I'm back, again

Darn it, I did it again. Leave for two months and then come back, breaking my new year’s resolution that I can never seem to keep. However, this time I intend to keep it. But the likelihood of that actually happening is a bit low because of college and the busyness and stress that come with it. So expect posts occurring at least once a month or once every two months.
Also, start expecting posts that are just giant lists of what I’ve been doing during the time I was gone from this blog. An example would be the giant list that I’m about to give you, filling in the details of what’s been happening between the last time I published a blog post and now.
P.S. The list is not in chronological order.

Graduating and senior pictures.

• Graduate high school.
• Deal with family problems.
• Move back in with my parents.
• Senior pictures.
• Participate in a graduating high school blog post over at Nevillegirl's blog, Musings From Neville's Navel.
• Be my awkward self.
• Help "clean" up a messy senior prank. 

From left to right: A blurry photo of the senior sunset; a dark photo
of ducks taken at the school president's house; part one of the senior prank; and
the yearbook stomp.

• Enjoy the last week of school by going to a senior dinner dance, a senior sunset, a senior breakfast, and a yearbook stomp.
• Go to a party at the school president’s house.
• Apply to a million jobs.
• Finally land a job interview at a movie theater.
• Get a job at said movie theater.
• Work, and experience the joys (and annoyances) of customer service.
• Procrastinate.

The senior dinner dance

• Get into another reading slump.
• Watch a lot of youtube videos.
• Shop for various things like pens and books.
• Watch a lot of movies like Jurassic World, Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out, and various others.
• Watch a lot of television shows like Orange is the New Black and America’s Got Talent.
• Meet new people.
• Go to an orientation at the University of Utah, which was pretty fun (except for a few parts).

One of my last senior selfies. 

• Driving and the joys of it.
• Get a haircut.
• Get sick for a week and miss the simple little pleasure of not coughing every day.
• Have various projects done to my house, like installing insulation and having the garage cleaned.
• Play Pokémon Diamond on my phone and slowly become a Pokémon master.
• Get another eye exam and find out that my vision slightly improved.
• Family time.
• Think a lot about the Asian culture.

Pictures that I took earlier this summer. 

• Eat yummy Vietnamese food.
• Help my little brother with school stuff.
• Deal with an abnormally working laptop.
• Buy/check out books.
• Listen to music from the Pitch Perfect 2 soundtrack.
• Sleep.
• Try to be an adult.

And now the weather:
Starships by Nicki Minaj cover performed by Mike Tompkins, the Pitch Perfect Cast and You

~ Stacy N.

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my perfect summer mix (not made by me)

it's my car i can sing if i want to from ehalch on 8tracks Radio.

- Stacy N.

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A random summer list

[ ] Get my bike fixed

[ ] Get a doughnut from that one grocery store that has really good doughnuts 

[ ] Sign up for scholarships

[ ] Research colleges

[ ] Read books

[ ] Go back to my hometown library

[ ] Start going to sleep around 11:30 

[ ] Practice driving

[ ] Have a movie night

[ ] Go see an improv show

[ ] Say hi to some friends that I haven't talked to in a while

[ ] Blog more often

[ ] List one good thing about each day

[ ] Write back to pen pals
[ ] Write another letter to myself
[ ] Have fun

And now the weather:

Luck by American Authors

- Stacy N.

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Lifescouts badge #26: A new freedom

Pleasant things in life: The wind in your hair. The speed of the car as you gradually go faster. A nervousness in your stomach as you learn how to drive for the first time.

~ Stacy N.

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This week month of the year

What my backyard looks like from afar. 

What’s been happening in my life lately July:

• My twin sister and I recently moved in with our older sister.
• Deer has been found roaming around the new place.
• I’ve been to the water park a few times.
• There was a lot of shopping for everyday items and food.
• I went to a friend’s birthday party and felt slightly sad because I probably won’t see them again.
• I also felt like a third wheel last Wednesday as my older sister dragged her boyfriend, my twin, and I to various places. 

And what my backyard looks like up close. 

• There has been a lot of sleeping in.
• I drank a few cups of coffee with a delicious French vanilla creamer.
• I planned and am still planning my book idea for this year’s nanowrimo.
• I’ve been studying chemistry and math.
• I haven’t been reading many books.
• There’s also the fact that I got yelled at for various things.
• And I’ve been getting scared at night.
• The feeling of nostalgia has decided to stick with me.
• I’ve been watching too much television.
• I wrote a story and plenty of blog posts (that won’t be seen by the public).
• I’ve watched a few movies here and there.
• My twin and I visited the new high school we’re going to soon.
• We’ve been putting away various stuff of ours.
• As well as dreaming plenty of weird dreams that may or may not become books of mine one day. 

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See the colors, don't let your red applesauce spill ~ (c) Always wear your seat belt!

So far, I’ve completed one of the things on my summer list. Technically three or four things, but reading, writing, and not being on the computer a lot is more of a general thing for me. While learning how to drive isn’t so general in a way.

