Day 1 of the 2010 West Texas Vacation

I can't possibly describe how happy I am to be back in the desert. How happy I am to see Agave plants like this one. --->

Mom, Dad, Hannah, Josh and I made the trip down yesterday (Friday). We got a late start and didn't get out of town until about 2 or 3pm. It didn't help that right before we left, Uncle Wes called and said that Granny had fallen again and hit her head pretty badly. We weren't sure if we were going to go or not, but the doctors said she was okay, so we left. I need to call her today, but for some reason our cell service isn't working out here (it's supposed to!). Maybe I'll use the landline.

It was a long trip, (from Denton to Lajitas is 607 miles - 10 hours and 3 minutes, not including traffic or the three million bathroom breaks we had to take) even though the kids were fairly non-whiny until about two hours out. It rained nearly the whole drive, and we saw a rainbow. Right before that, though, I saw the worst car wreck I've ever seen. A pickup truck was completely upside-down, and there was someone inside. His arm was hanging out the window - that's all you could see. It was horrible. The paramedics weren't rushing around trying to get him out, even though an ambulance was ready, so I assume he died. It was pretty sobering. Life is so fragile, and precious. I hope you recognize that.

Anyways, enough sad stuff.

We made it to our hotel (Lajitas - The Ultimate Hideout) around 1:45am and got everything unpacked - and unfortunately, the room was TINY, and dirty. We weren't super happy with the situation, but we were all so glad to get out of the car that we didn't really care. Mom and the kids went to sleep, and me and Dad hopped back in the van and cruised the River Road. Those of you who know me know what we're looking for...

Didn't see what we were hunting for, but we did see a bunch of kangaroo rats (they are so cute!), a HUGE donkey (and it's normally-sized family) and one Trans Pecos Rat Snake (at about 3:30am). The weather stayed between 78 and 74 degrees the whole time - a little chilly. I think Sunday and Monday night will be our best bet for finding what we're looking for.
We're observing the wildlife.

This morning when we woke up, Dad went to see about possibly moving into a bigger room, since all five of us were crammed into the hotel like sardines in a can. He got the keys to a bigger (and only slightly more expensive) room and took me to check it out. To my supreme horror, we found two, large, recently-deceased centipedes (not millipedes - that would have been okay!) and one tiny scorpion - the worst kind. Ugh. It gave me the heeby-jeebies, or whatever. So we complained to the hotel manager, and we ended up with a $400.00 a night condo, fully decked out, with a full kitchen, dining room, living room, two bathroom, two TV's (one of which is a plasma) and it's own personal patio. That's where I'm sitting now. Oh, and it has internet service!! Happy day.

After getting settled in the amazing new suite, Dad and I ran to the general store to grab a gallon of milk. It's a great store, and somehow has all of our favorite foods. It's crazy perfect. And we got to drive around a bit and look at the town - it's really small - and I found some great photo op sites. As soon as we're all ready and dressed for the day, we're going to drive around and take pictures, and then probably head out of town (maybe to Alpine or Ft. Davis) and check things out. We'll bring the family back around 8pm tonight and head back out to "observe the wildlife." I. Can't. Wait.

Well, that's about it for now - those of you who are my friends on facebook, be expecting photos. And if you want a postcard, facebook me your address and I will send you one! I don't have cell service, so don't call, but I do have internet service if you need me.

Signing out -
A Very Happy, Desert-Dwelling, Snake-"Observer"

P.S. OH! And we have a killer pool right across the street! Woohoo!

Life is crazy. And I'm sick of lame cliches.

Well, a lot has been happening in my world lately. I feel like I've had everything happen to me since the last time I wrote - everything. Since an attempt to elaborate on "everything" would take quite a while, I'll do my best to condense my recent events in an organized list format. I'll also do my best to not bore you with excessive details.

1) I am now officially seventeen, party and all.
Wow, what can I say? I had the best party a girl could ask for, with some of the absolute best people in the world. The only issue I had was the fact that there were too many people to spread my time equally among them. I mean, when you've got twenty-three people at your party and they all want your attention because it's YOUR party, it goes something like this:
Mike and Grace: "Hey Jess, where's the bottle opener?"
Katie: "Hey, who is that kid?"
Ben, from my cell phone: "Hey, how do I get to your house again?"
Savannah: "Now what was this organ called? You know, the one that goes..."
Leyna: "Jessssssi..."
Liz, Chris, and Jeremy from the kitchen: "Hey, Jess, come here! We want to play 'Happy Birthday' for you with our bottles...hey, come here! Jess...!"
Sonja: "Hey! How are you doing?"
Me: "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yep, so that's how it went for most of the evening. But it was still a blast (and I'm sure a few of my readers can attest to that).

