(Christian friends...don't freak out yet about the title of this--read what I have to say first; you're going to agree with me most likely.)
So...I know I need to write about my Las Vegas trip in here...so I'll mention it vaguely in this post.
However,
what I really want to talk about is something that God has put on my
heart in the last few days. You know how unbelievers always say that God
is just a crutch for the emotional, ignorant, and naive people out
there that just need to feel that something loves them? When I was
younger, I had a hard time finding a way to argue against this
accusation. I mean, it is nice to know that someone (namely, God) loves
me, no matter what I do.
I know that a lot of people will only go
to God after tragedy, and often they leave Him in the dust the moment
they feel they can carry on from there. To the unbeliever, the claim
that Jesus is merely a crutch is just waiting to come up--especially
since so many people use Him in that way.
I'm hear to say, however, that Jesus is a
crutch. Why else would He die on the cross for us? If we didn't need
Him, like a person with a broken leg needs a crutch, why would we go to
Him? When sin entered through Adam, thus coming into our lives, our
whole body suddenly became a mess. For starters, we died. There was pain
in child-birth, in bending over too much, in getting a splinter.
Animals began to eat each other. The perfect relationship we could've
had with God was torn apart, as was relationships with each other. The
first murder was between two brothers.
And don't even get me
started with the Israelites. Anyone whose read Judges, or really, any
Old Testament book, knows that the Israelites were an absolute mess
without Abba. They raped and killed each other all the time.
And
then Jesus came. He came to die on the cross to wipe away our sins. This
is a fancy way of saying that He was prescribed from God, our "doctor",
to go down and be the humans' crutch, because we obviously didn't/don't
know what the heck to do without God. Jesus was and is our medicine,
and without this medicine..well, we die, for starters. Contrary to
belief, we cannot do things without Christ, just as a man with a bad leg
cannot do anything without a crutch.
So then, am I saying that the atheists are right?
No, I am not. The atheist says Jesus is a crutch because he/she
believes that God is not necessary in their lives, because they are
"strong enough". They don't understand the actual effects of each individual sin they commit. They don't see how necessary this free crutch is in their lives. They don't see that they are not strong enough.
As
Christians, we are not accepting defeat to the world when we have God
in our lives. 1 John 5:5, my above-all favorite verse, says that the
only one's who overcome the world are those that believe that Jesus is
the Son of God. It doesn't say anything to the effect of, "those that
overcome the world are just stronger that the rest." No, we all sin and
fall short of the glory of God. We are all weak in our own ways; sin has
that affect on us, believe it or not.
Let me just point out that
every sin is the same level of importance to God. By hating your
enemy, you sin. By snapping at someone out of anger, you sin. By not
obeying authority, you sin. By judging someone, you sin. I could go on,
but I think this is enough.
And yet, yet, the unbeliever has the audacity to tell me, to tell any Christian, that they are wrong and that they actually don't need God.
I
like knowing that although I've sinned today, it won't register in
God's book since I am clean. I think all the Christians like knowing
this, and those who have strayed but come back to the faith love knowing
that we are saved my mercy alone even more.
I am proud to say that Jesus is my (fully-needed) crutch, because without Him I'd be toast.
Alrighty, on to the Las Vegas trip! I'll make it short: IT.WAS.A.BLAST. I meant a lot of really neat people and got to know some people from my new youth group. :) I miss the kids from Vegas like crazy, and hope to see some-if not all of 'em- in Heaven with me one day. Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about happening to run into some of them, or me going back to the church down there and seeing them. Maybe someday I can go back; my fingers are crossed. :)
This trip taught me three things: One, I pretty much have decided, thanks to this trip, that my "career" will involve children. I don't want to work with elementary students I don't think, because although I love that age, I love the younger kids even more. Further, with younger kids I wouldn't have to plan out lessons to the same extent, and I imagine my classroom would be more "free". Those that know me well enough know I don't like planning. So I'm thinking something like Day-care, Pre-school, or maybe Kindergarten.
Two: I learned, or, revisited, the fact that I am not in control of someone's salvation, but God is. I can pour my heart and life into a kid, hoping they'll eventually figure out that God is the only way, but in the end I cannot force it upon them. I formed a pretty strong bond with one of the kids there, for example, and her name is Jorydn. She's about 8 years old, and my gosh, she was/is adorable. During the VBS week, she came to know God...or at least, she said she did. But I don't think her Mom's a Christian, and her parents are divorced, leading me to believe the same of her Dad and extended family (just a theory. Hopefully I'm wrong). So how can a little 8 year-old go back home, without a Bible in hand (we didn't give them away!! D:), and continue her walk with Christ with absolutely no support?
Before I left on my vacation, I was constantly daydreaming that I'd meet a little girl who would be in this type of situation. I imagined that I'd form a strong bond with her, and at the end of the week, I would give her my cross necklace that I always wear around my neck, to remind her of Christ's undying love for her. When I first met Jordyn, I wondered if she was the one my daydream had been thinking of. I remember at least one of the night's there praying to God, asking Him if He actually wanted me to give away my necklace to her, if she was the one, if He even wanted me to part from it.
And then, on the last day, I found myself answering a question of her's: As a Christian, what was her job now (smart kid, no?)? I answered by saying stuff like get to know God by reading your Bible ("Do you have one?" "No." "Have your Mom buy you one, okay?"), praying and going to church, and telling people at school all about God's love, because especially in Las Vegas, they wouldn't know about it. Then I found myself taking the necklace off of my neck and giving it to her, telling her that when people made fun of my God at school, I would always clutch it to me, and if I was feeling brave enough, tell them about God (the second part was kind-of-ish half-way true...but hey, not completely a lie!). I put it around her neck, and as we left, she immediately went up to her Mom and showed her.
I'm hoping that necklace is helping her remember. I really hope so.
But again, as I struggled with this concept of "I should've done more for her", my parents had to keep reminding me that saving her is NOT my job; it is the Holy Spirit's.
I hope I'll see her in Heaven someday.
And number three..I learned parenting techniques and patience. xD VBS at this church was not your normal VBS. No, these kids were watching a performance for about an hour and a half, a third of which was a sermon. Keep in mind, these kids ranged in ages from 3-12. For half the week, I was holding a squirmy, rambunctious little three-year-old named Sawyer, who had the hardest time sitting still. The first day, I left irritated with the little guy, hoping I wouldn't have to hold him again because he was just too much trouble. But then the second day I was with him again, and this time...well, I realized it's hard to stay mad at the little tyke. He's just too cute. I found ways to make him quiet for up to five minutes (!), and in the end I was sad to leave him behind. Every time I see a photo of him now from the trip I can't help but smile.
So yeah...that's my mission's trip in a nutshell (although, I realize now it was kinda long...oh well!).
