The Bane Of My Existence

Until the end of September, my mother has decreed that I shall use a rolling backpack.

Well, not just my mother. After jaw surgery (which involved a bone graft from my hip), she was concerned about the nine million pounds of rocks - er, textbooks - I carry on my back everyday for school. For reasons I shall list below, I did not want to use the "rolly", as we termed it, and insisted that I would be fine carrying my backpack. As a smart mother, she got me to agree that I would use a "rolly" if the doctor told me it would be better.

At a doctor's appointment yesterday, my mom brought up the subject, and he said that it would be better for "a few weeks." She asked him if "about a month" would be right, but when I added the exact month from the first day of school to September 19th, she chose to interpret his few weeks as "until the end of September."

We went out to Target and purchased a duffel bag on wheels. It was blue and green, colors that make me happy, and I decided I could "live with it". I packed the bag with my textbooks and folders, stuffed the one side pocket with my calculator and dictionary and wallet and headphones and phone and locker lock, and put various mini bags - little essentials, like band-aids and a mini toothbrush, in one; my myriad pencils, pens, and high-lighters in the next; and a very small one for a mini-stapler and similar things. I headed to school.

At school, a few friends referred to the backpack. I replied that it was "the bane of my existence." Thus, I named the backpack Bane. (Yes, I named my backpack. I might as well be on a first-name basis with it, if I'm to get through the next month and a half.)

Here are a list of the reasons why Bane deserves its name:

1. There are stairs in my school. I have to carry Bane up those stairs.
2. I have to negotiate Bane throughout the numerous smaller steps into and out of buildings.
3. My arms aren't used to pulling weight. My shoulder feels like it's about to rip out of its socket.
4. I pull Bane with my left hand, and use my right to hold other necessities like my coat, water bottle, and lunch bag. My watch is on my left hand. I can't see the time while I'm walking, and consequently walk briskly - I'm not allowed to run - to each of my classes, worrying all the while about the time.
5. Bane takes up more space in the aisles than my regular backpack.
6. Bane makes more noise being opened up, because it has Velcro.
7. Bane doesn't have nice little pockets, so things get shaken up in it. [One of the few items with a solution: tomorrow, Bane is getting a friend. A nice shoulder bag is coming to school also, to hold smaller items.]
8. I have to maneuver Bane in hallways without crushing people's feet.
9. Bane doesn't stand on its own, so I have to lie it down flat.
10. It's awkward to open doors without hands (or the use of my hip to push the door open).

I think that's about it. Adding that to the difficulties of handling our crowded hallways while recovering from surgery (I look okay, but I'm still in pain; I briefly considered making a neon sign that says "RECOVERING FROM SURGERY - BE NICE") and the general stresses of junior year (ack!), you can see why Bane deserves its name.

(Don't worry, Mom. :) It's not that bad. I'm just enjoying the humor in the negative situations, because the image of me trying not to get squashed or crush somebody's foot and get to class on time is kind of funny. And, well.....I have to justify the name somehow.)

Hello, School

On the last real day of summer, a look into my very tired, mildly stressed-out mind. Just pretend number one exists.

2. Food:

I can only eat soft-ish foods right now, especially because my jaw feels loose. Yeah, you read that right. I should go put my bands back in.

3. Relationships:

Rafael was talking about his crushes today.

4. Your crush:

Me: "Girls tease guys they like."

Rafael: "Do YOU tease guys you like?"

Me: "No, we're talking about girls your age."

5. Power Rangers:

Marcelo's Power Ranger mask…..except Marcelo is now into Pokemon, and wants people to call him Pikachu, or however you spell it. Please let this phase go away.

6. Life:

A bit in that song The Way She Feels by Between The Trees.

7. The President:

Has two children.

8. Yummy:

"I'm so rumbly in my tumbly - time for something sweet!"

9. Cars:

We have a rental one right now.

10. Movies:

The Matrix. My dad and I watched that last night.

11. Halloween:

Candy…?

13. Religion:

I wonder who my teacher will be this year. I hope it's a good one.

14. Hate:

is bad.

15. Fear:

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself." That's a cliché. I suppose I should fear them, too.