After eighteen school days (starting on June 10), I’ve had to go to the local high school, for about two hours, to take driver’s ed. It was filled with learning how to drive a car, checking a car fluids and tires, how to stay safe, and other car stuff.

Occasionally I had to go to school before class started or stay at the school after class (technically going home and then coming back again) to do the actual driving. And at first, I sucked at it, a lot. However, with a lot of practice driving on the roads, highways, and freeways, I’ve gotten better at it. And that was mainly thanks to my older sister, who is nice enough to spend part of her summer teaching me how to drive.

By now after six hours driving in class, another six hours observing people how to drive, and thirty-five-ish hours spent in class, I’m finally done with it with a certificateto prove it as well. And now I have to wait another two months or so before getting my license. However, for the moment I think I’ll complete the rest of my night driving and practice my driving skills which mainly involve parallel parking.

 P.S. I'm going to postpone this week's Lifescouts post till Friday because I'm in the mood to. 

P.P.S. Since google reader is now officially gone, you can still follow me. Just go to my feedly page or to my bloglovin page or even to my rss page. There are of course other options, which you can find if you click on the word that says follow (above the subscription links). A little menu will come down with all the options. Of course, there's also subscribing to my blog as well as getting email updates, which is just as nice. 

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the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and school is nearly out

Blue stock from here
Font is BD Toulouse and is found here

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The runner ups.

Here are the runner ups of the summer contest. I'll post the second contest up soon, I promise. The first one is by Shelby, her blogs can be found at http://comeallcomewrite.blogspot.com/, http://writinginsidejokes.blogspot.com/, and http://www.thefashionistagirls.blogspot.com/

Summer

by Shelby

The bell rings.

Only smiles,

as children

are freed.

The boys run home

already making plans

for a baseball game.

Splash! as the girls

jump into the pool.

That's when summer starts.

When happiness starts.

This one was written by a viewer named Nikita

Through the Open Plains
By:Nikita Johnson
   In the hot Californian sun,did he sun set,and the girl's parents were talking.Sarah listened in and told Bianca what about.They were talking about the girls and their brother going to Texas!They were using the laptop to find chauffeurs and travel deals.Finally after 10 minutes the girls went to their comfy beds.
    The next morning their parents "surprised" them with the news.They were going in 2 days.They talked and went up to pack for the flight.The days passed as quickly as the desert sun.Soon,it was time.They told the parents bye,and got on he plane.They played games that 9 year old Sarah knew,but Bianca who was 13 didn't remember.
    It seemed like days had passed before landing.Jeremiah was waiting.Then,they picked up their baggage and took 3 hours to drive back to the ranch.On the way back the wind picked up speed and didn't slow down.It only went faster.
    They were in a monsoon with 2 tornadoes touching down.The wind reached 20 mph,and the car toppled over,them inside.They all were injured and finally got out.The parents eyes were glued to the weather channel and then they saw the tornado.
     They tried to come,but all flights were closed.A hurricane was on its way....

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Contest Winner

Okay, I'm here today to announce the summer contest. I have received three entries, and they were all very good. But the one I chose was.... totallystargirl. Congratulations to those who entered. I'll post the runner ups tomorrow, and here's her entry. 

Swim (I changed everybody's names. I'm Storm, btw) 347 Words.

While everyone waded in carefully to get used to the temperature, I immediately dived in. Cold water raised goose bumps on my skin, but only for a moment. I smiled under the surface. I wished we had a pool at home, other than the wimpy blow up pool that was six inches deep. I would swim in it every day.

 I broke the surface, gulped in air and flipped back under.  I easily touched the bottom with my fingertips. The deepest part of the pool was about five feet or so, so when I stood on my toes, I could almost reach the surface.  Pushing up from the bottom, I launched myself onto the side of the pool and pulled myself up. Now I know what it means to be ‘dripping wet’.  I dived into the water and swam to the other side of the pool without taking a breath. Wow. I thought, blinking as I sucked in air. I didn’t know I could do that.  

  Someone grabs my leg and I swing around. It’s one of my best friends, Lauren, who’s younger than me, but taller and stronger.  I wait a while until she’s talking to her mom and standing on a step. Like an alligator-or a dragon, as I prefer- I stealthily sneak up and grab her ankles. She shrieks and falls back into the water, both of us laughing.

After a wonderful couple hours of swimming we laid out our towels and talked about random stuff. Books we liked, animals, random things like that. Lauren ran to her car and came back with a piece of cardboard. I turned it over and smiled, hoping I wouldn’t cry. Lauren had taken a bunch of random pictures and glued them on, and then added a small piece of paper, and on it she wrote:  “Three girls from different families met one day and now (intentionally) stay intertwined with each other’s lives. Lauren, Storm and Lily. Summer 2009-2011.” Smiling, me and my sister Lily hugged Lauren and started home. What a wonderful beginning to a wonderful day.

