Post #17: Yaz(oo), Colin Farrell, and A Hostage Negotiator Named James

I made my weekly trip to the library today. I had new Colin Farrell movie:  Dead Man Down and The Best of Yaz waiting on the 'holds' shelf and I was pretty sure my day couldn't get much better. Colin Farrell and 80's music are two of my most favorite things.
While I was looking for a book on Emergency Medical Services, I came across Bullets, Bombs, and Fast Talk: Twenty-Five Years of FBI War Stories. Score!
I have a secret (okay, maybe not too secret) love for anything law enforcement and emergency-situation related. I think it's really fascinating. This book is by James Botting and tells of his various experiences as a SWAT agent and a hostage negotiator. I'm really excited to read something by choice. I didn't find any EMS books, though, and that was a little disappointing.
As I type this, I have "Situation" blasting quietly on my CD player. I also have a not-so-secret love for 80's music. Seriously. My goal in life, along with being a princess and being in a movie in which I get to be Matt Damon's kid, is to go back in time and marry Simon Le Bon circa 1982 when he was young and blond and beautiful. Simon Le Bon is the lead singer of Duran Duran, another one of my most favorite things in the world. Although, honestly, I'd settle for any of the Duran Duran boys circa 1982.

Don't worry if you're confused, we all tend to be sometimes. - "Serious"

D

Post #16: Professional?

As I work my way through my capstone project, I am required to work with adults. That's all fine and dandy, but the way I have been treated lately by these community members is starting to become less than professional.
While I understand that events can happen that warrant more attention than a senior project, unless you're dead, there is no real reason why you can't text, email, call etc. someone to let them know you can't meet with them.
I sat in the lobby for thirty minutes after the meeting had already been postponed (not by me) from the previous day only to have another member of the Sparks Police Department tell me that I would be contacted "later" by my contact. I have not them from them since last Monday.
Not a "sorry I couldn't make it" or a "when can we reschedule" or even an "I don't think this is going to work".
Nada.
If I had been the one not to show up or not contacted, I would have been held responsible for a lack of professionalism and my opportunity to work with an organization would be taken away.
But when an adult behaves this way to a student, there are no consequences. I am only a student. I do not warrant the respect or courtesy given to other "professionals".
I am upset that as a student I am treated this way. Until I have proven that I am or am not professional, I deserve the courtesy that would be given to any prospective community partner.
When did it become okay for "professionals" to disregard my time, let alone anyone else's time?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

D

Post #15: VEGAS BABY!

I went to Las Vegas last week for a memorial tailgate for my Grandpa the weekend before last. UNLV played Hawai'i and won with a field goal in the last 5 seconds of the game, 39-37. It was a pretty exciting first game. But the whole weekend was filled with sad, silly, and weird moments. And a little bit of crying.
I get a lot of crap for supporting UNLV, but even my Uncle, who went to UNR, roots for UNLV when the two schools play for the Cannon (the one UNLV is gonna take back on Saturday). My Grandpa was "an original rebel", and was on the first UNLV football team in 1968.
Don't believe me? Willie Davison, #66

That's him.

Anyways, it was a really fun time, and stories were shared, hugs given, and I spent some time with family I don't often see.
I also got to hang out in the NV Highway Patrol RV, which was beyond awesome.
On Sunday, we got to tour the UNLV football locker room, which was a mess, and see where the team trains. I also got a drive-by tour of the campus, which was cool and scary all at the same time.
And it was warm in Vegas. That was really nice.
My favorite story was about how my second cousin (who is an adult with a family now) used to torture his little sister (who was about 4) when he was a teenager with the intercom system they had in their home when they were kids by saying "The witch is going to get you! I'm the witch and I'm going to get you!" much to the amusement of my also teen-aged Mom. His sister did not understand where the voice was coming from, and being four, was scared out of her mind.
After my Mom told this story, we discovered that my Uncle Buck has an intercom system between his house and the guest house where we were staying, and spent a good deal of the night in paranoid fear that "the witch" was going to scare the crap out of us.

UNLV GO! FIGHT! WIN!
Go Rebels!

D

Update: UNLV won the game, 27-22. The cannon is headed South! 10-26-2013

Post #14: The Play's the Thing (Driving Me Crazy)

Today in Mr. Burge's English class, we read some more Hamlet, but we also watched. It's fun to read Hamlet, but no one in the class is too adept at reading AND acting out something they're seeing for the first time. I don't think anyone is adept at that. But today, we watched some of the David Tennant version, much to the excitement of NP,who very much loves Doctor Who. We watched the bit with the "Dumb Show" that came before the actual play. It's quite funny. 

I love Hamlet, don't get me wrong, but I'm ready to move on. I want to read poetry or a novel or something that isn't Hamlet. His craziness is rubbing off and making me crazy! I want to read something that isn't about going nuts, because that seems to be where I'm headed. Senior year is going to be the  end of me! Scholarships, capstones, AP, tests, life, and not enough hours in the day. Yikes. Maybe I caught Senior-itis over the break. 