16. Marriage:

We saw a Mickey and Minnie getting married cake today.

17. Blondes:

Cali.

18. Slippers:

I have monkey slippers.

19. Shoes:

Maire.

20. Asians:

I'm a minority in debate.

21. Pastime:

That word looks weird.

23. My cell phone:

Marie killed it when we were over there.

24. Smoke:

Wildfires, like the ones we saw on the mountain driving back from WA.

25. Fantasy:

Princesses.

26. College:

Going to Santa Clara would be cool.

27. High school life:

Fun. About to start. Work. I wonder what high school would be like if I went to my old school, still?

28. Pajamas:

My favorites are my leopard pajamas and my Space Needle ones.

29. Stars:

Really cute scene in the upcoming play. Except I have to sing. *cringe*

30. Center:

"Once you find your center, you are sure to win!" That song has a lot of memories attached. Like so many.

31. Alcohol:

….and nothing comes to mind….

32. The word love:

TWLOHA. And that song based on that passage "love is patient, love is kind". And the song "All you need is love."

33. Friends:

Miss them.

34. Money:

Rafael was talking about how I have a lot of it today.

35. Heartache:

Not good.

36. Time:

STOP. SLOW DOWN.

37. Divorce:

ummmm……nothing comes to mind. I'm tired.

38. Dogs:

Mocha. He's a dumb dog, though (as in, he is not intelligent).

40. Parents:

Rafael and I were the parents this Saturday.

41. Babies:

The twins.

42. Ex:

An ex, as in an ex-husband or boyfriend. Makes me think of a cousin of mine.

43. Song:

"One song, I have but one song…."

44. Color:

That's what I'm going to do when I'm done with this.

45. Weddings:

Cake.

46. Pizza:

The pig and pizza place.

47. Hangout:

RTC and the…..group of shops you can walk to from school.

48. Rest:

What's that?

49. Goal:

Soccer.

50. Inspiration:

Tends to come when I don't want it.

Books I Read - June

1) The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins.

a. This was a re-read book, but I still loved it just as much as I did the first time. The book is set in a futuristic USA, called Panem. The all-powerful Capitol hosts the dark and terrible Hunger Games each year – two “tributes” (children between the ages of twelve and eighteen) are randomly picked to battle to the death in a man-made nature arena. Katniss ends up going to the Hunger Games, along with a boy called Peeta. The book does a really, really good job of conveying the stress and sadness of these games, the strange, futuristic world of the Capitol, and Katniss’s tricky relationship with Peeta.

2) Just In Case – Meg Rosoff.

a. This book confused me at first. It seemed slow and really pointless. To my English 2H friends, it reminded me of a book version of The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock. It also tends to make you suspend belief in reality. It tells the story of this boy, Justin, who believes himself to be doomed. Comments from Fate are interspersed into the mix, and (despite being set in a realistic, believable world) it could never happen in real life. So maybe there’s a bit of magical realism in there, but it doesn’t seem quite the same. Odd read.

3) The Comedy of Errors – William Shakespeare.

a. Having performed this play in fourth grade (I was a narrator), I wanted to re-read the play for the fun of it. It’s basically the story of two separated-at-birth twin boys and their twin slaves. They end up in the same city, and massive confusion ensues. I was giggling at times (the language really isn’t super-hard to get through), because it is funny. I’ll add that Shakespeare had some very crude humor.

4) Beezus and Ramona – Beverly Cleary.

a. I picked this up because I was bored. It’s my five-year-old brother’s book. I can’t believe anybody would NOT have read Ramona as a kid. She’s basically this mischievous little four-year-old, and nine-year-old Beezus (her sister) has to deal with her.

5) Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing CLEAR, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries – Robert J. MacKenzie, Ed.D.

a. Does Ed.D mean “Educational Doctor” or something? Anyway, this falls under the same category as the above: “I’m too lazy to go upstairs and get my own reading book, so I’m going to pick up my mother’s parenting book”. It entertained me – I am the “Strong-Willed Child”.

6) Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt.

a. This is a memoir about McCourt’s experiences growing up poor in Ireland, around the time of WWII. It’s very well-done in the sense that I though it captured the “child’s” perspective that a young McCourt would have. It’s a pretty long read, but I enjoyed it.

