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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Today I sat bundled in blankets on a swing and read Harry Potter as thunder sounded and lightening crashed and rain poured.

The beauty of summer storms.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

A Most Agreeable Sunday Evening







Saturday, June 25, 2011

Lazing on a Friday Afternoon

You know it's Summer when you wake up and decide while slowly eating your cereal and listening to Jack Johnson to catch up on old times and watch the original Star Wars Trilogy. All three of them. In order. Right after one another. By yourself. In a towel. With four dogs surrounding you. A new pedicure. And a cool ice water in one hand.

Ya. I think that was a pretty productive day.

Reminds me of the times when I would cuddle with my dad and we would watch the now-cliche-scene "I am your father" Muhahahaha! and my dad would ask:

"Shelby, why did Darth Vader go to the Dark Side?"

As a quite bright seven year old I would respond, "It was hate, Daddy".

"That's right. It was hate. But it is even bigger than hate. It is pride. That's what Satan uses to bring everyone to the dark side. So as long as we try our best to not be angry and hateful, we can always stay on the good side."

What a good father?! Teaching me moral lessons as we cuddle together and analyze George Lucas' epic tale.

Well. I've never forgot that lesson. Pride brings me over to the dark side.

Maybe...that's just me crossing the nerd-line a little too much?

I guess right after I watched the Trilogy all day, I played video games with my bestie the rest of the night...

Oops. 

Alright, alright. You guys already knew I was a nerd.

May the Force be with you. (more like the Spirit...Keeping with this whole moral lesson :)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

"When I Grow Up"


My entire life I've been asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And my entire life I've answered "A teacher".

There has never been a single doubt.

It's my dream.

As I have been contemplating which classes to take in college (registration is tomorrow....AH) I have had a strange mixture of being overwhelmed and excited.

I can't wait to do what I want in school!

To pursue my lifelong dream.

And become the best Elementary School teacher ever. :)

Like Ms. Honey (see above picture)

Except, I hope I don't have an awful principal like The Trunch...

Maybe if I just BE the Trunch, I won't HAVE a Trunch!


Ah yes. The best Halloween costume ever.

I'm being it every year until I die I decided.

Anywho: nothing is "much too good for children".

They are the greatest.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dreams Do Come True In Disneyland

I, being one of the luckiest ladies this side of the border, had the incredible opportunity to spend a whole week with my best friend on a senior road trip.


FUN, HUH!?


Ya. It was. And that's why I haven't posted for a week!


But this one is a good one.


The last three days of our adventure we went to The Happiest Place On Earth. The most beautiful, the most peaceful place, I've ever been. The place where dreams come true. And time never ends.


The D-Land.



(sung) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Now, like your average tourist, I enjoyed the rides, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder (The wildest ride in the WILderness!), Space Mountain, The Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain (my favorite), and the many less thrilling but wonderfully themed attractions. 
 
Unlike your average tourist, I was kind of/sort of obsessed with all the musicians at the park... Ha.
 
Have you ever seen the Dapper Dans?!?!
AMAZING.
 
Or the Royal Street Bachelors? That's the incredible Disneyland Jazz Band! WOO!
 
Or what about the Pirate ensemble? 
 
Or the Hillibilly band?
 
Or the Ragtime pianist on Main Street?!
 
I bet you didn't even know about half of those. But I did. I admired them almost to the point of creepiness actually. But, Hey! It paid off.
 
My dreams came true on that trip. 
 
It all started when I was on the train about to go to the Primevil World when a soft and delicious sound reached my ears. It was the sound of Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". I spotted the Jazz Band on New Orleans Square--The Royal Street Bachelors--ditched Hannah, jumped off the train and pulled up a chair right in front of them and sang along to that beautiful and inspiring tune. 



Now, I'm not really sure if I bring it all on myself with my unnatural enthusiasm, or maybe musicians just like me! But the sax man invited me up to pretend to sing on stage while he took my picture. The pianist awarded me with a necklace. They played "Only A Paper Moon" on my request. And I even got a picture with the whole band afterward! WOO! It's my dream to sing with the Disneyland Jazz Band. MY DREAM.










