August

So, since you were all in SUCH great suspense over what my last month has been like, I GUESS i'll update:-)

August 1-3- cran hill camp. see BLANK post below for details
August 4- hung out at pool. got conned into working for Joe...NOT cool, turns out everyone went to Grand Haven *glares at Joe*
August 5- pool, work
August 7- pool day. went to get john around 8:30, went to icecream. got tired of that, decided to go to McDonalds, sat for about 20 mintues, got sick of that, decided to go to Meijers. john tells group can get jelly beans for free, every1 wants to see. puts like, 4 of 'em in a bag, takes to self checkout, where scale doesn't register weight, so amount says $0.00. almost gets away with it until random meijers employee sees, makes john pay a nickle. i was, of course, mortified. sat in parking lot for awhile, went home.
August 8- amos's sr pix. he decides needs clothes...go to mall, don't find much. di and steve come later. volunteered. came back to mall with linz to get super good deals at aero, all tops 50% off!!
August 9-12- degraffs cottage on Lake MI...it was really beautiful, I LOVE it out there. 'course, can only stand so much of family continously, was ready to leave, lol. on the 11th went to Annie with Gade girls. Amanda forgot her cellphone, little fruitcake. made it to ben and jerry's with about 2 minutes to spare before it closed at 11, didn't even get LOST ok!! SCORE!!
August 14- Student council breakfast at *gag* 7:30. went to meijers with christie and lauralen to copy cran hill pix. went with paula to pick up valencia, took to children's museum. wrote letters to clifford and emily elizabeth, made dog biscuts, tried on bee keeper clothes, played with bubbles for ages, had a blast in all actuality. took to coldstone for icecream before brought home. worked.
August 15, 16- volunteered, worked.
August 17- started to worry about hoffmaster. got maggie to go grocery shopping with me in the a.m. FHF donated all the food...$207 worth, totally awesome of them!! flew home, unloaded, changed to go to maria's sr pix with her. got royally stuck in traffic despite nick and jesse's best efforts. ended up being half an hour late to her appt. had to reschedule, she was NOT happy. went to mcdonalds for icecream (take5 mcflurries are the best things EVER!!) came home for a little bit, went to volunteer. still have to get everything ready for camping, maria sposta come help, so i put it off until about 10 until realize she isn't coming, begin frantically making hamburger patties. John calls with news that he's LEAVING for 2 weeks. Pete had come home, talk to him for like an hour before remembering that I still needed to talk to john a whole bunch more, talk to him until about 1:30.
August 18- dad's bday...3rd yr in a row gone on his bday:-/ Day 1 of hoffmaster trip which actually took place at the Muskegon state park. got crap cuz was last to get to school. unloaded van, reloaded into daryl and mr dv's vehicles. rode to hoffmaster (its really muskegon, its just that since we always call it hoffmaster, thats what i'll refer to it as) with daryl. heard horror stories about his gf and their huge hiking and camping escapades...she's a brave girl, thats all I have to say!! set up camp, got dragged on hike, swam at beach for awhile, made supper. called phil to save us from the plight of not having eggs or butter, as I'd left them in our fridge at home. as always he had a calming effect and solved the problem. rest of campers arrived. hooter scooter, sam, bob tell HILARIOUS stories about sylvania vacation of previous week. went back to beach, had girl talk with girls (every 15 seconds!! lol!!!), watched guys play football, huge game of keepaway guys vs. girls. back to camp, made fire, listened to mr dv talk about being "media saturated" among other things...interesting discussion actually. played flashlight tag. ate marshmellows *ahem* I mean marshmAllows. went to bed around 2:45, didn't sleep till about 3:30 because of peeping bob, among other things.