7) Enchantress From The Stars – Sylvia Engdahl.

a. I fear that I shall do a poor job of summarizing this book, but I’ll try. Teenage Elana is an agent-in-training for a supremely advanced interstellar civilization. Her job entails helping the “Youngling” planets, medieval societies which still believe in magic and have faith in everything, rebel against imperialist “adolescent” worlds, the more jaded planets, who have technology, but not the mentality to handle it. She ultimately ends up on the planet Andrecia, and is forced to help them despite difficult choices and limitations. Doctor Jarel, of the “adolescent” invaders, begins to realize that Andrecian natives are human…and he is not pleased with his Empire for not treating them as such. Wisdom-seeking Andrecian woodcutter Georyn wants to defeat a “dragon” on the other side of his enchanted forest, and Elana becomes his “Enchantress from the Stars”, who will help him achieve it. Sounds clichéd? Yes. Was it clichéd? No. This book has a lot of depth, more so than I could ever hope to express, in the way it connects Elana, Jarel, and Georyn, tells their stories, and allows the reader to meet the same difficult questions Elana faced. I couldn’t put it down.

8) Disgrace – J. M. Coetzee.

a. Here’s the summary from the book itself [it makes life easier for me to use an online or printed summary, and just concern myself with my opinions, so that’s what I’ll be doing]: “At 52, Professor David Lurie is divorced, filled with desire, but lacking in passion. An affair with one of his students leaves him jobless, shunned by his friends, and ridiculed by his ex-wife. He retreats to his daughter Lucy’s isolated smallholding, where a brief visit becomes an extended stay as he tries to find meaning from this one remaining relationship. David’s attempts to relate to Lucy and to a society with new racial complexities are disrupted by an afternoon of violence that shakes all his beliefs and threatens to destroy his daughter.”

b. My thoughts: This is an extremely read-between-the-lines sort of book. Coetzee never outwardly states, except through David’s thoughts, what he wants you to gather from a word, phrase, or sentence. You have to pick it up on your own. The despondent, desolate male protagonist and storyline reminded me of The Trial by Franz Kafka. It is in no way uplifting, but it is an interesting read.

9) Bad Girls – Jacqueline Wilson.

a. Summary from the book: “Mandy White is a good girl whom the bad girls like to pick on. She’s the perfect target, with her long yellow braids, which her mother refuses to let her wear in a more grown-up style, and her goofy glasses, which her mother thinks are too adorable to be replaced by a more fashionable pair. Life seems pretty bleak until a bigger, badder girl moves in across the street and takes a liking to Mandy. Tanya is fun, she’s tough, and she wears really cool clothes. Of course, Mandy’s mother wants her to have nothing to do with the new neighbor. But Mandy is growing up and learning a lot about herself and the real world. For starters, sometimes a bad girl is just lonely – and can make the best friend.”

b. This was a book I was re-reading, from an old box my mom found in the garage. I adored Jacqueline Wilson as a child. Now, at sixteen, I’m as old as bad girl Tanya, instead of ten-year-old Mandy. So it kind of shocked me, since I have a ten-year-old brother, to realize how grown up they really are. Beyond that, the book was fine – an easy read. Nothing stellar for somebody my age, but easy and fun.

10) Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine.

a. Summary from the book: “This is a book about writing fiction. But it should help you write anything – e-mails, essays, greeting cards, love letters, skywriting. Do you want to write stories that catch your readers and never let go? Have you ever wondered how to create a book as magical as Ella Enchanted, as touching as Dave at Night, as captivating as Fairest? Well, now you can find out! In Writing Magic, Newberry Honor author Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing. She shows how you, too, can get terrific ideas for stories, invent great beginnings and endings, write sparkling dialogue, develop memorable characters – and much, much more. She advises you about what to do when you feel stuck – and how to use helpful criticism. Best of all, she offers writing exercises that will set your imagination on fire.”

b. This was another re-read book like Bad Girls. I ADORED Gail Carson Levine as a child. I do believe one of her books received the honor of being read right before surgery, the highest honor I can bestow upon a book (surgery is so stressful, it needs a good book to calm me down). Yet another read was donated as a “favorite book”, a book that I always donate along with others I don’t like, except that this one is a book I adore, that I choose to give up. This one gives good, albeit simple, advice on how to write. I don’t really need to say much about it.

