Goodbye!

I am really sad to say goodbye, but it is the end of the semester, I guess I have to. I have to say, there are many things I am going to miss about my computers class. I am going to miss the fun projects, Mike (my classmate who sat next to me) using his sound effects to make weird animal noises and make amazing songs, and, of course, my blog. I learned a lot about Apple computers in this class. At first I thought I was going to hate it, because I do not like changes (I was used to Macs); however, it turned out that it was a lot of fun. This was my favorite class, and hope the people who are in it next semester will enjoy it as much as me. So, I guess this is bye...

My Favorite Project (Paper) for Computers Class

Christine


Christine is a fictional story about a seventeen-year-old boy named Arnie Cunningham, whose life is turned upside down after he buys Christine, a red 1958 Plymouth Fury. (“Christine” 1) Arnie had been an outcast at school, constantly protected by his best and only friend Dennis Guilder; however, that changes when he meets Christine. Immediately, he fell in love with the car, so he bought her from owner Roland LeBay. He was getting more than he bargained for. When Arnie begins to repair her, he starts to change; he becomes more handsome, gains enough courage to ask out Leigh Cabot, the prettiest girl in school, and develops an attitude. His new personality puts a strain on all his relationships. Dennis is suspicious of the car and meets with LeBay’s brother, George, after LeBay dies. From George, Dennis finds out about LeBay’s horrible past and how his family died suspiciously in Christine. Meanwhile, Leigh starts to recognize something evil about the car when she almost chokes to death in it (Chalker 1), and Arnie starts getting defensive. He starts spending most of his time repairing Christine after the bullies at school beat her up. Leigh, during this time, grows closer to Dennis. After Christine is repaired, the bullies mysteriously die, one by one. The police suspect Arnie; however, he is found innocent. Dennis and Leigh, who suspect Christine, discover that LeBay’s family had to die in order for him and the car to achieve immortality and that it had been possessing Arnie. In the end, Arnie’s dad is found dead in Christine, and Arnie and his mom are killed in a car accident; however, only two bodies were found. (Chalker 1) Also, there is a battle between Christine, driven by LeBay, Leigh, and Dennis. Christine is destroyed by one of the bullies. Four years later, Dennis talks about how he and Leigh went to college together and ended up going their separate ways. The story, ends on a chilling note, when it is suggested that Christine has been repaired and is prepared for revenge.
This Stephen King book was banned in the United States and was accused of being Satanic because of the many killings and the idea of man sacrificing his family, so he could possess his car. Fortunately, Christine is today no longer banned; so many people can enjoy this Stephen King favorite, full of chill and excitement.

Across the Universe!

Across the Universe is my new favorite movie! I saw it five times over Thanksgiving break, and I fell in love with it. I know you may be thinking: "That's what she said about The Others." But I highly remend you see this movie, especially if you like the Beatles. It's basically a musical about the story behind the Beatles song. In it a boy from England comes to America to find his father and falls in love with a girl who is anti-war. Its a really cute love story, and it modernizes the Beatles' songs, but it doesn't change them to much. So, please see it!

Dusty Getting Ready for Christmas

*WINTER*

Winter is my second favorite season (after summer, of course). I like it a lot because it has a magical feel to it, especially during the holidays. There are many fun things to do, like sledding, making snow angels,having snowball fights, and making igloos.Snow flakes are really beautiful, and I enjoy each of their unique designs. Most of my favorite winter memories are just me cuddling up next to the fireplace with hot coacoa and a good book and how every Christmas I go down early to get a quick peek at the presents. Wintertime is also pretty because of the Christmas lights and trees!

*~Twilight~*

       I am going to see "Twilight" this weekend, and could not be more excited!! The sad thing is I don't really like the actor who is going to play Edward (Rob Pattinson). A lot of the girls at my school think that he is really cute and perfect for the role, but personally, I think his voice is monotone and he is not the way I imagined Edward. Nonetheless, I am still excited. It's also sad that I have not read the last book yet. I heard it was really good. I guess it does not matter though, because my sister already ruined the end for me. Oh well, all that matters now is the movie; I only hope it lives up to my expectations.