2) I'm making basically straight A's in college this semester. I'm SO HAPPY. You have no idea.

3) ...right now, at this late hour, nothing else I've ungone this last month seems to matter at all. So, I bid you an awkward farewell. Homeschoolers are great at that, you know. Homeschooler basically means "awkwardest person you know."
*Disclaimer: I do not hold any grudges against any homeschoolers I have known, currently know, or will know in the future. I'm one of them, after all, and my homeschool rant is simply a consequence of extreme sleep deprivation. Goodnight!

Sweet Seventeen...!

So, this is my prom dress. I LOVE IT.

I'm now seventeen years old and I'm feeling it. Responsibility came up and whammed me in the head. BAM!

And as a side note: did you know that pug's eyes are known to pop out of their heads?! The thing is, you've got to get them back in as soon as possible to limit the damage.

I must get some sleep tonight - I've got my first algebra test in the morning. Pray for me.

Goodnight!

Greetings, from the Future

Yeah, I know, it's been a ridiculously long time since I wrote last. But today, a friend of mine said something about creating a blog, and I remembered that I already had one - and it's being abused. So, here I am, with the intention of doing nothing but simply filling in the gaps from December 8, 2009 to February 5, 2010.

First off, I had a fantastic winter break from NCTC. My finals went swell - came out with two A's in my freshman classes and a B in my sophomore class - and the break was not only much appreciated, but much needed. My first-semester professors were either outright strange or the definition of lousy; I came to the following conclusions:
My English professor may be some kind of creepy cult leader.
My female government professor may run for the presidency in the 2016 elections.
and
My AMERICAN history professor DEFINITELY has serious issues, if he thinks he can teach on the French Revolution for five weeks and then test us on the band names of artists in the '60's.

Anyways.

Then came Christmas: and with Christmas, a stinkin' load of snow. Now, normally, I would love to have snow - one day's worth, at least - but this happened the day before Christmas Eve and ruined my Eve plans. And then, you know what? It snowed AGAIN. On New Years' Eve. I'm not going to lie, that was fun. I got some great pictures, and my now one-year-old puppy sure enjoyed his first snow.

Winter break lasted about five, incredible weeks, and by the time college started up again, I was more than ready to get into it. And school is great this year. I'm taking three classes again: English 1302 and History 1302 (the second halves of the first semester) and College Algebra. My algebra teacher is pretty good - she's a mommy, and is really approachable and helpful. My English professor is a grandmotherly type with an intense southern accent - she's from Mississippi - and totally different from my last professor in every way imaginable. My history professor is awesome.

We'll call him Mr. W. Mr. W. is a middle-aged man from Germany, that grew up in Kansas. He's balding on top and has perfectly round glasses, which remind me of Benjamin Franklin's, that he takes off to read. He's an ex-military guy (but when I asked him what he participated in, he told me he was active in the Cold War. Hmmm). And Mr. W. is LOUD. I mean, he's forced this history into us, made us live it, breathe it, believe it. He is an excellent teacher - my favorite so far - and despite his salty language (which I'll blame on the Army) he has made me enjoy it like I haven't enjoyed history before. He's got passion, and he wants us to see it and feel it the way he does. We've already covered Reconstruction and Western Expansion, and are now heading into the Progressive Era. I'm looking forward to it.

Besides school, dance has become an even bigger part of my life this semester. There have been recent developments to which I have hence forth sworn secrecy, but will soon be able to uncover. We are having a big production for our 20th year: Ordinary's Dream, based off of a novel by Bruce Wilkinson, The Dream Giver. I'm looking forward to it.

Much else has happened lately, but about four minutes ago I told my mom, "Just five more minutes on my blog!" so I had better close for now. I've got to go do a load of wash and read a chapter of history before bed. And even though tomorrow is Saturday, I'm getting up early to have breakfast with one of my best friends and then go to a cast party for Ordinary's Dream. And tomorrow night - my new favorite weekend activity! - swing dancing!

Next time I write, I'll be seventeen, as my birthday falls on Monday. I can't believe I've only got three days left as a sixteen-year-old. Three days. And I'll never be sixteen again.

Hmmm. I can't help but wonder...