Hamlet struggles with walking the walk. He has no problem talking the talk, but actually doing things?

Not such a strong point. 

I think as seniors we are all struggling with the motivation to be productive. While we are not plotting to kill our Uncle-Dad's (I hope), we are plotting our graduations and, by extension, our futures. Where are we going to go to college? How are we going to pay for it? Have you got your cap and gown? How are your grades? Have you sold your soul to the All-Powerful Limbo Stick? What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Can we graduate yet?

Après moi, le déluge 

D

Post #13: One Week

It's fall break! One week of no school, unless you are failing a class. One week to get ahead on whatever it is that you need to get ahead on. I need to study for the SAT/ACT, fill out college applications, and get my capstone solidified. Thankfully, I didn't get too much homework, and all is quiet on the home front.

I am planning on spending at least two hours every day on SAT/ACT prep. I need to bump my scores up a good 15-20%. I only got a 1230 on the SAT. I need a higher score if I want to even come close to a full ride. Maybe I'll steal the answers. If Captain America and Black Widow could do it, so can I. 

I am going to fill out at least three college applications this week. At this point, whoever offers me the most money and has the programs I want is going to be the winner. My three for this week are UNR, UNLV, and Champlain. Yes, UNLV and UNR. 

I have contacted my community liaison and we are working to set up a project for my capstone. That should be done soon. 

I'm not going to lie. I also plan on watching as much Fringe as I can handle. And knitting stuff. And NOT watching some Canadian comedies about the theatre. And maybe I'll go to the movies. I am going to use this week to take a break. I need a break. We all need a break. This new schedule is wonderful. I was unsure back when we started, but now I'm thrilled.

Make good choices.

D

Post #12: What Are You Doing Here?

This year, I am taking an Emergency Medical Services class in order to get my CPR and (hopefully) First Responder certification. Last week, we were taking some notes, and a community liaison came in to shoot some footage for a video she was making for the district. She is often at my school, and knows that I'm in the Media department. She looked at me with surprise and said "what are you doing here?"

I looked up from my book. "I'm taking notes."

What are you doing here?

I go to a school full of kids who know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They're all taking classes centered specifically around those dreams. Unless they are a freshman, it's pretty rare that someone would take classes outside their academy. 

I don't know for sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. I know that I don't really want much to do with video journalism. I entered the media department because I thought it would be a chance to act and write. It was not. And now as I look ahead into the hazy abyss that is my future, I realize that it's okay to have no idea. I'm sixteen. I shouldn't have to have an idea. 

That woman looked down at me and asked me what I was doing there. 

I'll tell you what I was doing. I was doing something that made me happy. I was furthering my education and learning something new. I don't know what I want in the future besides to be happy. I want to write, and I want to read and travel and be a police officer or a paramedic or an English teacher or an actress or I don't know. The pedestal young adults are put on for knowing exactly what they want is so high, that trying to get off is hard. It's a long drop, and changing your mind begins a runaway train of events that even John Reid can't stop. I want to take classes that not only further my education, but enrich me personally. I want to get my First Responder certification because I can. It's something I want. That's it. Yes it could help others, but really, I'm taking it because I wanted to do something different this year. I wanted to take at least one class that was fun.
Life's too short to spend time pleasing someone else.

Many happy returns,

D

Post #11: What a Piece of Work is Man

In Act II, Scene II, Hamlet says "what a piece of work is man." I'm pretty sure he means this in a fairly reverent way, implying that humans are exquisite, but I always read it as: man is complicated and difficult to deal with. But this term was coined (according to Merriam-Webster) in 1928, so I don't think it was what Shakespeare meant. However, the reading still makes sense.

Fair is a place where you get cotton candy.

D

Post #10: Knitting and Little Sisters

Knitting is fun, and it's a really productive hobby. You can knit pretty much anything. Heck, you can knit underwear, but it's not recommended. But things like socks, hats, scarves, mittens, and some more hats are always nice to knit, and are relatively easy. I am currently making a One Direction hat for my little sister and I am working on a couple commissioned pieces for some friends. I like to knit while I watch TV or movies, because I hate just sitting and and staring at the screen. I feel a little more productive if I am clicking away at a project. And I get a hat. You can never have too many hats. I have six, and I'm working on another one.
The LilSis and I are watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's pretty cool to finally find something we both like. We can hear each other yelling at the TV screen in the separate rooms, telling the characters to make better choices, and then she comes in my room and quotes the last scene. She likes to look at whatever I'm working on knitting-wise and see how far I made it in the project during the last bit of show.

Having something in common is pretty awesome. I love my sister unconditionally, but it's hard to find things we both like when our tastes are so different. She likes One Direction, and I like Irish Punk music, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. But, we can bond over S.H.I.E.L.D. and that's pretty awesome.

I hope you have a good day and find money in your pocket.

-D