OP #2- Things I Love (and some sarcasm)

Things I love

Since my last OP focused on what I hate, I’ve decided to balance out my negativity and write about what I love. I love orange juice. I don’t necessarily enjoy the color orange because it’s like an overrated construction cone, but I can drink an entire carton in a day. I love to read. To me, it’s not just the boring repetition of skimming over black text on a cream colored page. Instead it’s experiencing a story that only exists because an author gave their imagination a corporeal form through pen and paper. I love the way writers entwine a piece of their soul into each word, leaving their secrets, experiences, and qualities of their mind hidden within their work. I love how eventually you find your book, the book you just connect with on so many levels, or as John Green once said, "Books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal." I am a booklover because I have control over what I read. If a novel is remarkably boring and I’m not having it, I can shut the hardback with more force than necessary, I can throw it against my bedroom wall or I can give it away because the book isn’t working for me. I can’t do that with a kindle or person because they will break and my mom will probably call my therapist. Moving on, I love receiving books as presents; actually I love acquiring gifts in general, especially for Christmas.

Now I’m definitely a hardcore holiday fanatic. You see, if my parents actually supported me, they would allow me to put twelve fully decorated, 25-foot Christmas trees with 500 watt lights in the front yard, but alas, my parents are not as passionate as I am. Despite their Grinch-like attitudes, I’ve never let my spirit falter and, to this day, I absolutely love it when radio stations decide to play “Jingles Bells” and “Let It Snow” right after Halloween. Hearing those joyous melodies reminds me of how I spent more than 60 percent of my childhood listening to KidsBop’s Christmas Edition album, I’ve realized that those modified kid-friendly songs helped create the person I am today. I love Santa Claus because even though I stopped believing in 5^th grade, I still remember writing him a letter each year on Christmas eve and always finding a full-page note waiting for me in the morning, despite the fact that for several year they were just illegible scribble. I later learned that my dad wrote the letters to fool me because I would’ve recognized my mom’s handwriting. But the thing I love the most about the holidays are the homes that have the glorious display of 30 different blowup chimneys and snowmen in their front yards. Why? Because each year, I am able to work on controlling my impulsivity by resisting the urge to take a machete and pop each demonic, gas filled Santa Claus, even though I would be doing a serious favor for mankind.

Moving on again, I love over the top sarcasm and the epitome of this growing art is found on Tumblr. I fell in love with Tumblr the second I joined and I haven’t wanted to leave my house since, but that’s okay because the day I made the conscious decision to click that sign up button, my life improved drastically. I finally feel accepted by the Internet, which is way better than people tolerating you in real life.  I love that I can learn the skills of procrastination and hermitry without even trying and it always amazes me when it’s 10 pm and then suddenly it’s 3 am, this happens to me a lot. One time at 1 am, Tyler Oakley, who is a famous youtuber and my most favorite person in the universe, liked my post and I literally fell to the floor shaking and silently fangirl screaming out of pure joy for an hour. It was intense. Before tumblr, I used to think that I was the only person who disliked everyone on this planet, but through hashtags and reblogs, I’ve found a small country’s worth of people who feel the exact same way. I love that beneath the witty and condescending posts on tumblr which make me laugh so hard, I cry, there is a meaning deeper than cats and supernatural fandoms. I love the hidden posts which are so profound that they make you pause, rethink your life, then reblog. I read one post a few weeks ago and I found it to be so perplexing that it ended up being the inspiration for my OP. This guy, our age, gets up on a stage and off the top of his head says, “If I ask you what you love the answers will likely roll off your tongue. You love to read, you love to write, you love birds, music, tattoos.. Your mom, your bother, your sister, your daughter, your best friend, your dog. How long you think you could go on and on before you said.. I love myself.” And I knew that I could go on forever.

Rubáiyát Poems--A Honors English II assignment

Deception

The harbinger of dreams, who begets man's deception,

Plants hope in a fool’s flawed perception

Fragrant red roses bloom from tainted desires

The bitter scent of decay hidden in misconception.

Ice, the web of spider befalls bug of man

Innocence in calculated falsities, cancer in bronzed tan

            Broken glass spread under a child’s wintry playground

Safety stolen on a frozen road in a spinning minivan.