August 19- day 2 of hoffmaster. had breakfast, scott doesn't know how to eat french toast...he thinks ur sposta dip it BACK in egg after you fry it!! girls valiantly resisted all efforts by chaperones to try to make us go on another horrible fight. translated: barracaded selves in tent and blatently refused to come out. guys collapsed tent arround us, tried to drown us with water thru windows. we won, they left. mr dv later said if the tent had been stronger he'd have had the guys carry it super far away so we had to hike back!! cleaned up camp, way ezier without guys around. recalled icecream sign, took seth's car to go find...VERY good stuff!! came back to camp to find a bunch of irate hiker guys demanding lunch. fed the guys, finished cleaning up. guys headed to grand haven, girls went home. unloaded mr dv's van, reloaded my van with everything. came home, re-unloaded van, was VERY tired, bed early!!
August 21- got ditched on movie day with steve...put me in bad mood! went to mall with CAL. tried on cupcake dresses at marshall fields. a few were practically obscene!! took pix, laughed a lot. drove to icecream, ran a red light, causing lauren to burst my eardrum with her hysterical screams. enjoyed icecream, headed home.
August 22- last tuesday day at DeVos sadly. got haircut, eyebrows done. met jesse at random church. went with him to meet nate, who's really a marshmAllow inside, at meijers. hung out there for a bit, looked for 12 gauge shells...or something, laughed at guys spazzing out cuz there weren't any. met maria and nick at ucellos. got super good dessert, didn't even have to PAY, lol. sat in parking lot, "broke up" with jesse (for any and all who would spread rumors, we aren't and weren't going out, thats a JOKE!!), waited for ages and ages for nick and maria to say goodnight and get the "last grab". rode home with maria, she spent night. watched failure to launch, always a good time. talked about my dream of recent nights, laughed, went to sleep around 3.
August 23- slept in, maria long gone. volunteered.
August 24- cleaned up ctyd with christie, lauren, drew and jake...the ONLY SC members who could come *rolls eyes* ended up spraying large amts of roundup where weeds were found. worked.
August 25- last day of summer!! worked, every1 else went to motocross, which put me in VERY VERY bad mood. talked to jesse later.
August 28- sooooooooob, first day of school. i made a motion to put on sack clothe and ashes and pluck out out beards, but it didn't pass:-) tried to remind self is sr. yr, will be a blast prolly. talked at assembly about grafting *rolls eyes* but trust me, it was better than the one about rowing boats together or the infamous signs...don't ask!! no, i talked about student council, not grafting, thats just what the assembly was about, lol. linz let me down in leading the clapping, lol. went thru day in a sort of daze. davie brought me my PEACH, which actually totally made my day come to think of it. had traditional first day of school pool party despite cold temps and RAIN!! not cool. a few ppl swam for like, 45 minutes. played volleyball in the rain for actually quite awhile. guys went to play bball, girls hung out in covered room chitchatting. reluctantly ditched former plans for whitecaps game due to rain, headed to applebees not knowing where would go from there. laughed at hostess lady who shamelessly flirted with guys. there were like, 15 of us, poor waiter guy, but we gave him a good tip, lol. decided to go to seth's house. watched ladder 49, i def. cried...omg, it was just so SAD ok!! sad movie put me in sad mood, went to icecream half heartedly. took some pix n stuff. yelled at steve when he poured icecream ALL OVER my windshield...yelled LOUDLY actually, enough so that he apologized the next day!! drove home, read, talked on phone until about 10 after 12.
August 29- that'd be today. day 2 of school, sigh. got homework in 2.5 classes...precalc was suggested, not yet required, lol. went to skills with maria at noon on errand for mr b, seriously almost got really hurt. maria was pulling out and some guy ran a red light. thankfully she'd waited a cpl seconds before going when the light turned green, so instead of broadsiding her little car he instead hit the nice new jeep next to us who'd pulled out a second before us. if he'd hit us...omg, it woulda been HORRIBLE. went back to school, decided would really be enjoying last hour studyhall. made last minute decision to get valencia, kaiden, and alexxus and take 'em to the pool. they totally wore me out, lol. i lost track of how many times I had to remind 'em to WALK please!! but it was fun, i love those kids. actually ate supper at home, shockingly. sat down to write this blog post. have to go get gas and christie a bday card, as i TOTALLY forgot about her bday today *grimaces* will go do that, then prolly talk on the phone until way too late again.