If you made it through, congrats!
School starts again this upcoming Tuesday, so you probably won't hear from me much. FB friends, I'm about to post a video of my summer, so keep your eyes open!
~Kathy
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Past Month
No, the blog has not completely died off! :D I just haven't forced myself to sit my butt down and actually write about what's going on in my life. But if I wanna remember anything from this month (short term memory stinks), I'm gonna have to write it all down sometime.
To begin with! This month has been pretty much packed. Poor Mc. Donald's has only seen my face about 1/4 of this month--vacations have taken me away a lot. Same with Rootbeer, my cat, and I think he's still getting used to having me home right now.
On my first day of summer break, my trip to Branson MO with my band took place! It was a blast! I loved going to a city that was obviously Christian and conservative. Denver's the complete opposite I often feel, so it was nice to be reminded that there ARE Christians out there that aren't at church or youth group. :) My friends can testify that I said I wanted to move to Branson probably at least 20 times. You could walk into a regular gift shop and find Christian T-shirts! I mean, honestly, how cool is that?! I ended up buying three new Christians Tee's. :) Also, when the band and I were at a show, a pianist came up and talked about how amazing God is, and how she wanted her playing to glorify God! Right there in the middle of a show!! I think I about cried, to be honest; I had wanted the band to maybe hear a testimony, or someone speak about God that way, and it happened! I don't know if it touched anyone in the band, but weather it did or not, I was totally blessed.
We were in Branson for about a week. While we were there, we played at four locations; outside the Branson Belle cruise ship, at the Dixie Stampede, at a Chinese show, and at the amusement park Silver Dollar City (before we got rained out xD). But most of our time was just being together, watching fabulous shows, shopping, quacking at each other when we Rode the Ducks, etc. :)
If I had to choose a favorite part of this trip, it'd probably be when we watched the show in the Branson Belle cruise ship. That's where the pianist talked about God. :) But I liked the show not only because of that, but the magician was absolutely hilarious, and the musicians spectacular. I think a lot of us enjoyed that show. (Any band kids reading this? Sissy Dog! :D). I also really enjoyed Silver Dollar City. My family doesn't really get into amusement parks, so I sadly don't go very often. This trip reminded me of how epic roller coasters are.
I also enjoyed getting to know some of my friends better. I learned a lot about myself as well, and I think we came back closer and more understanding of each other. We just got a new band director this year, so we're going to need to band (haha) together similarly to how we did on this vacation.
Here's a few of my best photos taken on the trip (sorry; we weren't allowed to take photos at the Chinese show or the Dixie Stampede):
Thus, I really, really enjoyed that first vacation! :)
After my trip to Branson, I had a few days to catch my breathe before my family and I went on a vacation with some family friends to New Mexico! :) We were around the Taos area a lot I think. There, we star-gazed, went to Bandelier National Monument and Tent Rocks National Monument, a science and art museum, shopped, hiked around at Capulin Volcano (northern NM), and got to know each other through the 4 or 5 days we had together.
The two national monuments I mentioned were really cool. Bandelier was a location where Indians used to live, so you could go into the cliffs and see their old homes. It was really hot that day, and we did a lot of hiking, but I enjoyed it immensely. Tent Rocks was even hotter, but on one of the two hikes through there, you could go back into a canyon and see the crazy rocks up close. I liked that hike the most, and I got to know Jessica, our family's friends' 20 year old daughter pretty well on this hike. She's an artist, so she was able to give me a few pointers on photography, and we both suffered through the heat together xD . It was this vacation out of the three so far that I took the most photos; around 800. :D I'm very pleased with myself.
I had a great time on this vacation, but that's about all I have to say... xD Sorry if I disappointed anyone. Here's some of my best photos of the trip:
*Phew*...okay, one more vacation. When we got back from this trip, I had about a week before heading back to New Mexico to go camping with my Aunt Janine and her family!! I just got back a few days ago, and I had a blast. :D We went fishing, swam ( A LOT xD), got to know each other, and...well, swam some more, haha.
Day One: Dad drove me down there to meet them, and my Uncle David drove us down to our campsite in Cimarron Canyon. There was six of us in total: Me, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins Chris (21 yrs), Julie (11 yrs), and Andrew (9 yrs). We set up camp at a beautiful, secluded location right next to a gurgling creek, which my cousins and I often swam and played around in. :)
Day Two: Uncle David and Chris went on a hike, while my aunt, the kids and I went fishing at Eagle Nest Lake. We spent all day there, and Andrew pretty much submerged himself in the water. I think he enjoyed swimming around 10 times more than fishing. :) Julie and I went thigh deep into the cold water and fished, while Aunt Janine (a photographer herself) went around and took photos. I caught a total of two fish. When we went back to camp we had them for dessert (weird dessert, I know, but it wasn't really during supper, so...). Before we had our fish, us cousins spent some quality time together goofing off at an empty campsite. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip. :)
Day Three: David and Chris went hiking again while the rest of us fished, this time at some ponds. At noon the boys returned, and we had lunch before us cousins got to spend some more quality time together by swimming upstream at the creek by the camp. We had fun climbing over fallen logs, splashing each other, etc. Afterwards, we all got dry as we played some board games.
Day Four: We packed up all our stuff to head to a hotel 8 in Taos for one night, where we could take our first and only shower of the trip (it was amazing :) ). On our way down, we swam in Eagle Nest Lake (Julie wanted to swim in it this time) and had lunch.
Here's where I interrupt the style in which I'm telling you of this vacation to tell you a story that took place on day four...
After swimming in the lake for about an 1 1/2 hours, we all headed back to the car. Wanting to get back into regular clothes before heading to Taos, I grabbed my jean shorts that were in the backseat, and opened the trunk to try and find a dry shirt to wear. I was distracted at this point when my uncle told me not to open the trunk (it was packed, and things could've fallen on top of me), so I hastily grabbed a shirt before hopping in the car, and we drove off. About fifteen minutes from the lake, I looked down at my left hand to find it...bare. Within five seconds, I remembered that I had taken off my purity ring (given to me when I turned 16 months ago) so that the verse on it wouldn't be chipped away by the water. My ring has a few chipped off letters due to me not taking it off during showers the first few weeks I had it, and so I quickly learned that if I wanted the words to stay put, I couldn't wear my ring when in the water. Thus the reason it was off while we swam at the lake.
A bit nervous, I checked my jean shorts for the ring, which was where I had placed the ring before swimming. It wasn't there.
And so like any girl attached to a purity ring, I got emotional, and my uncle pulled over to the side of the road while we all frantically began to search for the lost ring in the car. Everyone but Andrew (who was stuck in the back of the car) looked under the seats, on the seats...everywhere. But it was no where to be found. David agreed to go back to the parking lot to see if we could find it (I was pleasantly surprised at this). Getting back into the car, we turned around to head on back to the lake.