11) Snow in August – Pete Hamill.

a. Summary from the book: “Set in a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood in 1947, this…tale revolves around…an eleven-year-old Irish Catholic boy named Michael Devlin and Rabbi Judah Hirsh, a refugee from Prague…their initial chance encounter in a swirling blizzard one Saturday morning…the mute awe they share at first setting eyes on the hallowed grounds of Ebbets Field…For Michael, the rabbi’s stories of ancient magic and wisdom capture his imagination and transport him to times and places even his beloved comic book heroes have never visited. For the rabbi, Michael’s patient instruction in the language of baseball and American culture opens up an equally strange and magical world. A band of anti-Semitic toughs, however, see no place in their neighborhood for Jews or the people who associate with them. The threats of these hooligans are not idle, and soon Michael and Rabbi Hirsch are trapped in a dangerous spiral of hate in which there is only one hope…a miracle.”

b. My thoughts: I really loved this book. The author does a good job of telling the story of the poor Irish family and the dynamics of life in their neighborhood, such as the “ethical code” of the Irish boys, which forbids you from being a “rat” (tattle-tale) – this poses significant problems for Michael. He gives you just enough story and just enough real life to keep you interested, and there were quite a few portions of the book that surprised me. It’s a bit intense, though.

12) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney.

a. Summary from the book: “It’s summer vacation – the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn. Greg, a self-confessed ‘indoor person’, is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom as a different vision for an ideal summer…one packed without outdoor activities and ‘family togetherness.’ Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?”

b. My thoughts: This was another pick-it-up-because-I’m-bored book. It was conveniently right next to where I happened to be sitting. Greg is just the type of kid to annoy me (and make me wonder if there are any middle school boys actually like him, or any families like his). Easy read, don’t expect anything more than that.

13) Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.

a. Summary from the book: “We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty…and what curses accompanied Cinderella’s looks? Set against the backdrop o seventeenth century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept away from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice,a nd ambition. Iris’s path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household – and the treacherous truths of her former life.”

b. My thoughts: I loved this story. It manages to keep the traditional Cinderella fairy tale, with a bunch of twists and surprises. AP Euro people will appreciate understanding the context and historical time period of this story. Furthermore, it’s not a classic Cinderella parody, in which Cinderella becomes the spoiled brat, and her stepfamily a loving, caring unit. Really complex characters, surprising but well-done plot – I really enjoyed this book.

14) Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy.

a. Summary from the book: “At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. In this…memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength…Portraying the pain of pear rejection and the guilty pleasures of wanting to be special, Grealy captures…what it feels like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect.”

b. My thoughts: This was a very interesting book, as it doesn’t go into much detail about the physical aspects of all her treatments. She really only focuses on the mentality of being treated for cancer, of going through these surgeries, and of wondering how to handle the aftermath – all things that anybody who has their own plethora of medical experiences to recount can relate to, I think. [Example: she explains that, despite her understanding that it’s an illogical fear, she won’t close her eyes when being put to sleep for surgery because she worries that they’ll start operating right away. I have had this same fear since I was a small child, even though I’m an intelligent sixteen-year-old and am very aware of the many reasons it’s unfounded.] She tells her story without hiding anything or shying away from her mental responses to the extremely challenging situations she faced.

15) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

a. Summary from the book: “Junior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation. Born with a variety of medical problems, he is picked on by everyone but his best friend. Determined to receive a good education, Junior leaves the rez to attend an all-white school in the neighboring farm town where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Despite being condemned as a traitor to his people and enduring great tragedies, Junior attacks life with wit and humor and discovers a strength inside of himself that he never knew existed….The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian…chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one unlucky boy trying to rise above the life everyone expects him to live.”

b. My thoughts: I mainly picked this up because it seems like I’ve heard of it EVERYWHERE and I wanted to see for myself. Because of the subject matter, it’s better than your average fluffy teenage novel, but it’s no work of literary genius.

16) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.

a. Summary from the book: “If you start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. (Though this isn’t a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter one.”

b. My thoughts: This book is set in an interesting context, and it takes you a little while to puzzle it out. But at a certain point, you do. I enjoyed it, especially the fact that it’s a book for older readers, but comes from the point of view and perspective of a little boy.

Rules For Plays With Cousins

Writing

1. When we first think of the idea, there must be tears and fighting about casting.

2. Once we’ve settled the casting, we must think it is the best idea EVER.

3. I go home and start writing. I must use Rafael as my spot for bouncing off ideas. It does not matter if he accepts this or not.

4. I must stare at a blank piece of paper a lot, wondering why the idea that works so well in my head doesn’t work as well on paper.

5. Inspiration must strike at random, horrible times – like two in the morning or during a test.

6. I must call at least one part of the play “stupid” at least once.

7. I must stare at my writing and want to rip it apart, claiming it’s horrible and canned and will never work.

8. I must believe that I got myself into too much.

9. I must give myself ridiculously hard musical stuff to do, and I must be stubborn about doing it myself. (Incidentally, the previously mentioned incredibly generous friend, who is also a much-too-talented musician, must insist that “anybody can write music”.)

10. I must stress about rehearsal timing.

11. I must ultimately get everything done and be able to deal with it.

The Story (This is the only part of this that contains actual rules instead of simple truths.)

1. Somebody must give some sort of an intro.

2. I must have at least one tricky song.

3. Olivia and I must do at least one duet (this didn’t happen in the second play).

4. Rafael and I must fight (this didn’t happen in the first play).

5. There must be one song where we all hold hands and spin in a circle.

6. Olivia must act hypocritical at least once (this didn’t happen in the first play, either).

Practicing

1. I must believe that this is never going to work.

2. There must be at least one horrible practice.

3. Olivia must misbehave and refuse to practice piano.

4. Rafael must quit at least once.

5. I must be the most responsible, and get told such at least once.

6. Lydia must be an angel and try to get Marcelo to come; he must refuse.

7. Emily must want to do headstands while wearing a skirt.

8. There must be at least one song I’m freaked out about.

9. I must bribe kids with candy.

10. The performance must end up much better than we ever believed, and we must be really proud after performing and have the most fun we’ll ever have.

Post-Performance: Editing

1. I must nag my dad insufferably to convince him that I really, really do want those videos right away.

2. The computer must die at least once.

3. I must literally collapse on top of the computer at least once.

4. I must cringe at at least one part of my performance (generally the aforementioned terrifying song).

5. I must have at least one picture where I look dead. This picture must be crucial to the pictures section. (It was worse the second time. There was a whole series of pictures where I look dead. Smudgy eyeliner and I are not friends.)

6. I must praise everyone else’s acting, and say that “I’m doing awful.” Everyone else must do the same with their own acting. Some may agree that I am doing awful. Usually, they are my siblings.

7. When we get done, we must eat dinner on the sofa watching the play, now transferred to a DVD.

My Desk

My desk was a mess the other day. An utter, colossal mess. So much so that it took me a couple hours to tidy it today. As I tidied, I began to realize that what's on my desk gives you a pretty good idea of who I am. So here, I present a list of every single item that was (but no longer is, thankfully) on my desk.

· X-ray referral.

· Booklist from my critical research essay.

· Receipt from the library.

· Chase Bank “Deluxe Transaction Register”.

· Multicolored Spanish conjugation flashcards.

· Thin green notebook, used for random notes, with a picture of Monica, the Brasilian comic book character, on the cover.

· Another Chase “Deluxe Transaction Register”.

· A scribbled-on index card with brainstorming for the play I’ll perform with my cousins.

· A Chase Bank checkbook.

· A 2010 AP Student Pack.

· An index card with a penciled list of songs to buy.

· A magazine called “The Great Courses”.

· A little yellow AP booklet.

· A Chase Savings Account booklet.

· A half-sheet of paper with online databases for my school library.

· A long, thin sheet of paper that was my learner’s permit test.

· A one-third sheet of paper with info about a Meemli Position.