Newscast Project Experience

   In Computer's class, we had to do a newscast naything we wanted. I had the same group as I did for the Homecoming newsletter(Ana, Erin, and I), so it was fun. We did it on horses, because Ana knows a lot about them, since she owns one. Personally, I did not really know as much as I thought I did about horses. It was interesting, and I learned a lot. It was funny when we were filming thought, because we were having problems fitting everyone in front of the camera, and the background was cool (it was a picture of horses), but it was one of those backgrounds you add on Macs so it had green lotches when we moved. Altogether, we had a lot of fun, and it's sad I won't have this class next semester.   

The Things I Am Thankful For

Well, there is a lot to be thankful for so I made a list:

1. My family and friends, of course

2. That I get to go to private school

3. That Thanksgiving break is coming up

4. I was born into a Catholic family

5. Friday is tommorow

6. I get to got to my first concert in two weeks

7. That I have a big family

8. My one cat that is still alive

9. That I get to go to Florida this summer

10. That I might get to see "Twilight" this weekend 

Time is Ticking Up

Usually when I talk about when I was younger, I like to think about myself as a normal kid. It's funny though because last weekend I was watching a few movies from when I was younger. When we were younger, my sisters, my brother, and I would make movies with our friends. We took our acting seriously. My older sisters Mary and Stephanie were the masterminds behind the storylines of most of our films and directed us. Anyways, when I was looking back at these movies, it was interesting, because even though it was around the years 2001 or 2003, I noticed we have changed a lot over the past five years. One thing that really caught my attention was our fashion is much better now. At first after watching these videos, I was embarrassed, but now that I look back at it, it was really fun and at least I made some memories. It's sad how fast time goes by, and, sure, I may not have been a good actress or a "normal kid," but who wants to be normal anyways?

*My Creation*

If I could, I would invent a machine that could make any kind of food: desserts, meats, salads, anything. It would be able to make any quantity of food, and it can refill itself when it runs low on ingredients. Also, it would be able to tell you the ingredients and nutrition facts of the food it prepares. I think it would be a good invention, because some people do not have the time to prepare something or just simply do not have the time to learn how. Also, the nutrition facts and ingredients would be helpful in case anyone has allergies or are on a diet. Another reason why I would invent this machine is I would be able to make more and sell a lot, because you can never go wrong with food. 

Political Cartoon

Personally, I think we made the wrong decision in choosing Obama as president. Besides the fact that he supports gay marriage and abortion, he also has a program that I disagree with. This program I found to be best portrayed in this political cartoon. In it, as you can tell, people who work hard for their money have to pay taxes to pay for those who do not work at all. The idea of people having to earn money just to have it taken away and given to people who do not have to work is wrong. Besides if they get money for free, how will they or anyone else get any motivation to work?

5 Day Weekend!!!!

I am really excited, because this weekend we have five days off. Orginally we would have four days off, but since our soccor team won, we get off an extra day to go to the game. So far it's a really great weekend, and it's funny because it's not even a day into it. I guess what made it really fun is German club. It may sound boring, but it's actually a lot of fun. We bake a lot. Today my friend and I made pretzels, and she's a really good cook, so personally, I think ours were the best. To make it even better, I have almost no homework and a lot of thing to do. I am really excited for the rest of the weekend, I can only hope it will get better!!!

*~Blank Page~*

This picture inspires me because it reminds me of the fact that we write our own stories and they aren't written for us. Personally, I think its kind of a scary thought because if you're not happy how your life is, then you have no one to blame but yourself. However, it's good because your the one with the pen. Also just knowing your the one who makes the decision, can drive you to do your best because this is your life your writing. Once it's written, it can never be erased. A good thing though is you write the end. I guess what I'm trying to say is it reminds me of life and its many choices and how I am responsible for how my own turns out. Even though no one will probably ever write a real story about me, I will know the story and that's all that matters.

Scary Movie Podcast!