And guess what? I found my ring within 15 seconds!! :D It was a bit dusty, but other than that it was just fine. :) My aunt suggested we celebrate (like the lady from the parable of the Lost Coin in the Bible) by getting some ice cream and everyone eagerly agreed. :)
God is so kind to us. :)
Back on track now!! After our ice cream, we got to Taos around 6 P.M. After settling in, us cousins watched Disney channel for a while, before we saw an ad for the new movie that had just come out that day, Pixar's Brave. I turned to Chris and said slyly,
"Hey...we don't have plans tonight." At this he lit up, and the kids got excited. Aunt Janine walked in then and Chris asked if we could go see it. She agreed, and we got to the movie theatre in time for the 6:50 showing. The movie was great, and I loved watching it with my cousins. :D It made it that much more exciting.
Day Five: We headed to our new campsite by the Rio Grande River, about 20 minutes from Taos. There the kids and I swam and goofed off in the river, and later on Chris, Julie and I rafted down a portion of the river in their own raft, while Aunt Janine went down in an inter-tube. Uncle David and Andrew watched us and later picked us up. We had s'mores that night for the first time (fire restrictions kept us from them at the last campsite). :)
Day Six: David and Andrew went rafting this time, and Julie decided to join them. Chris went down the inter-tube, and I joined my aunt in taking photos. At a rapids area, Chris climbed out of the inter-tube, saying it'd be unsafe for him to go down the rapids (shallow water plus a tall guy like himself=dangerous), so he said I could go. I had a blast! :D Almost tipped over a few times, but still. Afterwards, we all had lunch before going on a professional rafting trip. Everyone but Janine went, due to her back. That was fun as well.
Day Seven: Packed up, swam one last time in the river with the kids, and met up with Oliver at Pizza Hut in Taos. Then Oliver took me home, and we arrived at about 10 P.M. and yesh.
THE END. xD
Here's some photos:
And now everything has calmed down for a while. :) Rootbeer can see me home, Mc. Donald's can actually expect some hours from me, marching band can be thought of again...
So what's the plan for the rest of the summer? Not much. Marching band and work will take up a lot of my time now. My cousin Marian will be coming down to see me for a day right before school starts (!), and I'm hoping my job will give me yet ANOTHER week off in late July so I can go on my first missions trip. I guess we'll see how that works out. :/
That be all. If you survived this huge entry, congratulations!! Until next time!
~Kathy
To begin with! This month has been pretty much packed. Poor Mc. Donald's has only seen my face about 1/4 of this month--vacations have taken me away a lot. Same with Rootbeer, my cat, and I think he's still getting used to having me home right now.
On my first day of summer break, my trip to Branson MO with my band took place! It was a blast! I loved going to a city that was obviously Christian and conservative. Denver's the complete opposite I often feel, so it was nice to be reminded that there ARE Christians out there that aren't at church or youth group. :) My friends can testify that I said I wanted to move to Branson probably at least 20 times. You could walk into a regular gift shop and find Christian T-shirts! I mean, honestly, how cool is that?! I ended up buying three new Christians Tee's. :) Also, when the band and I were at a show, a pianist came up and talked about how amazing God is, and how she wanted her playing to glorify God! Right there in the middle of a show!! I think I about cried, to be honest; I had wanted the band to maybe hear a testimony, or someone speak about God that way, and it happened! I don't know if it touched anyone in the band, but weather it did or not, I was totally blessed.
We were in Branson for about a week. While we were there, we played at four locations; outside the Branson Belle cruise ship, at the Dixie Stampede, at a Chinese show, and at the amusement park Silver Dollar City (before we got rained out xD). But most of our time was just being together, watching fabulous shows, shopping, quacking at each other when we Rode the Ducks, etc. :)
If I had to choose a favorite part of this trip, it'd probably be when we watched the show in the Branson Belle cruise ship. That's where the pianist talked about God. :) But I liked the show not only because of that, but the magician was absolutely hilarious, and the musicians spectacular. I think a lot of us enjoyed that show. (Any band kids reading this? Sissy Dog! :D). I also really enjoyed Silver Dollar City. My family doesn't really get into amusement parks, so I sadly don't go very often. This trip reminded me of how epic roller coasters are.
I also enjoyed getting to know some of my friends better. I learned a lot about myself as well, and I think we came back closer and more understanding of each other. We just got a new band director this year, so we're going to need to band (haha) together similarly to how we did on this vacation.
Here's a few of my best photos taken on the trip (sorry; we weren't allowed to take photos at the Chinese show or the Dixie Stampede):
 |
| Ride the Ducks |
 |
| The Branson Belle |
 |
| On board the Branson Belle cruise ship |
 |
| Pianist and string player on the Branson Belle |
 | |
| My above all favorite flower, hydreas! Taken in Silver Dollar City |
Thus, I really, really enjoyed that first vacation! :)
After my trip to Branson, I had a few days to catch my breathe before my family and I went on a vacation with some family friends to New Mexico! :) We were around the Taos area a lot I think. There, we star-gazed, went to Bandelier National Monument and Tent Rocks National Monument, a science and art museum, shopped, hiked around at Capulin Volcano (northern NM), and got to know each other through the 4 or 5 days we had together.
The two national monuments I mentioned were really cool. Bandelier was a location where Indians used to live, so you could go into the cliffs and see their old homes. It was really hot that day, and we did a lot of hiking, but I enjoyed it immensely. Tent Rocks was even hotter, but on one of the two hikes through there, you could go back into a canyon and see the crazy rocks up close. I liked that hike the most, and I got to know Jessica, our family's friends' 20 year old daughter pretty well on this hike. She's an artist, so she was able to give me a few pointers on photography, and we both suffered through the heat together xD . It was this vacation out of the three so far that I took the most photos; around 800. :D I'm very pleased with myself.
I had a great time on this vacation, but that's about all I have to say... xD Sorry if I disappointed anyone. Here's some of my best photos of the trip:
 |
| Bandelier National Monument |
 |
| Inside an Indian home in Bandelier National Monument |
 |
| Bandelier National Monument |
 |
| Tent Rocks National Monument |
 |
| In the canyon at Tent Rocks National Monument |
 |
| Tent Rocks National Monument |
 |
| Prickly pear cactus near the top of Capulin Volcano |
*Phew*...okay, one more vacation. When we got back from this trip, I had about a week before heading back to New Mexico to go camping with my Aunt Janine and her family!! I just got back a few days ago, and I had a blast. :D We went fishing, swam ( A LOT xD), got to know each other, and...well, swam some more, haha.