What's his agenda? I mean, this guy is definitely trying to endoctrinate my class. Why?
Read this: http://http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/22/050822ta_talk_hertzberg

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And then, read this taken from my college website:

It seems plausible that Hendrik Hertzberg, author of the article “Mud” which was featured in The New Yorker in August of 2005, makes Creationism and/or Intelligent Design (or the ridiculousness thereof) his primary claim – and reputes the possibility of these ideas being remotely valid. On page two of Hertzberg’s cynical article, he states (with obvious bias and distrust), “But I.D.—whose central (and easily refuted) talking point is that certain structures of living things are too intricate to have evolved without the intervention of an “intelligent designer” (and You know who You are)—enjoys virtually no scientific support.” Not only does Hertzberg make the claim that the Intelligent Design (I.D.) theory has little to no scientific evidence and is easily refuted, but assumes an audaciously mocking standpoint that makes his prejudice crystal clear. The very next line, for example, says that the I.D. theory is “not even a theory, in the scientific sense, because it is untestable and unsupportable by empiracle evidence.” Hertzberg also calls the I.D. theory a “misguided war against reason” fought in a “last-ditch skirmish.” Unfortunately, Hertzberg continues to harp on the foolishness of Intelligent Design (giving repetitious examples of “embarrassed” men who testify that “intelligent design is not a scientific concept”) yet fails to give any evidence of his own that would illustrate how unsupported the theory of I.D. truly is. Instead, Hertzberg draws upon his apparent previously-understood knowledge of the contesting theory – Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – and declares in the first page of his article: “This view [The Theory of Evolution]…commands solid majorities…and thanks to the overwhelming evidence for its validity, has the near unanimous support of scientists everywhere.” Hertzberg seems to think that his attestation of its legality (without providing evidence) is enough to satisfy the reader. He attempts to expel any lingering considerations the reader may have had concerning I.D., preferring to throw the theory on the chopping block and exultantly parade Darwinian Evolution before its eyes. However, I’ve got a problem with his approach.
Mr. Hertzberg, no matter how voluminous your claims, and no matter how excessive your opinion, I’d like to see the evidence behind the assertion. Which assertion? Both – the primary claim, that of the absurdity of Intelligent Design, and the secondary claim, that of the “overwhelming evidence” in support of the Darwinian Theory of Evolution. Yes please, overwhelm me, and then perhaps I’ll be more inclined to give ear to your sadly unsupported, mud-slinging lambasting.

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I'd love to hear feedback on this set of essays.

Other than that, my life has been filled with...well, more of the same. I've even been to busy to goof on facebook, or talk on the phone, or hang out with friends. Yesterday, I began my week of college finals. I had one yesterday, one today, and two on Thursday. And then - winter break! I am really looking forward to it.

I can't believe that Christmas is seventeen days away. That's just crazy.

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do, and they were all yellow.

I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do
And it was called "Yellow".


I've been buying and listening to a lot of Coldplay over my absence. Some of it is rather melancholy, but the lyrics are fanciful and fun to sing with. My current favorites are "The Scientist," "Fix You," and "Yellow," from the albums "A Rush of Blood to the Head," "X & Y," and "Parachutes," respectively. I also bought Owl City's newest album, "Ocean Eyes." I'm amazed I enjoy their music - it's very much electronic pop, and normally I hate that genre. But this stuff is pretty good. (And finally, I bough Peter Gabriel's track from the movie "Wall-E"...gotta love it).


Besides music, my life has been full of 1) lots of school, 2) even more homework, 3) candy and soda, 4) no dance, and 5) meetings with Mr. Stephen Apenteng!


1) It's Thanksgiving "break"! I am looking forward to having no science on Thursday, or government or history...but I'll miss my English. Ah well. Breaks are really always welcome.


2) The homework, however, is NOT welcome. I have a lot to do over my "break"...


3) Butterfingers and Smarties. Rootbeer and Cream Soda. Enough said.


4) Dance is out for the week, which I think is pretty sad. Who needs - or wants - a break from your favorite hobby?! I took off dance last week as well, but for a very special reason...


5) Mr. Apenteng came back!! His last visit was around the last week of April, 2008 - and he was there during my baptism. This man is an incedible, Spirit-filled, Ghanaian man of God. This year he spoke on prayer, and dreams - what a blessing, and an answer to prayer. And when he told me goodbye on Sunday night, after a late-night prayer meeting at my parent's house, he said, "See you in Ghana!" Oh how I would love to go! We'll see. I'm praying. Some of you know that I've wanted to go on a mission to Africa for years...and perhaps this is the door. Hmmm.


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I'm going to be starting - or revising, rather - a new short story. It's based off of a dream or vision that Timothy shared with me a while back. I've thought about it so much I'm not sure what is the factual vision and what is fabricated from my mind, but it doesn't really matter. My story will begin with a scripture - Psalms 91:7, which says, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
Alright, that's enough. I'm going to give too much away. I'll try to post my first draft when it's completed.

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Well, I'm going to call it a night. Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Skunks are our conversation...skunks, and Horton Hears a Who.

SO - wow, where to begin?

Katie S. and Audrey A. came over this weekend. Saturday - and Audrey is still here! I have had so much fun, and I am exhausted - obviously...it's about 4:45am! Audrey and I are watching Horton Hears a Who.

I'm too tired to write, but I'll leave you with a photo.