· A PSAT/NMSQT Test Booklet.

· A QuickStudy guide to Spanish grammar.

· 135 sheets of college-ruled, lined paper.

· The 2009-10 Bulletin for AP Students and Parents.

· 31 binder dividers, with colorful tabs.

· 12 sheets of fancy, creamy printer paper.

· Booklet about The Vascular Neurosurgery Program at UCSF.

· Two sheets of pink lined paper with purple writing about the play.

· Eight sheets of paper with printed out song lyrics for the play.

· One sheet of printer paper with pen scribbles about a medley for the play on one side, and a colorful drawing by Little Brother #2 on the other.

· A half-sheet of paper documenting a printed Scene 1 of the play.

· A half-sheet of paper with a printed summery of the play.

· Two sheets of paper with a printed out idea for an intro scene for the play.

· One sheet of college-ruled lined paper with black religion notes and polka dots on one side, and a large-handwriting song plan for the play.

· A blue piece of paper with course requirements for junior year.

· A colorful biology study guide on a sheet of printer paper.

· Two sheets of lined paper with arguments against e-books.

· 7 printed out sheets of Chase Bank Account Rules and Regulations.

· A booklet of Chase Account Rules and Regulations (Your Guide To: Checking, Savings, Certificates of Deposit, Overdraft Protection, Privacy Policy).

· Fifteen pages of Chase Bank Online Agreement.

· A Chase Bank Account Summary on two sheets of printer paper.

· A printed out Caillou drawing.

· A much-crumpled sheet of college-ruled, lined paper.

· A falling-apart, purple Do You Yahoo!? Folder.

· A blue Chase Bank folder.

· A half-sheet of blue lined paper with a word game on it.

· Two sheets of printer paper with the TWLOHA story on them.

· A much-used notebook with a green cover and an elephant on it.

· A half-used white legal pad from Office-Max.

· A gray folder with blue flowers, containing:

o Two sheets of lined paper with penciled math homework.

o A biology timeline on a strip of adding machine paper.

o My English class CRE final draft (15 pages, typed, double-spaced, with blue comments by the teacher).

o New Testament John Review Questions (5 pages, typed, double-spaced, 16 pt. font, “15” in red on the top).

o New Testament Questions on Revelation (typed, single-spaced, one page, “10” in red on the top).

o Drawing of St. Therese on printer paper with colored pencils, and a stapled typed explanation.

o A printed, hand-filled-out chart with the differences between the four Gospels.

o A Scantron Bio-H exam.

o A double-sided sheet of printer paper explaining Questia School.

o One sheet of paper with holes colored on it.

o A plastic sheet protector.

o A double-sided, two-paged chart, hand-written, with info on animal phylums.

o A filled out sheet of Spanish service (Llevar esperanza a los más necesitados), with an attached, typed response.

o A couple of hole-punched Spanish quizzes on short stories.

o Practice AP Exam Scantron.

o Printed out Practice Essay Questions.

o Lined paper with practice choir questions in blue writing.

o Story packet for English (16 typed, two-columned, double-sided pages).

o Typed, double-spaced, six-paged The Things WE Carry essay.

o Lit Circle Roles paper.

o Typed schedule for the Logan Debate Tournament (three pages, single-spaced).

o Typed, five page, double-spaced speech.

· Brasildade notebook with a picture of a waterfall on the front and pages bookmarked with sticky notes.

· Barely used black graph paper book.

· Blue and white folder with a Yahoo! Passport on the front, containing:

o Four sheets of lined paper religion notes.

o AP European History Current Events Research Assignment Rubric (typed, handwritten comments by teacher).

o New Testament Additional Vocabulary List (typed, with my handwritten notes.

o Mammals notes on lined paper.

o Practice AP Euro exam on blue lined paper torn out from a notebook.

o Hospital survey in an envelope.

o Children’s Choir registration.