Day One: Dad drove me down there to meet them, and my Uncle David drove us down to our campsite in Cimarron Canyon. There was six of us in total: Me, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins Chris (21 yrs), Julie (11 yrs), and Andrew (9 yrs). We set up camp at a beautiful, secluded location right next to a gurgling creek, which my cousins and I often swam and played around in. :)
Day Two: Uncle David and Chris went on a hike, while my aunt, the kids and I went fishing at Eagle Nest Lake. We spent all day there, and Andrew pretty much submerged himself in the water. I think he enjoyed swimming around 10 times more than fishing. :) Julie and I went thigh deep into the cold water and fished, while Aunt Janine (a photographer herself) went around and took photos. I caught a total of two fish. When we went back to camp we had them for dessert (weird dessert, I know, but it wasn't really during supper, so...). Before we had our fish, us cousins spent some quality time together goofing off at an empty campsite. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip. :)
Day Three: David and Chris went hiking again while the rest of us fished, this time at some ponds. At noon the boys returned, and we had lunch before us cousins got to spend some more quality time together by swimming upstream at the creek by the camp. We had fun climbing over fallen logs, splashing each other, etc. Afterwards, we all got dry as we played some board games.
Day Four: We packed up all our stuff to head to a hotel 8 in Taos for one night, where we could take our first and only shower of the trip (it was amazing :) ). On our way down, we swam in Eagle Nest Lake (Julie wanted to swim in it this time) and had lunch.
Here's where I interrupt the style in which I'm telling you of this vacation to tell you a story that took place on day four...
After swimming in the lake for about an 1 1/2 hours, we all headed back to the car. Wanting to get back into regular clothes before heading to Taos, I grabbed my jean shorts that were in the backseat, and opened the trunk to try and find a dry shirt to wear. I was distracted at this point when my uncle told me not to open the trunk (it was packed, and things could've fallen on top of me), so I hastily grabbed a shirt before hopping in the car, and we drove off. About fifteen minutes from the lake, I looked down at my left hand to find it...bare. Within five seconds, I remembered that I had taken off my purity ring (given to me when I turned 16 months ago) so that the verse on it wouldn't be chipped away by the water. My ring has a few chipped off letters due to me not taking it off during showers the first few weeks I had it, and so I quickly learned that if I wanted the words to stay put, I couldn't wear my ring when in the water. Thus the reason it was off while we swam at the lake.
A bit nervous, I checked my jean shorts for the ring, which was where I had placed the ring before swimming. It wasn't there.
And so like any girl attached to a purity ring, I got emotional, and my uncle pulled over to the side of the road while we all frantically began to search for the lost ring in the car. Everyone but Andrew (who was stuck in the back of the car) looked under the seats, on the seats...everywhere. But it was no where to be found. David agreed to go back to the parking lot to see if we could find it (I was pleasantly surprised at this). Getting back into the car, we turned around to head on back to the lake.
And guess what? I found my ring within 15 seconds!! :D It was a bit dusty, but other than that it was just fine. :) My aunt suggested we celebrate (like the lady from the parable of the Lost Coin in the Bible) by getting some ice cream and everyone eagerly agreed. :)
God is so kind to us. :)
Back on track now!! After our ice cream, we got to Taos around 6 P.M. After settling in, us cousins watched Disney channel for a while, before we saw an ad for the new movie that had just come out that day, Pixar's Brave. I turned to Chris and said slyly,
"Hey...we don't have plans tonight." At this he lit up, and the kids got excited. Aunt Janine walked in then and Chris asked if we could go see it. She agreed, and we got to the movie theatre in time for the 6:50 showing. The movie was great, and I loved watching it with my cousins. :D It made it that much more exciting.
Day Five: We headed to our new campsite by the Rio Grande River, about 20 minutes from Taos. There the kids and I swam and goofed off in the river, and later on Chris, Julie and I rafted down a portion of the river in their own raft, while Aunt Janine went down in an inter-tube. Uncle David and Andrew watched us and later picked us up. We had s'mores that night for the first time (fire restrictions kept us from them at the last campsite). :)
Day Six: David and Andrew went rafting this time, and Julie decided to join them. Chris went down the inter-tube, and I joined my aunt in taking photos. At a rapids area, Chris climbed out of the inter-tube, saying it'd be unsafe for him to go down the rapids (shallow water plus a tall guy like himself=dangerous), so he said I could go. I had a blast! :D Almost tipped over a few times, but still. Afterwards, we all had lunch before going on a professional rafting trip. Everyone but Janine went, due to her back. That was fun as well.
Day Seven: Packed up, swam one last time in the river with the kids, and met up with Oliver at Pizza Hut in Taos. Then Oliver took me home, and we arrived at about 10 P.M. and yesh.
THE END. xD
Here's some photos:
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| Eagle Nest Lake |
 |
| The creek at Cimarron Canyon |
 |
| The Rio Grande |
 |
| On the road home |
 |
| Perch caught at Eagle Nest Lake |
And now everything has calmed down for a while. :) Rootbeer can see me home, Mc. Donald's can actually expect some hours from me, marching band can be thought of again...
So what's the plan for the rest of the summer? Not much. Marching band and work will take up a lot of my time now. My cousin Marian will be coming down to see me for a day right before school starts (!), and I'm hoping my job will give me yet ANOTHER week off in late July so I can go on my first missions trip. I guess we'll see how that works out. :/
That be all. If you survived this huge entry, congratulations!! Until next time!
~Kathy
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Rain
At 11:30 PM my time, it was raining and being all thundery outside. Being the lover of rain that I am (which increases 10-fold in a rain storm), I put on my jacket, grabbed my camera (just in case) and ventured out into the dark, rainy night.
At first, I thought I shouldn't even be outside, 'cause there was thunder and lighting, and it's not all that safe. But I pushed all those thoughts away and thought for a split second that it'd be fun to be a storm-chaser. I'd get my storm-fix, see God's power, and gain a lot of knowledge on how to take photos in tough lighting, etc. Yep, I'd have it all covered xD. But although I like adventure, I don't think I like it THAT much. :)
But yea...I attempted some photos of some lilacs. Didn't really work, but I didn't really expect them to. I mean, the flash on a camera is HIGHLY over-rated. I generally avoid it at all costs, except for instances like tonight when I'm desperate.
Anyway, as I was out and about, I headed across the street where there's a tiny creek. I knew it'd be overflowing and I wanted to see it. As I crouched in the damp grass I thought about how there might be water snakes or salamanders out and I flipped, but then I was like, "No, you'll be fine..." (Being a girl has it's flaws...one being that you're scared of anything that crawls or slithers...*sigh*). Just as I thought this, however, I looked up and there was this animal about the size of a cat. My mind only had time to register the word "Raccoon" before I took off running. I mean, it was 5 feet from me! When I reached my house I kicked myself though, cause I'm not sure if it was a raccoon, some other animal, or merely a shadow. I'm pretty sure of what I saw, but I went back out anyway with a flash-light, vainly hoping I'd see it again. I didn't. :( But it was still sooo cool! First raccoon I've ever seen!