Be careful, staggering they limp under the harvest moons

Stalking a buffet bar with dessert spoons

Searching for coveted wisdom to fuel their soul

The walking dead are mind-stealing raccoons.

Blatant insults hidden under words of praise

Snarky teenagers bite the heels of the questioning gaze

            Smirks disguised by teeth bared in welcome

Vanilla pudding in a jar of mayonnaise.  

My Mom and Voicemail--An Honors English II OP

The other day I was on my phone fueling my perfectly healthy addiction to Tumblr, when my phone starts ringing. Technically, it was vibrating since I refuse to be that person who has their volume turned up so high that everyone and their mother can hear it ringing. Actually, now that I think about it, I keep it on vibrate because I never want to become my mother. You see, she says that she can’t hear very well, but I believe that she has a deep-seated need to keep her volume on the loudest setting known to humankind. And let me tell you, even though she has a mediocre phone, that thing has speakers and subwoofers that would make God jealous. On top of that, she chose the ringtone responsible for every single bad thing that has ever happened on this green Earth and, since her friends have no sense when it is appropriate to call, her phone goes off several times during the night. I’ve actually stopped trying to get 3 hours of sleep because as soon as I begin to drift off, her phone is like, “HA HA HA. Not on my watch. LET ME PLAY YOU THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE.” Then in morning, my mom asks me, “Oh Ali, what time did you go to sleep? You look horrible and exhausted.” I have to lay there for a few minutes, half dead, glaring at her through sleep-deprived eyes before I can say, “Didn’t you hear your phone go off ten times last night, mom? Cause I did.” To which she’ll reply, “I don’t see how that pertains to you not getting enough sleep. Stop making excuses.” Lately, my mom has been receiving more calls than telemarketers make in a week. So, throughout the day, the house will randomly start shaking. You know, plates rattling, picture frames falling off walls, the roof caving in.. and every time this happens my dad will come rushing into my room, out of breath, completely flustered, screaming, “WAS THAT ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE?” and I’m like, “No dad, that was just mom’s phone ringing..” “Ali, stop lying to your father. I’m calling NASA. These earthquakes are not natural.” We’re lucky we have such good insurance. When I’m out in public with my family, I tell my mom to put her phone on silent and she’s always like, “Oh Ali, don’t be such worry scurry rat. No one can hear it.” Five minutes later, her phone goes off and the aftermath results is everyone having permanent hearing damage in a 10,000 mile radius, countless reports of people’s heads exploding, Japan just got hit by a tsunami, and a portal to hell opened up in Kansas and there are demons running around like there’s no tomorrow. “Did I do that?”

Anyway, at first, I had no idea what was happening, then I realized that someone was calling me and I became unnecessarily angry with that person for interrupting me mid-reblog. Then I get a notification saying that they left me a voicemail. A voicemail. Excuse me, but I don’t have time to listen to your annoying voice. Okay? Who leaves voicemails anyway? The only people who are allowed to leave a message are my grandparents, but they’re a special case because they had to return their home phone to the store because they thought it was too complicated to use. But you know what, they don’t even leave a message, they just keep calling and calling until someone picks up, and if no one picks up the home phone, you know that my mom’s phone is going to be causing a couple natural disaster soon. You see, I just don’t understand the idea in having a voicemail. People rarely call me and it’s not like having one will magically make folks desire to chat with me. Heck, I won’t even answer. And have you ever tried to record a voicemail greeting? I swear to god, that is the utmost stressful processes in the universe. One day I tried to record a flawless salutation. It started out as, “Hello?............ Just kidding, I’m not actually here. Why the crap are you calling me anyways?” It took me 5 hours and it’s basically 2 and a half minutes of me ranting about how greatly I hate voicemail greetings. I literally needed to punch everyone who decided to call instead of text me in the throat for the next 2 months. So uh yeah, if you ever feel like calling me, don’t. In fact, I’ll block your number. In conclusion, shout out to Apple for making blocking my entire contact list possible.

Life = A Crossword Puzzle

It’s time for a change. I need a difference in my life, in my dreams, and in my heart. I want to know where I’m going, to be secure in my decisions.

But who ever said life was easy?

Life is like a crossword puzzle. Alone, the boxes could hold so many words; have countless answers, endless possibilities. You would never have the fear of being wrong, unless it is misspelled.