In my computers class, we had to make podcasts about our favorite scary movies. I personally do not really like scary movies, but I sometimes find them interesting. When we were first assigned this project I was stuck between "The Butterfly Effect" (which isn't very scary) and Disturbia (which I love!). In the end, however I chose "The Others," which unlike most scary movies has a lot more thought put into it and a better purpose than just to scare people; it had a message. Making the podcast was a lot of fun with the Macs, especially with such a good horror movie to base it on. We got a lot of sound effects to use and a selection jingles to choose from to create a scary vibe. I don't know if mine was the best, but I think it was good.

The Office Tonight!!!

As you can tell I am a huge fan of "The Office", and I have brought the task upon myself to win some more fans over, even though I am pretty sure everyone is already one. So, why should you watch "The Office"? It is a really funny show and characters each have their own quirks that add to the humor. And why should you watch it tonight? Because it is the Halloween episode tonight, and if you don't already know, Creed is dressing up as the Joker! Also, so you fit in at school. So if I haven't convinced you yet, its your loss, and if I have, great!

~A Lesson Learned~

Once, when I was in seventh grade, a freind of mine talked me into doing track with her. I had done a few sports before, like soccer and volleyball, so I figured it wouldn't be that bad so I joined. Unfortunately, I ended up being pretty slow and I got cramps really easily. At practices we had to just keep running and running; it seemed endless. I chose to be a sprinter, so I could run a shorter distance, because I'm better at that. The good thing was I had the support of a team, and we had breaks once in a while. I guess if I learned anything it is to know what your getting yourself into before you're stuck in it for good.

Seventeen Again Trailer

Halloween

There are so many things that I enjoy about Fall, but one of things I love most about it is Halloween! I know that Halloween is a children's holiday, but there are many things that I think people look over about it. I have such amazing memories of Halloween parties at my cousin's house, bonfires, and dressing up as ghosts, fairy princesses, and witches. I miss being young enough to dress up and go trick-or-treating, and ecspecially the candy (not that I do not steal my little sister's candy). There is one thing that I will always hate about Halloween though, Haunted Houses. Halloween is a classic holiday, bringing back flooding memories of my past, and it makes me hope that one day I am going to be able to make Halloween as magical for my kids as it was for me.

Ten Things I Want to Do in My Lifetime

1. I want to at least once go somewhere outside the United States.
2. Become an excellent doctor.
3. Make a huge impact on at least one other person's life.
4. Be in three places at once.
5. Do something no one has ever done before.
6. Break Guiness Book world record.
7. Stay fit the rest of my life.
8. Become a national icon.
9. Star in at least one movie (even if I am just a background person)
10. Meet the man of my dreams and have a lot of kids.
Bonus: Have someone write a biography or memoir about me.

Up Coming Report Cards!

Well, report cards are going to be coming soon, and I am quite nervous. Last year I had only one B and the rest were A's, but this year I think I have at least two B's. I think the hardest subjects for me this year are honors Literature and honors Geometry. Usually I am really good with math, but this year I do good on the homework and, I am not sure why, but I have trouble with tests. In Literature we have a really hard teacher; the tests have completely random questions on them. So all I can say is, I can only do my best.

Peoria's Logo

For my assignment in computers class this week, we got to vote for logos for Peoria. I voted for the diamond shaped logo with a river and buildings in it. I chose it because it looked the most full and colorful. Also, for my second choice I chose the logo with the bridge, river, and buildings. It is less colorful but it has personality. Finally, for my last choice I chose the one that said Peoria and has a colorful wave. I like it because the rest were dull and had no personality.

My Favorite Halloween Costume!!

iPhoto Assignment

For I our iPhoto assignment, we had to find pictures with letters from our names, pictures that describe us, and play it to a song. Finding the pictures was not very hard, but I had trouble with the music. For the first time, I thought it would be fun to make my own song on Garage Band, a program on our new Apple computers; however, it turned out to be much harder than I thought, so I decided it would be best to use the sample songs that come with the computers. This was a pretty fun assignment, and I think it helped me get to learn more about the other programs I am not used to.

Physical Goal

My physical goal this year is to start eating more healthy. Usually, I like to think that I am to young to worry about what is healthy or not; however, even though it may not effect me much now, it will be a good habit to start for the future. By starting this habit, I can resist breakouts and obesity. Also, I can increase my life expectancy and reach my full potential. Personally, I think this will be a hard goal, but it will be worth it for the results.