In other news, I LOVE the song "Galaxies" by Owl City. I'm generally not a huge fan of the band 'cause it's just not my style, but every now and then he writes a song I like. This is for sure one of his best I've heard so far! :D
That be all. G'night all people reading this. :)
~Ksonicx
At first, I thought I shouldn't even be outside, 'cause there was thunder and lighting, and it's not all that safe. But I pushed all those thoughts away and thought for a split second that it'd be fun to be a storm-chaser. I'd get my storm-fix, see God's power, and gain a lot of knowledge on how to take photos in tough lighting, etc. Yep, I'd have it all covered xD. But although I like adventure, I don't think I like it THAT much. :)
But yea...I attempted some photos of some lilacs. Didn't really work, but I didn't really expect them to. I mean, the flash on a camera is HIGHLY over-rated. I generally avoid it at all costs, except for instances like tonight when I'm desperate.
Anyway, as I was out and about, I headed across the street where there's a tiny creek. I knew it'd be overflowing and I wanted to see it. As I crouched in the damp grass I thought about how there might be water snakes or salamanders out and I flipped, but then I was like, "No, you'll be fine..." (Being a girl has it's flaws...one being that you're scared of anything that crawls or slithers...*sigh*). Just as I thought this, however, I looked up and there was this animal about the size of a cat. My mind only had time to register the word "Raccoon" before I took off running. I mean, it was 5 feet from me! When I reached my house I kicked myself though, cause I'm not sure if it was a raccoon, some other animal, or merely a shadow. I'm pretty sure of what I saw, but I went back out anyway with a flash-light, vainly hoping I'd see it again. I didn't. :( But it was still sooo cool! First raccoon I've ever seen!
In other news, I LOVE the song "Galaxies" by Owl City. I'm generally not a huge fan of the band 'cause it's just not my style, but every now and then he writes a song I like. This is for sure one of his best I've heard so far! :D
That be all. G'night all people reading this. :)
~Ksonicx
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter Sunday everyone! :D Hope you've all enjoyed your ham dinner (or whatever you ended up having), the beautiful spring day, the egg hunts, and of course the fact that today Christ rose again. Yes, it makes for a good day. :) The pastor had a really good service about what actually is the criteria for being a follower of Christ. It was 1 Corinthians 15 I think...one awesome thing about him is that he doesn't beat around the bush, trying to make things sound good. He says what is true and right, and I love it so much. :)
Just thought I'd let you know: My cat decided today would be a great day to get into a cat fight while his Mom (aka, me) went to church. I came home to him mewing pitifully, but it wasn't until hours later that I saw this long cut right on top of his head. Fail, Raton. Anyway, my Mom put some alcohol on the cut, and at first he was like, "Ooh, weird cotton stuff is rubbing my head! Cool!" But then it began to sting and he meowed and tried to escape. Poor thing. Hopefully it'll be a lesson to him. xD
I just realized that my apple tree is blooming. How I managed to miss it, I will never know. It's on the other side of the street from my house, and I don't generally go there much anymore, so that was probably part of it. But yes, expect some pics of apple blooms.
I saw the movie "The Lorax" on Saturday. Oh my gosh, it was sooo awesome! I kinda want to see it again... ( Any interest?) xD Does it make me childish for liking it? Maybe. But it reminded me of Pixar movies somewhat, and so I choose to say I'm not childish. :)
Anywho, just a quick update. Happy Easter!
Just thought I'd let you know: My cat decided today would be a great day to get into a cat fight while his Mom (aka, me) went to church. I came home to him mewing pitifully, but it wasn't until hours later that I saw this long cut right on top of his head. Fail, Raton. Anyway, my Mom put some alcohol on the cut, and at first he was like, "Ooh, weird cotton stuff is rubbing my head! Cool!" But then it began to sting and he meowed and tried to escape. Poor thing. Hopefully it'll be a lesson to him. xD
I just realized that my apple tree is blooming. How I managed to miss it, I will never know. It's on the other side of the street from my house, and I don't generally go there much anymore, so that was probably part of it. But yes, expect some pics of apple blooms.
I saw the movie "The Lorax" on Saturday. Oh my gosh, it was sooo awesome! I kinda want to see it again... ( Any interest?) xD Does it make me childish for liking it? Maybe. But it reminded me of Pixar movies somewhat, and so I choose to say I'm not childish. :)
Anywho, just a quick update. Happy Easter!
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Adventures of Mc. Donalds
I'mma going to try and keep this short, 'cause I want to get to bed early tonight...
So...Mc. Donalds. I'm finally starting to get the hang of it, and I don't find myself dying within every time I realize I have work sometime in the week. My schedule generally has 2-3 days of the week filled (Monday, Friday, and all of Saturday). Monday and Friday are obviously my preferred days to work 'cause I have less hours on those days, and I'm with coworkers I can handle more; AKA, the boys. I prefer working with the boys because they don't speak in Spanish to each other, nor do they seemingly make fun of me, nor do they joke around with each other. Thus, I feel a tad bit more welcome with them. Sadly, when I work on Saturdays I'm stuck with the girls and their weird, gossipy stories.
Alas, I have finally learned how to make the coffee/hot drinks in general! :D Well, more or less. We have WAY too many coffee options at that place...it gets confusing. Today I tried making hot chocolate for my first time though...heh...it came out all white and steamy, and after my second failed attempt, I turned to my manager and said,
"OK, I'm obliviously doing something wrong." Her eyes went wide. "You should come help me."
Apparently, I had managed to only get warm milk. Fail, yes. Go ahead and laugh. After she explained it to me, she asked if I'd remember how to make it in the future. And I'm thinking, "YOU'RE TALKING TO ME. I DON'T REMEMBER THINGS." But I said I'd try. Satisfactory, I do believe.
Hmm, what else? Oh, yes. I found ants while sweeping the floor the other day. A lot of them, too. Don't come to my restaurant if this freaks you out (but remember; you didn't hear this from me). xD
Random factoid of the day: My favorite thing EVER to do at Mc. Donalds is make the desserts, such as ice cream cones (I have just recently figured out the technique to creating a flawless cone :D), smoothies, shakes, and sundaes. Maybe it's because it's the only food I do make. The sandwiches are out of my hands--I just take orders, make drinks, make desserts, and give the food. Yesh. I used to want to work in grill, but now I don't want to have to learn something so drastically new. I think I'll stay to the cashier, thanks. ^_^
On St. Patrick's Day, this lady walks in and asks if we have any Shamrock Shakes left. I blinked and said yes. "Oh, good!" she cried. "You're going to make my little girl so happy! We've already gone to five other locations."