5 spaces.

Horse, doubt, crazy, dream, jumbo… You get the point.

But when there can only be one correct answer per question asked, what happens if your mind goes blank? When you do not know the right response?

You search.

Maybe for a long time, maybe for a little… if you have the resources (a.k.a. Google)

You look until you have found it, the piece that fits, the word that possibly fills in a blank space for another answer, connecting the solutions that are becoming clearer with every pencil stroke.

As more white squares are filled, understanding sets in, making the final questions easier to solve.

Life is like a crossword puzzle. As you find the answers to the problems put before you, you realize that they are intertwined. That somehow one solution leads to the next and the next and so on and so forth, until you’ve finally find the last piece of the puzzle that was missing. The past discoveries made about yourself are hints, cheats even, for the answers you have yet to solve.

But you shouldn’t stress when you’re unsuccessful. Life wasn’t meant to be figured out right away because, if it was, then things would be a lot easier.

If you don’t struggle, it means that you’re not trying or that you’ve already found the answer and the time has come to move on to the next question.  

RV trip part 2 July 4-6

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
So today we really just went to the beach. Nothing fancy. I guess that we forgot about fireworks... because we did not go see any.. Bummer. Oh well, there's always next year.
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
Today we went to the beach.... again. The only thing that looked different were all the discarded firecrackers that were left on the beach. I found a bunch of sea glass today though. After that, we went to a meet and greet above the pond, back at Indigo Bluffs. It was so nice meeting people and learning about them!
Friday, July 6th, 2012
So today, we went driving. I really hate driving around, I'm not sure why... To understand, you would have to come with me.. which I do not recommend.
I'm sorry that this post was so boring and vague, I just cannot remember much from the past couple days.

Pictures from Michigan part 2!

I wasn't sure how to download all of the pictures from my phone on to here, which is why there are not many pictures, but don't worry, I will figure it out!

 This was along a really pretty scenic drive that my parents forced us to take.

 My parents holding hands walking down the pier to get to the light house.

 A light house that was directly across from another light house

 Some cool rocks in the water.