Progress in Project

Our group is actually already done with our newsletter; however, we are having trouble printing out our pictures. Ana got a lot of good pictures from Twin Day and the dance, and she made a very good collage, but the computer at school just will not print all of pictures. I would hate to see her work go to waste; personally, I blame the computer. So other than that, I think our newsletter is really good and we still have a chance of winning.

Intellectual Goal!

Unfortunately, this year I am not as organized as I have in the past years, which is a very important thing to be in high school because of the amount of homework. This year my intellectual goal is to become more organized. I will do this by making sure to write down all of my assignments as soon as I get them and to double check I bring all my books home and to school. It is not worth it to work hard on something and do poorly because you forgot it.

Homecoming Newsletters!

In Computers class we are working on newsletters about Homecoming week in groups, and the group with the best newsletter will have their work published in Acclaim!, the school newsletter. Erin McManis and Ana Cruz are in my group, and we are writing about Spirit Day, Twin Day, the Homecoming football game, and the much anticipated dance. We are have so far had a lot of fun writing the articles. I really hope ours is chosen.

Dream Job as a DJ

One thing almost everyone thinks about in high school is what kind of job they are going to have when they get older. Usually, when someone asks me what I am going to be when I grow up, I say something like a cook or a surgeon. However, if I could be anything, I would love to be a DJ, but of course I would not tell my guidance counselor that. Despite the fact that I probably would not earn a lot of money as a DJ, unless I miraculously become famous, I would still would want it as a job, because I enjoy listening to music a lot, and I give all genres a chance. Also, I know a lot about what kind of music people like. Personally, when I ask myself what I really am going to be when I grow up, I can honestly say I do not know, because only time can tell.

This Year's Emotional Goal

For this year my emotional goal is to stop procrastinating, because it causes a lot of stress and frustration. I am possibly the biggest procrastinator I know. I usually wait to do something the day before it is due.This is not good for my grades, because when I procrastinate I am usually in a rush and the project does not turn out as good as it could have. Also, it is not good for my health, because when I cram in work, I get easily frustrated when people interrupt me, and that can cause a raise in blood pressure. Hopefully, by achieving this goal, it will make my sophmore year a little easier.

Saint Powerpoints

In computers class we are working on powerpoints about saints. It is definitely not my favorite assignment in the class, but it is not terrible. I guess the reason why I am not that psyched about it is because I have done so many saint projects in the past and the topic is getting old. The saint that I chose was Saint Rose of Lima. Originally, I was going to have her for my Confirmation saint, but I decided to go with Saint Therese. Saint Rose is not my favorite saints, because she abused herself; however, I decided to pick her, because I knew a bit about her. This is not my favorite project, but it is okay.

My Spiritual Goal This Year!

This year I plan to develop a better relationship with God. Sometimes during the school year, it is hard to focus on my religious life when there is so much homework and events taking place. So, my goal is to read a bit of the Bible each night and try to take what I read into my own life. This way I will be able to live out the Good News in my own life, which would be the best way to nurture my spiritual development.

Story Board!

This week it has been a lot of fun, because I have been working on my story board, which is based off of the song "Stop and Stare" by One Republic. I chose this song, because it is one of my favorites, and like the person in the song, I just go through the motions but what I really need to do is look back at what I have become and ask myself if I am happy with whom I am. My storyboard is basically about a girl who is sick of her parents fighting, so she decides to run away with her friend; after thinking it through, she realizes that it would be best if she stayed and face her problems instead of running away. So, all in all, the point of the story is that it is better to face your problem before they catch up with you; if you try to avoid them you will never be able to solve them. It is going to be great!

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!

I am a sophomore in high school and am currently taking a course on computers, which is the reason I am making this blog. This class is very challenging, because we have new computers, which most of us are not used to. The course is very quick paced. Personally, I wish we would slow down a bit so we could get used to the feel of the new computers. Other than that it is very fun. So far, we have typed essays on banned books, created spreadsheets, and are now starting to make storyboards. So, all in all, I like computers class, but I think we are moving to fast.