Only moments later, I was walking by myself down New Orleans Square (I had ditched Hannah for the musicians) and I came across another entertainment crew! 


Singing Sensational Pirates! Ha....



See this young man here playing the guitar?




Ya. He liked me. I was swaying along to one of the musical tunes and he walked up to me, leaned forward and whispered "You are swayed pretty easily aren't you?" And with a smile he continued singing and strumming as I laughed and he almost winked. Almost. The next song was dedicated to me. A Pirates Lament about women. Or something like that...






Ah. What a dream...


Or should I say, Aye! What a dream! (Ya, ya....that was pretty bad)






Hannah and I also came across some Hillbilly band in California Adventure. I'm not sure if it was my inviting smile or my overalls; but the old man invited Hannah and I to play the washboards and sing It's A Small World! Good times.







I dunno why he gave me the tiny washboard...






We also came across the incredible Dapper Dans Quartet! Love them.






And then there was Jonny. Oh, Jonny. One morning as we walked through Main Street toward Adventure land, the beautiful sound of Ragtime piano played in my ears. 




I looked up and that handsome man was playing and singing to Cruella Deville. I stopped to listen obviously. And again with my unnatural enthusiasm or inviting smile, he looked up at me and yelled "I'm not singing this song about you, young lady!". He finished the singing the song then asked me if I had any requests. I was speechless and in awe of his incredible piano talent I couldn't come up with a song. So he said he would choose one and started playing Michael Buble's "Everything". I sang along... You know that part that just keeps saying "Love love love love love love love?" Mmmmhhmmm. 


I walked away, he finished playing and winked at me.


Oh ya.


I came back to see if he was playing later on that day and someone else was playing and they had me come up and play! JAZZ! And sing! On the piano!




This girl started dancing and sticking her tongue out at me. We had fun together.



Anyway. My heart basically stopped/melted/turned into a butterfly/exploded everytime one of these experiences were experienced. Call me crazy, but the music is one of my favorite things about Disneyland. I love the entertainment. It's all old school and themed too! 


Maybe someday, Jonny or that crazy pirate will call me up and have me come live in Disneyland with them and I can go sing with The Royal Street Bachelors, play piano on Main Street, befriend the Dapper Dans, feed birds, dance with kids to Disney music, and become a legend.


This man is a Disney legend.


   
Chef Martinez. He is the oldest employee at Disneyland. Also the friendliest. Everyone at the Carnation Cafe was loved and enjoyed by Chef Martinez. It was truly inspiring. 


Disneyland pretty much is inspiring. 


And obviously, a place where dreams come true.


I hope I go back soon.


Till then, 


I'll keep on dreaming. 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

I just want to share my art today, alright?


My Summer Tradition Commences

I am a die hard Harry Potter fan. Don't believe me? Check this out.

Since the 2nd grade, I've read the entire series every summer.

No joke.

Today, I start reading the series again!

I'm mixing it up a tad and reading the British versions of the first. Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone.

Since I lived in Malaysia when I first read the books, the British versions were the ones I first fell in love with. Mostly they are the exact same except random words spelled differently like "colour" and "favourite"(I failed my first spelling test in Malaysia which happened to include those words. Come on! It was devastating)

Anywho. 

I can't wait to begin!

This year in art my teacher gave us this crazy assignment to do a realism picture of someone and progressively become more abstract. 

Guess who?!






Professor Trelawney. Mmmmm. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to watercolor somebody's face remotely realistically. Don't judge too harsh. Also, I despised the abstract part. But I guess it's pretty cool as a whole 5-some-progression-thing.

Enjoy.

I'm off to read!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

To Conquer A Fear:

Make it funny.

Ridikilus!

My fear of mannequins has slightly dissipated.


Summer: Fantastic. The livin' is easy, baby.

Also, I'm going to Disneyland tomorrow with my best friend.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Biggest Loser

This post has two stories.


1) Heartthrob of Lone Peak High School. Captain of the football team. Student body president. Babe. Genius. Perfect man. Everyone loves him. He loves everyone. My heart melts when I see him.

Get the picture?

He walked past me after graduation and yelled:

"Hey Sherry!!!!!!"