· Cream-colored folder with pink and brown hearts and flowers, containing:

o LTL Habit 3 Quiz (one typed page, one handwritten page).

o Habit TWO Quiz (one typed page).

o LTL Scantron test.

o LTL Personal Mission Statement explanation (three typed double-spaced pages).

o The Great Discovery (typed, single-spaced, two pages).

o Antwone Fisher essay (one typed rubric, four-page, double-sided, double-spaced essay, five pages, double-sided, of lined paper notes).

o Talent Interviews (three typed, double-spaced pages.

o Random religion notes (one typed page).

o Proactive vs. Reactive Behavior (one typed, double-sided page).

o Notes on Developing a Healthy Self Esteem (typed, double-spaced page).

o Stanford Hospital and Clinics Optical Prescription.

o Fundraising letter from Smile Train.

o Fundraising promo thing from smile train.

o Two pre-addressed envelopes from SmileTrain.

o Post card that says “Yes, I’ll give a child a second chance at life!” from Smile Train.

o Another letter from SmileTrain.

o Envelope for the above letter.

o Two sheets of lined paper on computer code, written by my dad in red ink.

· A ruler from the Birth of Impressionism exhibit.

· Purple booklet entitled Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners: Fiction, Biography, Nonfiction, Poetry, & Drama.

· Blue booklet entitled Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners.

· The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

· The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

· Little bookmark tabs.

· 38 sheets of lined paper.

· 83 sheets of pink lined paper.

· 4 sheets of printer paper.

· 2 dividers.

· 3 blue, empty report covers.

· Huge AP Euro study guide booklet, in a blue report cover.

· 2 blue, empty report covers.

· Casio solar-powered calculator.

· A blueberry.

· A red rubber band.

· A yellow macaw magnet.

· A white eraser.

· A written on index card.

· The following highlighters, all working:

o Two fat blues.

o One fat pink with a yellow cap.

o One thin yellow.

· The following sharpies, all working:

o Thin red one.

o Fat purple one.

o Two fat lime green ones.

o One fat orange one.

o Fat blue one.

o Fat dark green one.

o Fat burgundy one.

o Fat dark blue one.

· Two working, inky [read: smudgy] red pens.

· One working, dry [read: not-smudgy] red pen.

· Three working, inky blue pens.

· One working, dry blue pen.

· One working, dry purple pen.

· One kind-of working, dry green pen.

· One working, dry black pen.

· Four mechanical pencils (one green, two blue, and one black) with led.

· One dull yellow #2 pencil.

· Eight half-index cards with play storyboarding on them.

· 34 index cards.

· One closed pack of one hundred index cards.

· A cream-colored stapler named Old Faithful.

· A dirty Ziploc bag.

· One dry, working light blue pen.

· One dry, working light green pen.

· Three dry, working black pens.

· The following sharpies, all working:

o One fat silver.

o Two fat reds.

o One thin black.

o One fat black.

· A polka-dotted pencil bag, containing:

o A small pair of scissors.

o The following highlighters, all working:

§ One thin yellow.

§ Two fat yellows.

§ One fat orange.

§ Three fat greens.

§ One thin blue.

o The following sharpies, all working:

§ One fat burgundy.

§ One fat yellow.

§ One fat lime green.

§ One fat green.

§ One thin green.

§ One fat turquoise.

§ One thin blue.

§ One fat blue.

§ Two fat blacks.

o One working red marker.

o One working, dry red pen.

o One working, inky red pen.

o Two working, inky blue pens.

o One working, inky purple pen.

o One working green marker.

o One working, dry green pen.

o One capless, working one one side, two-sided black marker.

o Two working, inky black pens.

o Three working, dry black pens.

o One back mechanical pencil with lead in it.

· One black, lined paper composition book, half-used.

· Three used yellow sticky notes.

· My Chase debit card, attached to a double-sided piece of printer paper that says Quick Facts About Paying With Your Card.

· A library receipt.

· A three-hundred-pack of index cards.

· A pack of 45 yellow sticky notes.

· One more used sticky note.

· A stuffed, blue M&M named Mr. M.

· A small, blue magnetic board, decorated with a little girl doll, with the following attached:

o A rainbow smiley face that says “have a groovy day” around the edge.

o A pink heart, with pencil hearts and the words “to Beebee” inside.

o A red heart with a sparkly pink center.

o A smiley face listening to music.

o A snowman with blue snow clothes, holding a dove and a sign that says “Merry Christmas to a Special Sister!”

o A Yahoo! Messenger magnet.