Rv trip part 2 June 17th - July 3rd

I was supposed to blog everyday like I did last year, but I guess that I did not stick to my word. So before I apologize, I should probably give you all the details of what has happened since my last post.
Also I am putting pictures in here too, and in another post!
Sunday, June 17th, 2012
We arrived at Indigo Bluffs around 3:30, I think. It was sunny, beautiful, and, best of all, hot! Once we were checked in and got settled on our wonderful lot, my best friend, Anna, and I decided we would go swimming.... Not a good idea. There were so many people, well younger kids, in the pool that we both changed our minds. We ended up "catching" frogs in the gorgeous pond right outside of our lot. We named one Bertie, who is the nicest frog in the world! He let us pet him and pick him up. Then we caught one and named him Ned. Ned is a lime green frog who is amazing. Next there's Alfredo. He is a mean frog. Later on that night, we went back to the pool, and, luckily, there was no one there! (Since it was around dinner time) We swam for a while, then went back to the RV, where we cooked s'mores. Anna and I made such a sticky mess with our hands that Spider man would've been jealous! After that, we went to a beach that has beautiful sunsets. We took the dogs and Mia loved the sand so much. I swear she looked high when she was running around like crazy! When we returned home, Anna and I were both so exhausted that we fell asleep almost instantly... (after a major giggle fit..)
Monday, June 18th, 2012
Today we decided to go to the isolated beach. I really missed that place! It was as beautiful as I remembered. I'm more interested in finding sea glass, than swimming, but Anna likes to swim. So while I was searching, quite successfully, for sea glass, Anna was attempting to swim in the shallow water. After that we went to the pool. I think that is all that we did.
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
We went to the isolated beach again today. I also think that we went into town and shopped. Anna and I both got 2 pairs of aviator sunglasses that are adorable! We also bought a boogie board.. and later learned that we needed two because Anna and I enjoyed it so much! Although we never used the second board because it was too cold.
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012.
So it happened one of these days. Maybe the 21st, 22nd, or the 23rd. I don't really remember.
Well Anna and I were boogie boarding / body surfing on the isolated beach. Since I'm kind of afraid of water, well I'm not afraid of water, I'm afraid of not being able to see my feet, (Or being bitten by something)  I was extremely grateful that the water only comes up to your mid-thigh, in most places, and is crystal clear. I swear that we were doing this for about 2 hours! The only downside is that there are random arrangements of rocks, big and small, throughout the water. When a wave would come, we would have to hope that there wouldn't be a rock in the way. I still have some blue marks.. We ended up deciding that we had had enough of the rocks and were moving to a better, rockless spot. As we were walking down the beach, this guy comes down toward us. Well he wasn't just any guy, he was a gorgeous Abercrombie and Fitch model times 1,000,000,000,000. I guess what I'm trying to say is he was totally drool worthy, the kind of guy that makes you melt like butter on the inside.. by just looking at him, omg. Well as we were walking away, the guy goes to our spot, (where Anna and I were just body surfing) strips down to his underwear, (they were briefs (; ) and starts to body surf. Oddly, he only does it about 3 times, then quickly gets dressed, and speed walks away up the path. We finally reached my parents, who had just come into our view, and excitedly told them the story as we walked up the same path to our car... They were creeped out. (I could also tell that Anna was looking for him.. I have to admit.. I was too, but he was no where in sight) It was only until a couple days later when my dad told us something that made our drooling mouths dry up instantly.
I know that this is going to sound dumb, but when you think about it and connect the dots, it could be merely coincidental or completely intertwined.
What my dad told us was... As my parents were walking down the beach toward us, we were barely in their sight, there was another man walking towards them. When he saw my parents, he cut up though the grass and went through the woods, towards the road. They saw that soon after the man did that, the really hot guy got out of the water and took off. Anna and I both thought that it was fishy that he only body surfed 3 times. If he was just going to take a dip in the water, it would've been in and out. Hmm. My dad then told us that when we went up to our car, about 30 seconds after the really hot guy left, he saw the kind of van that you stay away from, it's just an instinct. You know, the scary white van? Well, he said that this one was a Chevy and was a golden color. Anna and I didn't notice it because we were too busy fawning over this godly man. (lol) When he told us this, we both realized that the guy had kept looking back at us when we were walking away, embarrassingly enough, we thought that, well, he was checking out our butts, (This is so embarrassing!) but, from watching so many episodes of NCIS, we decided that he was trying to hold our attention, so that he could possibly lure us away... Now Anna and I know that even if the guy is extremely hot, he could be trying to kidnap you, or is just a major pervert who likes underage girls.
Do you see how it could have been a coincidence or an attempted kidnapping? It probably was nothing, but it really opened our eyes to how deceiving looks can be! From now on, if I ever meet a very attractive person, I am doing a full back ground check on them for any criminal records, bad deeds, and grades... (I have to know if they are smart or not because if they are smart, then they will be able to construct a perfect evil plan that won't fail. It was pretty obvious that these guys were amateurs..) Just kidding.. well maybe. Although, from now on, I am going to make sure that I am in my parents range of sight! I also devised a plan. It's what I will do if I am ever kidnapped on the beach. So if they try to grab me, I will kick them in the groin and jab them in the rib. I will also run for the nearest stick that is sharp, screaming my head off, and stab them through the cheek or in the eye.. then run away as fast as I can! But who would want to kidnap me? I'm pretty much crazy..
We learned our lesson to not trust strangers though!
June 24th - the 26th
So we pretty much went to the isolated beach everyday, went and got ice cream after, coffee for Anna and cake batter/coffee for me, and then went to the pool. That was pretty much all that we did...
Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
Oh, but we also went kayaking one day. It was so much fun! It was about a 6 and a half mile ride on a crystal clear river! It was so beautiful! I did not think I would like kayaking, since it was my first time, but I really enjoyed it! Even though I fell out at one point, lost my life vest, (since we didn't need to wear one, but it was required that we have one in the boat) and lost my shoe.. but don't worry! I recovered all of the lost items.. I also ran into a couple trees that had fallen down, but I think all of us, Anna, my dad, and I, hit a couple obstacles. As I was rowing down the river, I started to think that it was a lot like life. In the beginning, it was calm and easy, I was just starting to get the hang of it. Then came the obstacles, obviously the challenges in our life. Each time, I had to avoid or get out of the situation, and each time, I solved the problem, each one with its own level of difficulty.
 Next came this tube that you could go down, it went very fast when you came out, and you would have to make a sharp left turn or you would run into the bank. The other option was to drag your kayak across the road from the portage. (The definition is "The word portage as it refers to paddling is the act of carrying a boat, raft, canoe, or kayak around an obstacle in the water. Portage can also refer to the path one uses to carry their boat around the obstacle.") So I was going to go down the tube, but I couldn't get lined up properly and I fell out. (This is where I lost my life vest and my shoe. I'm special.) So in the end, I had to take the portage.. because I was embarrassed of my obvious fail at kayaking. I realized that the tube represented the risks in life that you can take, without knowing the outcome, and the portage represented the easier way out. You know what the outcome is going to be and it's the safest option. I realized all of this after I had an inner hissy fit.. Don't judge me, I had never fallen out of a boat before.. I am such a wimp.. All of this hit me when I had calmed down. When it hit me, I was, I'm just going to call it coasting, (I wasn't using the paddle) along the river. It was a little deeper than the previous parts. I know that I've said this before, I am kind of afraid of water, and I did not want to fall in at this part. Mostly because there was a ton of weird grass at the bottom and I don't like.. river.. grass.. I guess. (I sound so messed right now.) Even though the water was crystal clear  and calm without any obstacles, I was kind of nervous. I learned that it represented the calmer parts of life where everything is going okay, but if something went wrong, you would not be able to handle it. Anyways, those are my inferences of wisdom.. for the whole year. :)
Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Today, Anna had to go home because her two weeks with us, were, unfortunately, up. It was a good drive and we made awesome time! It was about a 4 and a half hour drive to and from. We met in Ann Arbor at a Red Robbins.. I've never ate there before.. It was quite sad that she had to go! I really enjoyed having a friend here! On our way home, I had some really good chats with my dad!
As we were driving home, it was so hot! Just look at the temperature!




