Congrats again, and here's your prize choices

1. Guest blogging on my blog
2. Me guest blogging on your blog (if you have one)
3. Me making you a book cover, or a signature (I'm not really good at making book covers but I'll try)
4. Me personalizing a picture for you (I don't have much experience in this, but I'll try)

Please comment on what you want, and if you want to some examples please go to this link. http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/1018mockingjay/signatures/

Other examples are...

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~.~ WRITING CONTEST ~.~

THEME: Anything about summer

It can be anything you want, as long as it’s 2,000 WORDS OR LESS.

DEADLINE: July 12, 2011 (three weeks from now)

SEND IT TO: staceriffic@gmail.com, please make sure to make the subject summer writing contest

Prizes can include guest posting on my blog, or me guest posting on your blog (if you have one). Other prizes can include me making you book cover, or a 500 by 100 signature. Or even me personalizing a picture for you. Sorry if I can’t mail anything for you, since I’m a bit broke at the moment. 

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~.~ SUMMER ~.~

Today June 21, 2011 is the first day of summer. Yay!! ^_^  even though when I got off from school a couple of weeks ago, it felt as if it was summer, even though it's still spring. Well to the point, I can't post stories/ poems from the book Listen to Me, by Writegirl, because eventually they might find it and sue me. And I had to return it back to the library. Well, instead of that I might just post random book reviews every other week, for a book that I really did read. Not just read it in just a day or two, instead of writing my book. Which I still need to do. Another thing, I might do is probably a couple of contests here and there, if I'm in the mood.

I'm going to ask you viewers, to give me your honest answer. What is your goal for summer, and why? Eventually I'm going to put up a poll, about what I need to change on this sight, and I also want you to give me your honest opinion as well.

signing off,

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Summertime Goals

Its summer (technically it’s still spring, summer doesn’t start till 6/21/11 anyway) and I’ve been out of school for nine days. My days have been filled with reading, and writing, mostly the former. As well as a bunch of other, stuff. I know I should be doing something else, but how could I if I have a bunch of empty slots in my timetable. On Tuesday, I’m going swimming with my friends, not sure, why I wanted to point that out. I can’t really go to any places because I can’t drive a car, or have anyone to take me. My older sister is in Peru, and she’s usually the one taking her siblings out to places, like the zoo, or shopping, or the local amusement park (that is if I can fully convince her to take us sometime). So I decided to make a list of what I want to do in the summer this year, instead of improvising it off, that I usually do every year. Well here, it is…

1.     Write more often.

I have found that I’ve been procrastinating on my writing lately, ever since I found the world of Nano, and Facebook, and well basically much the Internet. Ever since I started getting the internet on my laptop from home, I started to write less, and go online more. So this summer, I decided to hold at least one writing marathon a week, to recharge my writing spirit. It actually works, when I tried it last Thursday.

2.    Finish the first draft of my novel.

This is actually proving easier said, than done, since I started to be in my old writing spirit. But it might just prove to be a bit hard since I can’t always write from sun up to sun down, because I have to have a life outside of writing, right?

3.    Read a ton of books

This is also easier to do, than done, since I tend not to hang out with my friends often, and write a bit less, then I should. >_<

4.    Hang out with my friends a bit more often.

Just to make sure that one of them doesn’t go cut themselves again, or start brushing her fuzzy pillow again. (I know I know I have such random friends).

5.    Blog more often.

I know I know I have slightly been abandoning my blog. The reason is simple though, I haven’t got anything to blog about. Other than the fact that I’m so bored, that I might just start brushing my doggy pillow pet. But I don’t want to be that kind of blogger, always posting how bored I am. So I’ll try to find something to blog about. A contest perhaps?

6.    Possibly volunteer at the library.

Hey, it will look good on my transcript for next year. And my older sister did say volunteer a lot, at different places to get a good spot in colleges/ universities. Also, it will be fun.

7.    Get a summer job.

The reason is simple I need more money.  I can’t always go ask my mom for $5 because then she’ll get angry with me.

8.    Contact some random (not really) author.

I need someone professional to help me with my writing. Thankfully I live in a state that at least has some good authors, like Shannon Hale (that is if she still lives here), and Ally Condie. Both who have written good books.

9.    Organize my room.

It’s pretty clean right now and it’s been that way for weeks. But I don’t want it to become messy again, so during the summer I’ll try to organize it, and hopefully let it stay clean.

10.  Practice my French.

I’m going to practice my French this summer, so at least I’ll be prepared for French 3. And the French 3 teacher is going to be the same teacher I had for French 1. There are two French teachers, the French teacher that I have this year is teaching one French 2 class, and I was lucky (not) to be in it. And I’ll know at least what kind of work she’ll be giving to her French 3 kids, which is to say a ton of work. Hmm, I wonder if I’m going to get a girl pen pal next year…

Well that’s my ten goals for the summer. I’m sorry if I was rambling a bit but hey all great writers do it once in a while. Also, I’m sure that there are probably other goals that I forgot to mention, but I’ll try to remember it later on. As they say, human minds can be very fickle. Well, see ya, and have a great summer. 

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