And guess what? We're out of it now ourselves. D: I about cried when they told me that today (jk). So did the costumers when they asked...
Oh, and I saved the best for last...Tonight was really boring and slow up until my last 15 minutes of work. I was in the lobby sweeping, having a jolly old time, when this old, creepy, hobo-looking man calls out to me.
"Ma'am? (Haha, people call me "Ma'am" now...) Have you seen my glasses?"
"No..."
"Did you take them?"
"...No, I didn't..." The manager thought it'd be a good time to get involved then.
"Kathryn, did you see his glasses when you were wiping the tables a while back?"
"No," I answered truthfully. "I didn't see them, or his newspapers, or even him! I didn't see him walk in, either."
So she went to check the cameras to make sure I hadn't just sealed my first job by stealing a customer's pair of glasses. Meanwhile, I went up to the man and asked him what the glasses had looked like.
"I'm not crazy," he muttered angrily, not answering my question. "They were right here!" He looked through his stack of newspapers for the fifth time, just to make sure. I gave up after my third try to help him, and continued with my job, avoiding the man to the best of my ability. Honestly, he was creepy.
Finally, the manager called him, and she said something like,
"I checked the tapes, and apparently, when you went to the bathroom a lady took your glasses and walked away with them."
"I don't believe you," he replied curtly. For some reason we didn't go show him the clips.
And then my time was up and I exited the building from the other side from where the man was sitting, 'cause I was honestly afraid of receiving some death glare, or worse, being attacked. Yes, my imagination runs wild.
THE END.
And thus, you got an inside view to my job. I'll tell you all more stories when they come up--they can be SO funny...!
~Kathy
So...Mc. Donalds. I'm finally starting to get the hang of it, and I don't find myself dying within every time I realize I have work sometime in the week. My schedule generally has 2-3 days of the week filled (Monday, Friday, and all of Saturday). Monday and Friday are obviously my preferred days to work 'cause I have less hours on those days, and I'm with coworkers I can handle more; AKA, the boys. I prefer working with the boys because they don't speak in Spanish to each other, nor do they seemingly make fun of me, nor do they joke around with each other. Thus, I feel a tad bit more welcome with them. Sadly, when I work on Saturdays I'm stuck with the girls and their weird, gossipy stories.
Alas, I have finally learned how to make the coffee/hot drinks in general! :D Well, more or less. We have WAY too many coffee options at that place...it gets confusing. Today I tried making hot chocolate for my first time though...heh...it came out all white and steamy, and after my second failed attempt, I turned to my manager and said,
"OK, I'm obliviously doing something wrong." Her eyes went wide. "You should come help me."
Apparently, I had managed to only get warm milk. Fail, yes. Go ahead and laugh. After she explained it to me, she asked if I'd remember how to make it in the future. And I'm thinking, "YOU'RE TALKING TO ME. I DON'T REMEMBER THINGS." But I said I'd try. Satisfactory, I do believe.
Hmm, what else? Oh, yes. I found ants while sweeping the floor the other day. A lot of them, too. Don't come to my restaurant if this freaks you out (but remember; you didn't hear this from me). xD
Random factoid of the day: My favorite thing EVER to do at Mc. Donalds is make the desserts, such as ice cream cones (I have just recently figured out the technique to creating a flawless cone :D), smoothies, shakes, and sundaes. Maybe it's because it's the only food I do make. The sandwiches are out of my hands--I just take orders, make drinks, make desserts, and give the food. Yesh. I used to want to work in grill, but now I don't want to have to learn something so drastically new. I think I'll stay to the cashier, thanks. ^_^
On St. Patrick's Day, this lady walks in and asks if we have any Shamrock Shakes left. I blinked and said yes. "Oh, good!" she cried. "You're going to make my little girl so happy! We've already gone to five other locations."
And guess what? We're out of it now ourselves. D: I about cried when they told me that today (jk). So did the costumers when they asked...
Oh, and I saved the best for last...Tonight was really boring and slow up until my last 15 minutes of work. I was in the lobby sweeping, having a jolly old time, when this old, creepy, hobo-looking man calls out to me.
"Ma'am? (Haha, people call me "Ma'am" now...) Have you seen my glasses?"
"No..."
"Did you take them?"
"...No, I didn't..." The manager thought it'd be a good time to get involved then.
"Kathryn, did you see his glasses when you were wiping the tables a while back?"
"No," I answered truthfully. "I didn't see them, or his newspapers, or even him! I didn't see him walk in, either."
So she went to check the cameras to make sure I hadn't just sealed my first job by stealing a customer's pair of glasses. Meanwhile, I went up to the man and asked him what the glasses had looked like.
"I'm not crazy," he muttered angrily, not answering my question. "They were right here!" He looked through his stack of newspapers for the fifth time, just to make sure. I gave up after my third try to help him, and continued with my job, avoiding the man to the best of my ability. Honestly, he was creepy.
Finally, the manager called him, and she said something like,
"I checked the tapes, and apparently, when you went to the bathroom a lady took your glasses and walked away with them."
"I don't believe you," he replied curtly. For some reason we didn't go show him the clips.
And then my time was up and I exited the building from the other side from where the man was sitting, 'cause I was honestly afraid of receiving some death glare, or worse, being attacked. Yes, my imagination runs wild.
THE END.
And thus, you got an inside view to my job. I'll tell you all more stories when they come up--they can be SO funny...!
~Kathy
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Today
Today was a good day, and I'm looking foward to an epically awesome week-end. xD Here's a list of why:
1. I got off school at 12:20 PM today because of parent teacher conferences!
2. I don't have school tomorrow or on Monday! (Two chances to sleep in!)
3. I learned today that I will be going to a basketball game with my friend Sydra Monday night!
4. I'll be seeing some family friends Saturday night!
5. I don't have any math homework this weekend!
6. My Daddy gave me a rose today (belated Valentine's present)!!! :D
7. I watched NEW episodes of Phineas and Ferb today!
8. I helped a friend with her writing--for some reason, I love doing that sort of thing!
9. I finished my book, "Poison" today!
10. And I talked to my best buddy/cousin on the phone this evening, Marian!
Not a bad day or upcoming weekend, huh? xD Now if only I didn't have any work...haha.
~Kathy
1. I got off school at 12:20 PM today because of parent teacher conferences!
2. I don't have school tomorrow or on Monday! (Two chances to sleep in!)
3. I learned today that I will be going to a basketball game with my friend Sydra Monday night!
4. I'll be seeing some family friends Saturday night!
5. I don't have any math homework this weekend!
6. My Daddy gave me a rose today (belated Valentine's present)!!! :D
7. I watched NEW episodes of Phineas and Ferb today!
8. I helped a friend with her writing--for some reason, I love doing that sort of thing!
9. I finished my book, "Poison" today!
10. And I talked to my best buddy/cousin on the phone this evening, Marian!
Not a bad day or upcoming weekend, huh? xD Now if only I didn't have any work...haha.
