Jessica and Michael 

In regards to my previous post, "Snowboarding Rocks!", I finally have some time to expound. Sunday morning, at an ungodly hour, we met at Justin #1's house, piled our boards in the back of his mom's Montero, and with a quick stop at 7-11 to fill the cooler with ice, we were on our way up the stormy mountain known as Big Bear. The way up was foggy and rainy; it didn't look like it would be a very fun day for snowboarding.
Amazingly, about half way to the top of the mountain, the storm clouds were suddenly below us; lo and behold, the top of the mountain was beautiful. The sun was shining, it was nice and warm-- perfect for boarding.
And board we did. Justin #2 and I got installment #2 of Justin and Jesse's "Anyone Can Learn to Snowboard" lesson. The mission this time: learn toeside. I was determined. My previous trips have gone something like this: 1) when Tyler took me, I learned how to slide down the mountain while sitting on my board, 2) when Justin tried, I learned how to plow, 3) with Jesse, I learned how to plow at an angle and therefore get some speed. Obviously the time had come to learn how to really do this thing. So while I focused on learning toeside, Jesse and Justin #1 argued over what ways I should turn and whether or not I was goofy (footed, that is). After many confusing instructions (like "keep your toe!"-- what the heck does that mean?), Justin finally told me that when I turn to go toeside, I just have to turn back around to go on my heels. Genius! It worked, and the boys finally decided that simple really is better. From there I was on my way.

PS- Justin #2 learned how to go heel-side this time, so we're both sittin' pretty.
PPS- if you read Jesse's xanga, they did not ditch us-- we suggested the two of them go by themselves for awhile so they could go at their speed, without us slowing them down
PPS- Jesse's got pictures on his xanga- they're pretty good for being taken on the mountain
PPPS- Someday, Justin #1, I will race you down that hill and win....

While walking through the school parking lot...

"You're driving," said the fourteen-year-old.



My sister rocks.

Someday...

I want to walk and not run...
I want to skip and not fall...
I want to look at the horizon...
And not see a building standing tall...
I want to be the only one...
For miles and miles...

Except for maybe you, and you're simple smile...

It sounds good to me....

Snowboarding rocks!

I'm really tired right now, so I don't have time to expound on that. Maybe tomorrow, if I finish my essay on "A Christmas Carol". Night, ya'll.

Superbowl parties, Dirty feet, and Andrew "soon to be dead" Matthews

Well, yesterday was a great day, despite the fact that I have my first cold in a year and I can barely talk (although Justin #1 sees these recent developments as an improvement). We went to the Turietta's house yesterday for the Superbowl and had a great time... playing the commercial game, of course. Who cares about the superbowl? Most of us didn't even know who was playing until the game started. No, we were in it for the commercials. Some time back Heather Aubrey made up this game where whoever guesses what product the commercial is selling first gets a point, and the most points at the end of the game wins. Can I just say that junior high girls are really good at this game? Kylie and her friend were tied with 11 by the time I had two (thank you Batman Begins and Verizon). The whole group decided to cheer for the Eagles since they were the underdog, but Kylie and I held out until we saw who had the cuter uniforms. Fortunately, the Eagles were wearing teal, and of course teal beats out white, so the whole gang was cheering for Philadelphia. Sadly, the birds did not win, and the mean Patriots took home the rings for the second year in a row.



After the game, we played Knockout for like two hours. My flip flops were just not doing it for me however, and eventually I kicked them off and went barefoot. The Turietta's driveway may seem spotlessly clean but don't be fooled-- my feet were nasty dirty, as Jarrod pointed out to me later. Most of the kids pooped out after Knockout and went for a "hayride" in the back of Jacob's truck, but the Justins, Jarrod and I stuck it out for a game of twenty-one, where Justin # 2 dominated the whole game and Justin #1 took a nice jaw hit from Jarrod (serves him right for his comment earlier).



Jesse took us all back to the Aubrey's house where we had originally met. As I dug through my purse for my keys, I felt a foreign object and pulled it out, thinking it was a dead flower or something that the boys had put in there as a joke. I PULLED OUT A LIZARD. It was in my hand for like five seconds before I realized A) it was not a dead flower, and B) it was squirming. Eeeeewwwwwwwww. I threw it on the ground, threw my purse on the ground, and was pretty much jumping up and down in the middle of the street while freaking out. Of course, the Justins and Jesse had no idea what had just happened, causing them a slight panic at first, too, but then they just laughed when I told them, and Justin # 2 picked up the creature and held it in his hands before I finally noticed it was still near me. Then he hurled it through the air and into the neightbor's yard, much to my dismay (I didn't want him to kill it either). I absolutely refused to touch my purse after that until someone checked for more lizards, and after my warning that there were in fact some girl products in there, one brave soul took it upon himself to search for more creatures. Jesse, you're a hero. After that I wanted to know who the culprit was, and resolved to call that evil Brice Hoffman (pastor's son and my official tormenter throughout high school and now in kid's church leadership) and his sidekick Weston Stecklair (also a tormenter in kids church) and give them a pice of my mind. But-- remember the first sentence of this blog-- I couldn't talk, so Justin # 2 called Brice and left a message that started with, "Hi, Brice, there are three guys over at the Aubrey's who are going to kick your..." Jesse called Weston who answered, laughed when he heard what happened, did some digging, and found out it was... Andrew Matthews (see previous senior picture, he's the one with the white T-shirt). That boy is so lucky I won't be at college group or church this week. However, I do have three contacts who will be there, who have a lot of experience with air soft guns....

Help!

Anybody out there got an idea for a paper on romanticism in eighteenth century England? Anbody? CUZ I DON'T!