i'll write about tomorrow and the next day this weekend. i kinna like this month summery thing tho, i think i'll keep doing it each month!!

A La Abbs

I haven't updated lately, as NL was so kind to remind me. I read Abbs' exceedingly long post and was rather inspired by it and decided to make one like hers except about MY summer. My blog has become kind of my journal, so this will serve as my summery for myself about the last 3 months. Here we go...

June
June 8- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!! was SO ready, you have NO idea!! The "cream of the 11th grade" chemistry class went out for breakfast to Red Hot Inn, despite the horror stories Steve has told us. did frantic last second studying, sharing of programs, and generally panicking (sp??). realized if we didn't know it by then we were screwed!!
June 9- went shopping w. linz for the rocking party planned for the night. got food, utinsels, all the other necessary party stuff. It was a rather hurried trip, but did ok. decided I needed coverup for said pool party. made very hasty trip with maria to AE to buy brown dress thingie which i wore all summer. went flying home from mall to FHFAC where mrs dykstra played drill sargent. was usher/program passer with sars, christy, hooter scooter, arnie, and scuba steve at graduation ceremony. clapped for doug when he crossed stage. got bored during endless speeches. promised self to make paula's speech next year thrilling beyond belief...or SOMETHING. gave hugs, took pictures of official class of '06. Sent every1 to pool despite rather cool temps. Fed people, took video for gordon, took pictures, watched guys look HILARIOUS dancing to boombox (i know, at a PLYMOUTH party...and they were wearing SWIM SUITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) went home with steve and Di, watched Just Like Heaven, made me cry from...various memories.
June 10- work
June 12- First day of swimteam...got up very reluctantly, almost drowned due to out of shape-edness. Went to Kimmy's openhouse with Sars. Met Kamperdykes at Icecream Garage.
June 13- Got passport application just in case something worked out. Went to Rachel Verhey's for supper with Sars to talk about sunday school classroom stuff. answered phone on way to jenny, who wanted to make sure I hadn't gotten lost YET!! found out that when you park on the street you have to park the same way as traffic...or something...and then if you park in a driveway you can't block the sidewalk.
June 14- helped clean up random yard to get money for class fund with Sars and co. volunteered at heart clinic. went back to sars's house for pizza (little caesers with buttered crust and parmasan, the ONLY way to eat it!!). had guys to the pool. came home with 'em and met di and heather and watched mean girls. reminisced about gordon.
June 15- went to panera with swimteam girls after practice. got passport picture taken. volunteered at childrens hospital.
June 16- Skipped swimteam. worked. went to bridgets openhouse, only took ONE wrong turn. went to grand haven with sarah, brent, sam, amos, VD. took first feet picture of the season. watched sam and brent drink vernors from plastic bottles w.o labels, making it look like...something other than pop. got accused by some random lady of being drunk. drove to brents house. spazzed out cuz thought lost phone, found in pocket.
June 17- Kari's openhouse, one wrong turn. Mel's openhouse, two wrong turns.
June 19- mall with maggie. met bri and wally at pool.
June 20- pool with maggie. find out that JOHN CAN COME to africa with me. tell every1 I know, email miskins to say will be coming. go to BW's to watch something or other with sam and steve.
June 21- attend first swim meet, refuse to swim individual events, swim relays. we kicked MVP's butts. pick up movie stuff so can work on movie for gordon. go to passport place, pay like, $170 for expedited passport, thinking will need. volunteer, tell every1 about africa. come home, find email from mrs miskin saying can't go to africa this summer. get VERY bummed. babysit.
June 22- skip swimteam. take kids to the library, icecream. work on gordon's movie. volunteer.
June 23- go to IHOP after swimteam...eat too much. make IPOD mix. go to pool. work. work on movie.
June 24- sam and steve come to pool. work.
June 26- Childrens hospital first monday. whitecaps game with every1 and amanda and Christie and Lauren and doug and davie. get bored after 3rd inning. sit in front of these obnoxious people who ended up being from south africa. ate super good icecream dots thingies. stuck kissable stickers over everything.
June 27- switch to tuesdays for childrens hospital. McDonalds with Deshay and RJ from sunday school. go see paula, look at pictures, laugh a lot.
June 28- swimmeet vs. ridgemoor. volunteer. work.
June 29- pool with amanda. volunteer. work on movie.
June 30- IHOP breakfast. pool with maggie in afternoon. every1 plus brent's new girlfriend kelli (kelly?) to pool at night. minigolf, coldstone, back to my house for a little while.

K, i'm done with june and it took super long. in order to not drive anyone crazy, everything in moderation, I'll write July tomorrow, k?