Friday, June 29th, 2012
Today, the weather was gorgeous! We went to the beach and it was so hot! I found a ton of sea glass! I'll put some pictures on here! Before Anna left, I was able to get her hooked on finding sea glass, but she had a hard time concentrating because she has a concussion.. :(
Saturday, June 30th, 2012.
Today we went to a place that's south of Empire. We went shopping and ate at a Jewish deli that my parents said was very good, I was not hungry. We went into a shoe store and I got a new pair of Sperry Top-Sider's! I love them so much! It's my 3rd pair. I named them Bonnie and Clyde. :)
We stopped at a light house, which was very pretty. Then we went back home. I cannot recall if we went to the beach or not.











Sunday, July 1st, 2012
Today we went to church, obviously! It was a wonderful mass! After mass we came home and had lunch, read for a little, then headed to the beach. I know that I have said this before, but the beach was absolutely stunning. The water was extremely calm today and was so clear, it was like looking through glass in high definition. It was also very hot that day, so I was extremely grateful for the cool water! I found a bit of sea glass, but I was more interested in getting a tan.
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Today, was a lazy day.. And I mean lazy! We all just sat down and relaxed/read all day. I know that it sounds boring, but it's not. I enjoy reading.. a lot. I finished about 4 books today! That's all we did.
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Today, I woke up to horrible thunderstorms.. but I've always secretly enjoyed seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. I've always found it interesting. I fell back asleep to the sound of rain, which is very calming. My parents went out to go grocery shopping and I decided to stay home. So here I am, catching up on my blog that was supposed to be daily.. and I guess that it's time to start apologizing and blaming random things for my laziness.
Well first off, my dad's wifi hot spot on his phone was not working correctly for a while, I also had a friend with me for two weeks, and I felt that it would be rude if I was blogging. My last reason is because I was too lazy to blog. That shows how dedicated I am...
Sorry!
I promise to be more active in blogging now that I do not have any distractions!

