinner, and I ate chicken parmigiano with gnocchi. It's an Italian dish from the restaurant "The Chateau", which you see in the bottom left corner of the picture.

 

After that, my boyfriend was nice enough to take me shopping at the mall, and he bought me all of the stuff you see in the top of the picture. I thought that was pretty nice of him. Then on Saturday, we went to the mall again, and from there we ate at a restaurant we had never eaten before called "Eat at Joe's". Since that was right next to the movie theatres, we then decided to see the new movie "Thor 2", which was totally awesome and I recommend that if you've seen the first one, you definitely have to see the second one!

 

So that was my 18th birthday celebration. Oh yeah and I got a job at Dunkins'! You could say that my 18th birthday turned out to be a pretty good one.

Veterans Day 2013 (#5)

Veteran's day. It's a national holiday, we get a day off from school and there's even a parade. But many people do not go farther into thinking what Veteran's day is actually all about. It is a day to honor all those who have given up their precious time and effort to protect this nation's freedom. It's more than just another day off from school, where we get to sleep in and not have to worry about setting our alarms to wake us up.

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This Veterans Day I visited Boston. I didn't know their was actually going to be a parade to celebrate this day, but as I arrived I took notice of all that was going on. Men and women from all branches of the military were dressed in their uniforms, proudly walking about. There was a band that played the National Anthem and families of veterans were even marching together in the parade. it was all very interesting.

As I reflect back on this day, I cannot help but emphasize the fact that I should really try to recognize this holiday more effectively. I mean, I'm in school at this very moment only because of the men and women that have fought to protect my own freedom. I can speak freely because these soldiers have strived to make it possible for me to do so. I cannot but be more than thankful for all that they have given for all of us across the country. it is indeed a privilege to live in a nation where people are so willing to give all that they have, there time, strength and intelligence, to make the USA a great place to be.

Visiting UMASS Boston (#4)

So last weekend I had the chance to visit the University of Massachusetts Boston. It was a pretty cool campus and all, they had a nice breakfast and the Chancellor was a great speaker. I'm not sure of that's really I would like to go, but I think it would be a good enough choice if I did decide to go there.

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Over the course of the opening speech, various people spoke including a senior student, the Chancellor and the head of the English department. They were all pretty interesting. What they pointed out most was how there is a lot of construction going on around the campus. I think I remember them saying that there is about three new buildings being built. They are also in the process of building some dorms, which will be available by the year 2015.

What I enjoyed most about the campus was the city environment and also how the school is right on the water. This picture displayed shows a great view of how the two come together.



Senior Stressing (#3)



I'm almost 100% positive that almost every single high school senior is feeling the same stress overwhelm them around this time of the school year. We are all having college essays, AP classes and the Common Application thrown at us, one right after another. It can get kind of scary. College is legit right around the corner, and I don't know about you, but I haven't made a final decision about that one college that I really want to go to. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have a few in mind and I'll apply to those few, but there isn't really one that I have my heart set on going to. I guess that can be both a good and a bad thing. Because that way, if I didn't get into that one college, I wouldn't be completely crushed. But then again it kind of leaves me at a vague standing point.



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Sometimes, no MOST times, I feel like somehow making my way back to my simple middle school life, where all I honestly had to worry about was actually waking up to go to school. There were no life-impacting decisions that I had to make, no college advisors I had to communicate with, and no expensive tests I had to pay for to take. Life was simple, life was easy, life was fun. Friends weren't so complicated and it didn't really matter who your friends even were because everyone got along with each other. Well, for the most part.

Now all that is ever on my mind is where on this earth I'm going to further my education and how exactly I'm going to pay for that education. Going to a private school sounds great, but paying for it and being in debt for the remaining part of my life, doesn't sound so great. Is anyone else feeling this way? Is anyone else feeling this burden, or am I just making it a bigger deal than what it is?

From Homeless, to Healthy! (#2)

What you are seeing in the picture is a before & after picture of my kitten, Kaleb. In case you were wondering , no she's not a male. At first we thought she was, so that's why my family & I decided upon the name. We discovered her outside our church building, young & malnourished. We knew she had to have come from the two older cats we had seen living around the same area. For about a month, my mom, little brother & I brought her food, in fear of her dying out there with no food. It took us all a while to agree if we actually wanted to take her in or not. You know how it is, when your parents obviously know its what you should do, but they come up with every excuse possible to cause you not to get what you want. That was my mom. "She'll get hair all over the house. She'll stink up the bathroom. What if she has fleas? I'm guna have to spend money to buy her all the essentials (food, liter box, etc.)". Blah blah blah & so on. But in the end she was the one who caught her & brought her home. Then she began again to tell my brother and I that we had to take care of her, feed her, bathe her & so on. All my little brother and I cared about was that we had helped a helpless creature, & we now knew that she would have a safe home, good food and all the love she needed. Of course we gave her a flea bath before taking her in, & made sure she wasn't carrying along any unwanted critters into our house. You can't tell in the picture, but when she came home she had patches where there was no hair but there were wounds due to the insects that were sinking their teeth into her. Those wounds are now gone, & her fur is thick and beautiful. I'm glad my family & I took Kaleb in, and I feel like we did a good thing for a living creature.

Fairwell Summer 2013... (#1)



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Unfortunately, this year's summer has almost come to an end. No more sun, no more beaches, no more sandals and no more barbeques. Depressing isn't it? The thought of saying goobye to summer time makes every other aspect of the day a little bit duller. The weather has already gotten colder, and I didn't even get a chance to wear all my summery clothes. (Now I know this is my first post, and I don't want you to think I'm one of those superficial girls who only care about what they look like and who likes them. Because I'm not one of those, I just really wanted to wear this one dress and I didn't get the chance to. Oh well. There's always next year.) I don't know about you, but summer is my favorite tim of the year. Everything just comes alive. Days get longer, hair gets lighter, skin gets darker and memories grow fonder. It's just an overall great time of the year. I completely have no idea how some people could prefer winter over summer. It's like prefering to have brussel sprouts over choclate. Doesn't make any sense! I collected some pretty cool seashells from the beach this summer, and I actually visited the beach a whole lot more this summer compared to other summers. Why oh why must you go summer? Now the dark days of winter, the freezing temperatures and the icy streets await us. Its like waking up from a dream only to discover a deep, dark reality. Is it just me, or does summer seem to fly by while winter decides to kick off its shoes and stay for more time than its welcome to? I don't know, if you're one of those people who favor the cold temperatures, you probably don't like this post. But for those of you that absolutely adore summer, you know what I'm talking about.