~Kathy
Sunday, February 12, 2012
I am alive!!! :D
A lot's been happening in my life recently. It's not until now though that I've actually had the time to sit down and write about it.
Number one: I got a job at Mc.Donalds. Any kids reading this right now are most likely feeling sorry for me; any adult is beaming with pride. I find that very interesting.
I basically work at the front counter and clean the lobby when the place is calm. The job is harder than it looks, honestly, but the people I work with say I'll have it down soon. Since it's been two weeks, I'm still unsure about their "promise" of me ever understanding the job completely. My biggest problem is understanding the difference between a customer ordering a sandwich and getting the meal. They NEVER specify, so I have to ask, and I almost always forget their fries. Either that, or I give them fries when they only ordered the sandwich. The other workers have had to come to my aid in almost every order it seems, and I'm getting sick of it all very quickly.
But the place is kind of humorous when you get the right customers...I already have three stories. When I was on my first few days, a lady wanted to order a sandwich without a bun. I think she did it on purpose 'cause she saw I had no idea if you could even do that. But you know what? You can order a sandwich without the bun. Very exciting, isn't it? Yes, I have taught you all something new about Mc. Donalds. I encourage you all to now go order a sandwich without a bun. xD
This next one actually made me laugh at the time, because I didn't feel I was being teased for some reason. xD Some guy ordered his meal and I calculated the change wrong or something. I don't even remember. Anyway, another cashier had to come help me, and as he figured it out the man ordering said, "This is geometry!"
For those of you who don't know the difference between basic math and geometry, here's a hint. Basic math teaches everything from 2+2 to 54*2. Geometry studies shapes, like triangles and circles.
"Can we change that to algebra?" I asked. I knew even then it was a bit off, but it was better than geometry.
"Sure," the customer replied. "Basic math, algebra, trig..." When I told the manager the story later, he laughed and said,
"Yeah, we sell sandwiches with 90 degree angles."
And my final story took place last night. An irritable old lady asked for a side salad with ranch dressing. We were out of ranch, so she changed it to some dressing I can't even pronounce. Due to that, I gave her the wrong kind, and she came back ten minutes later furious. Without thinking she went behind the counter where we were.
"Ma'am, you can't be back here!" the manager scolded her, and the lady irritably went back to her rightful spot, while another employee showed her the other choices of dressing.
"I wouldn't have to go back there if you hired people that can read!" she yelled. That actually got to me. Thankfully she came back at the end of my shift and apologized.
And so far, those are my best stories of the job I have come to acquire.
Number two: This semester I had a free hour I needed to fill at school, so I put in librarian aid. I've come to REALLY like the place! Unlike Mc. Donalds, I don't mind talking to the kids (maybe it's because I actually know how to give them what they want), and I even enjoy shelving the books, mainly because I find some for myself. I think I have nine books out right now. xD Sadly I'm only devoting myself to one book right now that I read in 7th grade and loved. It's amazing how you can come back to a book three years later and understand the themes and what's going on soooo much more! Same goes for movies. The book is much more enjoyable today I bet since I can actually follow the storyline more. And it's nice to know how the book ends, too. xD I "work" with two other kids: Alexa and Thomas. They're both juniors I think, but Thomas will be graduating this year. They're pretty fun to work with. :)
Number three: Rootbeer's been acting strangely ever since I made my bed a month ago. Beforehand, he rarely ever joined me up on the bed while I was doing my homework or sleeping. I always figured it was because when I get irritated with him I grab him and stuff him under the sheets with me until he calms down and I can release him. But now, almost every time I'm doing my homework, he'll jump up onto the bed with me, find a comfortable spot and take a catnap. I really enjoy his company, but it still leaves me puzzled, even more so when I wake up to him dozing on the bed. Is he just growing up or something? Oh where has my familiar kitten gone (not that I miss this particular part of him--I LOVE having him on the bed with me. Makes me feel loved.)?
There's been a few other things in my life, but the one needs to stay hidden under lock and key and the other is still developing. I'll write all about it when it finally reaches it's conclusion (which could be anywhere between next week and the next two years). Until then, later!
~Kathy
A lot's been happening in my life recently. It's not until now though that I've actually had the time to sit down and write about it.
Number one: I got a job at Mc.Donalds. Any kids reading this right now are most likely feeling sorry for me; any adult is beaming with pride. I find that very interesting.
I basically work at the front counter and clean the lobby when the place is calm. The job is harder than it looks, honestly, but the people I work with say I'll have it down soon. Since it's been two weeks, I'm still unsure about their "promise" of me ever understanding the job completely. My biggest problem is understanding the difference between a customer ordering a sandwich and getting the meal. They NEVER specify, so I have to ask, and I almost always forget their fries. Either that, or I give them fries when they only ordered the sandwich. The other workers have had to come to my aid in almost every order it seems, and I'm getting sick of it all very quickly.
But the place is kind of humorous when you get the right customers...I already have three stories. When I was on my first few days, a lady wanted to order a sandwich without a bun. I think she did it on purpose 'cause she saw I had no idea if you could even do that. But you know what? You can order a sandwich without the bun. Very exciting, isn't it? Yes, I have taught you all something new about Mc. Donalds. I encourage you all to now go order a sandwich without a bun. xD
This next one actually made me laugh at the time, because I didn't feel I was being teased for some reason. xD Some guy ordered his meal and I calculated the change wrong or something. I don't even remember. Anyway, another cashier had to come help me, and as he figured it out the man ordering said, "This is geometry!"
For those of you who don't know the difference between basic math and geometry, here's a hint. Basic math teaches everything from 2+2 to 54*2. Geometry studies shapes, like triangles and circles.
"Can we change that to algebra?" I asked. I knew even then it was a bit off, but it was better than geometry.
"Sure," the customer replied. "Basic math, algebra, trig..." When I told the manager the story later, he laughed and said,
"Yeah, we sell sandwiches with 90 degree angles."
And my final story took place last night. An irritable old lady asked for a side salad with ranch dressing. We were out of ranch, so she changed it to some dressing I can't even pronounce. Due to that, I gave her the wrong kind, and she came back ten minutes later furious. Without thinking she went behind the counter where we were.
"Ma'am, you can't be back here!" the manager scolded her, and the lady irritably went back to her rightful spot, while another employee showed her the other choices of dressing.
"I wouldn't have to go back there if you hired people that can read!" she yelled. That actually got to me. Thankfully she came back at the end of my shift and apologized.