What a way to end High School.........

How terribly heart-wrenchingly sad.



2) My Best Friend/Ally who I've seen every single day for a month.

We killed my first target! SUCCESS.

Then:

He betrayed me.



We pinky-promised.               Then kissed our pinky-promise.             That's how strong the promise was.



We had an alliance.

The director decided to make the game interesting and give us all new targets.

My Best Friend/Ally was with me when the new targets were received.

He Smiled.

And stabbed me with his whisk.

I hate him.









(Well, I don't really hate him. But I do)






























Assassin is over.


I am The Biggest Loser.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

"Magnificent Disaster"



:)

The Great Escape

As you are all well aware, I am playing assassin.

A wire whisk has been my new best friend. I have been in constant fear of "dying". Sleeping at different houses each night, parking away from my destination, leaving functions early and without notice, etc.

This is what it takes to WIN.

I'm the only girl left. The circle is growing smaller.

I almost died last night.



Everyone playing assassin was invited to the annual END OF THE YEAR SCHOOL SWIM PARTY! Woo! But, obviously, no assassin player would come because they are smart. And fear for their lives. So the director decided to make the party a safe-zone so we could all celebrate being graduated without fear of dying. Sweet.

LIES. It was a plot.

I get to the party and go and ask the director (who also has to be the one tryin to get me--cheap? Ya.) the rules for the party. He says we aren't allowed to kill on the property. But, as soon as one toe goes off the curb....we are free game.

I immidiately know whats happening.

Plans are devised in my head as I stare into my enemies eyes. Both knowing what he is doing. He planned this. He was going to follow me the whole party and when I left, he would go in for the kill.

So....I nonchalantly walk away. My plan is to "go to the bathroom" an hour or so before the party ended and really just book it to my car. Good, ya?

It didn't work.

It's 10:45. I am starting to get anxious so I get up to "go to the bathroom" I head upstairs with my things and as I reach the top, he's waiting for me. Eating pizza. Acting....normal. But threatening. We knew. So then I actually go to the bathroom. Hoping he would be gone when I was done.

YES! He wasn't there. So I go outside and sneak to my car.

He is standing by my car "talking on the phone".

Lame.

I needed help. I got an ally. We truced. I gave him my keys. Our brilliant plan: he was going to get my car and drive it into the driveway because that was still on the property and I could hop in and drive away before my assassin could blink!

My assassin gave up the subtle thing. He followed me. He attempted to push me off the property. He never let me out of his sight. So I run to my car. My ally is there waiting for me! I open the door, but my assassin jumps in my car.

This is no good. I go back inside and I'm freaking out. There's no way I can physically beat this guy?! How can I leave?! Then... it dawned on me. I stood in front of the TV--blocking 30 peoples view of the movie. And I screamed:

"DOG PILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The room erupted.

I ran upstairs but I lost my shoe in the mass of people jumping on one another.

I ran out the door. My assassin wasn't behind me. If I could just make it to my car I would be safe!

I ran to the driveway. But, alas!...


My car is gone.


My ally wasn't waiting for me. Oh no oh no oh no. So I hid behind a garbage can. And waited. Perhaps my assassin would assume I got away and wouldn't look for me and I could just hide until he left?! Ya?..... No.

Finally, my car pulls up to the driveway, but at the same time, my assassin runs from the house. He escaped the dog pile. As I'm running my assassing jumps in his car because he hasn't seen me yet. But I run into view and drop on the ground, hoping he will drive away. He sees me. Shines his brights on me, and the car pulls forward!

Since I don't want to literally or figuratively die. I jump up and run for it. I reach my car and hop in. But my assassin has gotten into his car and pulls in front of the driveway.

We are trapped.

There's no way out! My assassin gets out of the car and walks up to my window. He slowly scrapes his wire whisk across my windsheild as he smiles a menacing smile.

Right now,        I'm freaking out.

But, THANK GOODNESS, my ally steps on the gas and drives across the lawn and out of the property! My assassin was on our tail for a little bit but we lost him.

I was on an adrenaline rush the rest of the night.

This game is getting risky.

That is the closest I've been to being killed.


I have to get my target.



Tonight.