It's tomorrow today.
July
July 4- went to the bike parade with family and the Gades. Amanda and I talked mr frisch into letting us ride in his '60something convertible blue corvette...i LOVE old cars!! went to Luke's allstar baseball game where it was like 400 degrees. he hit a single and a double and a triple...apparently impressive:-) headed to aunt faith's for supper with VD side of family. left around 7 with linz to get nick and then on to get john, who wasn't home. discovered could let self in house if so desired...stuck head, yelled for john, left in great confusion. met every plus abbs and davie (JUST FRIENDS!!). ended up finally getting ahold of john, waited for him. headed off to downtown fireworks, managed to get lost for a minute or two...nothing like celebration thankfully. parked at kendall lighting, walked to pearl st. bridge, claimed a good spot. met amanda and lexi, john tried to teach us how to play egyptian rat screw, but Lexi and I were waaaaaaaay to ADD to handle that, lol. watched the fireworks, ooooooooh, aaaaaaah, and etc. ended up at (go figure, i was with john) 7/11 cuz everything else was closed. brought john home, borrowed peter pan.
July 6- swim meet vs. heather downs, we beat 'em. volunteered.
July 7- John leaves for CA. stayed home, watched a movie.
July 10- work. sunday school meeting with sars at which met guy who goes hhwhy or hhwhy not. went to icecream garage.
July 12- swim meet away at northville. missed 15 and over medly relay, incurring gary's wrath. volunteered. packed for camping trip.
July 13- day 1 of bazen/dv camping trip. drove up to leeland, parked, rode ferry to S. manitu island. met ONLY firefighter on the island, learned not to leave fire going, that it would take 8 hours to get help if hurt self on dunes, and if woke up firefighter cuz of noise disturbance he WOULD do something about it. found out have carry EVERYTHING a half mile, wouldn't have been bad if had packed light...which i HADN'T!! was terrible, almost died. got dragged on 10 mile hike that was only supposed to be 2 or 3 miles, so wore sandels...not ideal hiking shoes. stopped at inland lake literally crawling with little frogs...think egypt ok, SERIOUSLY!! ended up on other side of island, had to go all the way around the far side to get back...VERY long. by end was no longer hiking, was barely crawling at snails pace...mr b called it strolling. no showers, so washed hair in lake that could easily have had ice cubes floating in it it was so cold!!
July 14- day 2. woke up, packed up, carried everything BACK to dock. watched guys fish. took picture of firefighter. took walk up lighthouse. laughed hysterically at guys "naked" picture, easily highlight of the trip. rode ferry back, painted brents nails while he was sleeping. had pizza in town. headed to next campsite, only got lost once...i wasn't even driving!! watched guys fish again. took real shower. sat around campfire. watched S and S shadow show...talk about rated X!! another highlight of trip. mr b, the fire's still going...we hear "call the ONLY firefighter on the island!!". MR DV, we need an analogy!!
July 15- day 3. went ca-no-ing. paula didn't abandon me. watched mr dv fish while mr b tried to paddle. saw eNORmously large spiders. made it back to camp, packed up, headed out.
July 17- pool day. talked to amos and VD all the home from canada. got picked up by them, went to meijers, then to ball, then to icecream. watched in fascinated horror as Sarah got some random guy's number. rode home with her in hurricane-like storm.
July 18- senior picture fiasco...b/c of said hurricane-like storm was unable to be outside, had to redo hair from perfectly straight to curly plus pick out new outfits with about an hour's notice. volunteered.
July 19- mourned day prolly woulda left for africa. day two of senior pix. straight outside day. watched the kids swim in prelims.
July 21- swam relay in finals, which we won by a landslide. maria over, did my hair, ended up at rivertown with john, jais and cali. really like jais and cali, even if jais does burn mating japanese beetles. brought jais and cali back home, went home to get Chris abbs and lauralen and met maggie and amanda at the FHFAC to watch beauty and the beast. took john's pimp picture, lol. met guys at IHOP for midnight snack. CAL overnight.
July 24- had every1 to pool, went to subway for supper, watched volleyball at manhattan park, went to spaans' pool, got majorly splashed and eaten by mosquitos.
July 28- went to party with maggie...super awkward, didn't know anyone, plus don't dance. left together and just went to meijers. john called, talk until 2:30 am, set new record (3 hr, 35 minutes!!)
July 29- worked, talked to jesse until like, midnight.
July 31- maria overnight before...august 1 events.

will write august tomorrow.

blank...YES, BLANK!!

so two weeks ago i went to cran hill. day 1, swam, listened to russian topic, talked on phone to sikmavich, got evesdropped upon by hopperbottem, may well have been speaking of incriminating topics, talked before sleep, was once again evesdropped upon, no incriminating topics, nearly died of heatstroke, slept in tiny chair in front of fan. day 2, swam, tubed, was confronted by said evesdropper, was deeply traumatized, watched joey try to rescue lauralens shoe, hung out with CAL, painted nails, ate icecream, discussed what guys and girls look for in eachother in very heated conversation, swam, found a BUDDY, heard jeremy story, ate roasted marshmellow, went to sleep super late. day 3, packed, rode bus, played BS, drove home. It was a reeeeeeeeally fun trip, i took tons of pictures.

Last week I went to Holland con mi familia for 4 days. we swam in the lake, laid out on the beach. on friday linz amanda lexi and i went to see Annie at the Red Barn...tooooooooo-morrow, tomorrow, i love ya, tomorrow...LOTS of fun and got ben and jerry's. the water got super cold friday and saturday, as did the flies. it was still beautiful, def. one of my favorite places ever.

at 7:30 this morning, yes, SEVEN THIRTY i went out to breakfast with mr b and the executives for student council...i'm prez, 'member? contemplated resigning for the 80th time. got orders for the year...am feeling stressed out already, and i have two weeks till school...NOT the way to go!! hoffmaster is this friday...aaaaaah!!

A Question

I have that Faith Hill song, The Secret of Life, in my head, which leads to the question: What IS the secret of life?