The RV trip day 1

So yesterday was the first day of my second month long RV trip. For my friend, Anna, who is coming along with us for 2 weeks, it is her first trip.
Unlike last time, our trip was pretty uneventful.
Unfortunately.
We took off at about 9 a.m. (with no stress or difficulties) (Last year my dad spent about 5 hours trying to find the right bike hitch. We left at 2 p.m.)
Being my dad, he just had to honk the really loud horn, resulting in waking up our neighbors and having them wave to us. (Embarrassing.)
My mom decided to drive our car separately... leaving my friend and I alone with my dad... causing me to be the navigator.
Well I'll just say that we drove, and drove, and drove.
The good thing is that we made it through all of the tole booths without any problems or accidents!
Since we are taking a two-day trip to get to Indigo Bluffs, we needed to find a camp for the night. We found one without any issues, but we did have some problems getting there.
You know how I said that my mom was taking a separate car? Yeah, well I had to give my dad the directions...
I inherited my moms sense of direction..
I got us about 30 minutes lost.
I am blaming it on the GPS.
In the end, we made it to the camp ground safe and sound.
I just hope it turns out that way for Sunday.

Highway to Hell. Part 2

June 12, 2012

I only have 4 more days until It happens.
4 more days until my parents go on a wonderful road trip.
4 more days until I am going to be dragged into that horrid thing they call iRV.
4 more days left of freedom and happiness.
4 more days until I am forced to go on vacation. No, it's not a vacation, it is more like the "vacation" that the family in the movie "RV" had.
4 more days of wasting time.
4 more days of my lovely home in Pennsylvania.
4 more days until we go to Michigan.
4 more days until we are gone for a month.
4 more days until I have to blog daily.
4 more days until the highway to Hell. Part 2.
Great.
So in 4 more days (Obviously) my family and I, along with my best friend Anna, are departing on a "wonderful" road trip.
If you read my previous entries from my first trip, then you would know that I suffered greatly... so now it's my parents turn to suffer. :)
Considering that I had a change of heart near the last days of the trip, you're probably thinking that it will be smooth sailing (driving) for us.
Wrong.
It feels like you're on an airplane with the worst turbulence you've ever imagined.
Have you ever tried walking during turbulence?
I ran into a cabinet.. and a door. (And a couple other things, but I am to ashamed to admit that.)
I'm sure that the vacation will go well.. but with my family, you never know.
So I'll talk to you in 4 days.
Please pray that I'll survive this time.
I hardly made it through the first time.. a second trip might be pushing my luck.

Who I am

Every year I look back on what I've accomplished and what I've learned. Who I've become friends with and who I've lost. I remember the mistakes I've made and the lessons I've learned, but most importantly the experiences that have shaped me into who I am today. I didn't plan for this to be a poem, but it started to rhyme, so I decided to take a chance. This is my first poem.... so it's going to be pretty rough.

Today I am a girl, just like everyday
With a steady gaze and hazel eyes,
With long brown hair that can shine like a ray,
Who is kinda tall, only 5'5"
Imperfect, but perfect in her own way.

A girl who wears mostly Abercrombie and Hollister,
Hoping her makeup is just right,
Who looks preppy and proper,
but only during the daylight.

A girl who goes natural in the security of her home,
Without makeup and perfect hair,
Who wears her favorite pair of sweats and turns off her phone,
Reading a book, not giving a care,
Content with the quietness of being alone.

A girl who gets scared by a freaky thought,
But watches countless crime shows at night,
Who learns from the lessons that mistakes have taught,
Who never goes down without a fight,
resulting in countless of scars from battles fought.

A girl who wants peace and hope,
Who wants to see smiles on everyones face,
Wanting to help everyone cope,
Who puts people first, not caring about their religion or race.

A girl who loves her friends,
Who has countless memories of their inside jokes and happiness,
Knowing that she will be with them til the end,
Who gives and has a shoulder to cry on in times of sadness,
And will always keep in touch. Read, reply, send.

A girl who has thoughts on everything,
Who has ADD and cannot keep her feet still,
Who squeezes her mouth shut, even though blurting out is tempting,
Who gives good advice, but never follows her own on free will.

A girl who dreams of showing who she really is to everyone in time,
Who wants to be seen, yet be hidden,
Who wants to be well known, but anonymous and clandestine,
Like a spy who wants to be free, but forbidden.

A girl who expresses herself though art,
Who finds music mystifying and beautiful,
Who is either just doodling or creating a master piece from her heart,
And who is always looking for something wonderful.