· A blue pencil pouch, containing:

o Six yellow or orange #2 pencils in varying degrees of sharpness.

o One working, dry blue pen.

o One working, dry black pen.

o Correction Tape.

o A pink pearl eraser.

o A beaten-up sharpener with a yellow lid.

o A panda figure.

· A clear pencil pouch with hearts on it.

· A Ziploc containing hearing aid tubes.

· A sheet of Chase paper with my username, password, and the website on it.

· Half an index card with the Final Exam Equation written on it in blue sharpie.

· A Book Lover’s Calendar for 2010.

· One working purple highlighter with an orange cap.

· The following sharpies, all working:

o Thin green one.

o Thin blue one.

o Thin black one.

o Fat light blue one.

· Two mechanical pencils, one red and one green, with lead.

· A working, inky blue pen.

· A broken black pencil.

· A broken, dry black pen.

· A broken black marker.

· A broken, dry green pen.

· A Franklin electronic dictionary.

· A white electronic sharpener.

· A yellow rubber band.

· A thin plastic case.

· A plastic “Micro Office Tool Box”, containing:

o A thin film of paper explaining what should be in the box.

o Four boxes of pencil lead.

o A significant number of loose staples or small collections of staples (which I can’t count because of their odd groupings).

· The cover of an index card pack.

· A closed packet of Peter Rabbit Sticky Notes.

· A yellow sticky note with random-looking numbers on it.

· A black pencil cup, containing, with varying degrees of sharpness, the following colored pencils:

o Three reds.

o Three red-oranges.

o Two oranges.

o One tiger.

o One magenta.

o Three yellow-greens.

o Four greens.

o One Robin Hood green.

o One neon blue.

o Three light blues.

o Two blues.

o Three violets.

o One peach.

o One tan.

o Three light browns.

o Two browns.

o One gray.

o Two blacks.

· One red sharpener shaped like a London double-decker bus.

· One blue mug containing, in varying degrees of sharpness, the following pencils:

o Three purple pencils with Yahoo! Y!s all over them.

o Two purple pencils with Do You YAHOO!? written on them.

o One eraserless orange pencil from the library.

o One white pencil with silver writing that says Woodland Park Zoo and penguins.

o One colorful green pencil.

o Two black pencils that say “happy time”.

o A brown pencil with GrandeHotel São Pedro written on it in green.

o A white pencil with a bunch of hearts.

o A soft blue pencil with “NINJA TURTLES” written on it in sharpie.

o A blue pencil from Notre Dame in San Jose.

o A colorful Christmas pencil.

o A green pencil with flowers.

o Two regular brown pencil.

o …and a turquoise marker cap.

· A laptop (duh).

· A black holepuncher.

· A patterned (it has dogs on it) box containing:

o A Ziploc with two buttons.

o A broken Curious George magnet.

o A thin black ribbon.

o A purple crayon.

o One empty pencil lead case.

o One case of pencil lead with lead in it.

o Three elastic bands (two are yellow, one is blue).

o A broken bit of a blue ruler.

o A blue compass.

o A purple mini-stapler.

o A safety pin.

o A red sharpener with a larger and a smaller hole.

o A little red paper clip kind of thing…

o Two paper clips in good condition (one purple, one red).

o Three bent paper clips (two green, one silver).

o The following highlighter caps:

§ Dark purple.

§ Purple.

§ Translucent purple.

o Two black pen caps.

o Twelve pieces of sticky notes.

o One blue index card.

o A box of little labels.

o The other half of the George magnet.

o The following erasers.

§ One red heart.

§ Two popsicle puzzle erasers:

· Two little brown sticks.

· One pink popsicle.

· One brown popsicle.

· One pink popsicle topping.

· One brown popsicle topping.

§ An ice cream sandwich puzzle eraser:

· Two brown “Biscuits”.

· A pink center.

§ A broken ice cream cone (it has strawberry ice cream).

§ Six pencil eraser caps.

§ Two white erasers.

· A crayon box, containing the classic eight crayons, hopefully in pristine condition.