And so far, those are my best stories of the job I have come to acquire.
Number two: This semester I had a free hour I needed to fill at school, so I put in librarian aid. I've come to REALLY like the place! Unlike Mc. Donalds, I don't mind talking to the kids (maybe it's because I actually know how to give them what they want), and I even enjoy shelving the books, mainly because I find some for myself. I think I have nine books out right now. xD Sadly I'm only devoting myself to one book right now that I read in 7th grade and loved. It's amazing how you can come back to a book three years later and understand the themes and what's going on soooo much more! Same goes for movies. The book is much more enjoyable today I bet since I can actually follow the storyline more. And it's nice to know how the book ends, too. xD I "work" with two other kids: Alexa and Thomas. They're both juniors I think, but Thomas will be graduating this year. They're pretty fun to work with. :)
Number three: Rootbeer's been acting strangely ever since I made my bed a month ago. Beforehand, he rarely ever joined me up on the bed while I was doing my homework or sleeping. I always figured it was because when I get irritated with him I grab him and stuff him under the sheets with me until he calms down and I can release him. But now, almost every time I'm doing my homework, he'll jump up onto the bed with me, find a comfortable spot and take a catnap. I really enjoy his company, but it still leaves me puzzled, even more so when I wake up to him dozing on the bed. Is he just growing up or something? Oh where has my familiar kitten gone (not that I miss this particular part of him--I LOVE having him on the bed with me. Makes me feel loved.)?
There's been a few other things in my life, but the one needs to stay hidden under lock and key and the other is still developing. I'll write all about it when it finally reaches it's conclusion (which could be anywhere between next week and the next two years). Until then, later!
~Kathy
Sunday, January 15, 2012
I Am Number Four
So I actually finished a book today! This is rare for me, because I come home with 2-7 books every time I look for "a" book, and then I never have time to finish them all. Generally, I don't find any good books anyway.
But now, being the librarian aid in school, I have a feeling my two books I've already found myself checking out will go up to twenty before the end of the semester. And I might finish five. xD
So, for the last few days I've been reading the book, "I Am Number Four." The movie came out a few months ago, and when I saw the ad I was hooked. Unfortunately, we never got around to seeing it. When I was wandering through the library the other day, though, I ended up finding the book, which I figured was the next best thing, if not better. So I checked it out myself (that's the advantage to working there XD) and began to read it.
I started the book knowing the movie, according to rumors, had been awful. But I tried it out anyway, knowing books are 99.9% better than the movie. At first, the book seemed promising. The first half covered the main character, named John/Number Four, who's an alien from a planet that was destroyed by another alien race. He and 8 others had been on the run from the other alien race for maybe 10 years. Three of them had already been killed, and John was next in line. This meant that he and his father-figure, Henri, were constantly on the run, avoiding the other aliens to the extreme.
It doesn't sound like a bad book when this is all you hear. But the rest of the book was basically John/Number Four trying to cope with his alien powers and his love story with his human-girlfriend (already creepy) named Sarah. Generally, I'm a hopeless romantic. But although sex never occurred (miraculously) in this book, John was too devoted to his girlfriend and not to his own alien race's survival. I guess you can't expect much more from a 16 year-old boy. But still.
Also, the book's sentences felt forced to me, meaning the words did not flow together. When I (or authors I admire) write, the sentence structure varies from a very short sentence, to long, complicated sentences. However, this author used short sentences more often than not, especially if it was supposed to be an intense scene. This in itself distracted me from the story.
Furthermore...the book felt cliche-like. Popular-jock hates John who falls in love with the jock's ex. It sounds like a High School love story, and last I knew, the book was supposed to be science-fiction. I know other kids my age like the High School stories, but I really don't. They bore me in their, "I'm not popular; I'm going to become popular; I'm popular!" story-line that takes place in almost every book. Either that, or the story-line goes, "I like this girl; I gotta get this girl; we're dating! Yay!".
I hear these things every day at school. Get me something new, please.
However, I make it sound like this book was awful. It was, to some extent. But I haven't totally given up on the next five books in the series. Only one of the five, book two, is out as of now, so I'll be getting it from the library soon, hopefully, and expecting a much better story-line. Thankfully, I have a feeling John's girlfriend will be out of the way more. :D We'll see how the book turns out...
Anyway, I'm off!
~Kathy
But now, being the librarian aid in school, I have a feeling my two books I've already found myself checking out will go up to twenty before the end of the semester. And I might finish five. xD
So, for the last few days I've been reading the book, "I Am Number Four." The movie came out a few months ago, and when I saw the ad I was hooked. Unfortunately, we never got around to seeing it. When I was wandering through the library the other day, though, I ended up finding the book, which I figured was the next best thing, if not better. So I checked it out myself (that's the advantage to working there XD) and began to read it.
I started the book knowing the movie, according to rumors, had been awful. But I tried it out anyway, knowing books are 99.9% better than the movie. At first, the book seemed promising. The first half covered the main character, named John/Number Four, who's an alien from a planet that was destroyed by another alien race. He and 8 others had been on the run from the other alien race for maybe 10 years. Three of them had already been killed, and John was next in line. This meant that he and his father-figure, Henri, were constantly on the run, avoiding the other aliens to the extreme.
It doesn't sound like a bad book when this is all you hear. But the rest of the book was basically John/Number Four trying to cope with his alien powers and his love story with his human-girlfriend (already creepy) named Sarah. Generally, I'm a hopeless romantic. But although sex never occurred (miraculously) in this book, John was too devoted to his girlfriend and not to his own alien race's survival. I guess you can't expect much more from a 16 year-old boy. But still.
Also, the book's sentences felt forced to me, meaning the words did not flow together. When I (or authors I admire) write, the sentence structure varies from a very short sentence, to long, complicated sentences. However, this author used short sentences more often than not, especially if it was supposed to be an intense scene. This in itself distracted me from the story.
Furthermore...the book felt cliche-like. Popular-jock hates John who falls in love with the jock's ex. It sounds like a High School love story, and last I knew, the book was supposed to be science-fiction. I know other kids my age like the High School stories, but I really don't. They bore me in their, "I'm not popular; I'm going to become popular; I'm popular!" story-line that takes place in almost every book. Either that, or the story-line goes, "I like this girl; I gotta get this girl; we're dating! Yay!".
I hear these things every day at school. Get me something new, please.
However, I make it sound like this book was awful. It was, to some extent. But I haven't totally given up on the next five books in the series. Only one of the five, book two, is out as of now, so I'll be getting it from the library soon, hopefully, and expecting a much better story-line. Thankfully, I have a feeling John's girlfriend will be out of the way more. :D We'll see how the book turns out...
Anyway, I'm off!
~Kathy
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