Friday, August 29th- Two Moons

During a deadly sea storm, a group of researchers were stuck at sea with their submarine instruments not working. After 10 days being trapped 10,000 leagues under the sea they resurface to find themselves trapped in the sea with no land in sight. One researcher looks up and notices two moons under the gravitational pull of Earth. Automatically the crew understands why their instruments aren't working properly! They know that they only have 10 more days left of food and fuel and will have to work quickly to find land. After pulling up the telescope and spotting land about fifty miles away they start the engine and begin  manually controlling the direction of the submarine.

Once they reach land and get out of the water they become aware that everything is different. They are on the island of Germany, but there are no people and no animals. They ration out their supplies and begin to make a plan of attack. The final decision is that they will all stay together and work from one end of the island to the other. The crew hunkers down for a night of rest and think about all the things they need to find out before they continue life with two moons.

                                               Did you hear about the Two Moons hoax?

Thursday, August 28th- Space, 2199

"Hey Nora! Come look at this!" Says Hank, the most stuck up man you will ever meet.

 

"What is it?" Says Nora, the smartest women to ever walk the Earth.

 

"I have no idea just come here!" Hank exclaims and Nora walks over to join him.

 

Nora looks out the window to their big space shuttle and shrieks, "No, no, no this wasn't supposed to happen for another million years!"

 

She sees a cloud of dust rotating like a tornado and knows exactly what it is, a black hole. This isn't any black hole, neigh neigh, this is the largest black hole known to man and it is going to suck up the entire universe, no, galaxy!

 

Hank asks her what is wrong and she explains that she has been researching the end of the world and that this was it. Being the egotistical, jerk Hank is he screams “NO, I’M TOO YOUNG AND SMART AND HANDSOME TO DIE!!!!”

 

Nora tells him to shut up and enjoy the beauty of the entire world coming to end. The blues, purples, reds, greens, and oranges all disappearing into this massive void of godly proportions. The simplicity of nature, humans, society, religion, and life all coming to an end in the same slow moment makes Nora think about what is going to come after. Will there be nothing? Will her soul still exist? Will her memories still be with her? She can’t answer those yet, but soon she will be able to or maybe she won’t. She is about to find out.

 

Moments before their space craft reaches the black hole she says, “Hank, you are the laziest, most annoying, egomaniacal man I have ever met, but I love ya buddy.”

 

All Hank says is, “Goodbye my friend, I love you too.”

 

                                                         And then there is nothing.

 

Wednesday, August 27th- Animal Invention

Have you ever wanted to be as fast as a cheetah? What if you really could be? In the future, maybe you can.

Cheetahs can go from 0 to 60 in three seconds making them the fastest land animal in the world. what if you could go from o to 30 or 0 to 40 in three seconds? What about an invention that helped you do so? What if simply placing metal guards from your hips to your toes allowed the pain you get in your legs from running and the effect gravity has on running to go away? If you could put a metal contraption on your body to make your legs lean enough to go from 0 to 40 in three seconds would you? If you could run 10 miles in 5 minutes because of a bodily attachment would you?

I would start considering things like this because they could very possibly come up in the future.

Tuesday, August 26th- Concert

I'm finally here at Monumentour with my two best friends, Kendall and Sydney. We've been waiting for months to sit outside in this sticky weather and hear our three favorite bands perform! First up is New Politics! They are opening and show so much potential to headline a tour in the future! I absolutely love the energy they give even though most of the people here don't know them. After their thirty minutes are up we wait patiently for another hour half.

The time has come for Paramore to perform! As they open with Still Into You everyone is on their feet singing and dancing. The next hour is absolutely amazing and by their closing song Ain't It Fun no one can handle the excitement. Everyone here knows their voices will be gone tomorrow and their closes sticky with sweat, but it is completely worth it.

Thirty minutes later will start the best hour of your life. Fall Out Boy takes the stage and there is silence among the crowded, outdoor stadium. You can hear the first beats to "Young Volcanoes" and prepare to scream, "When Rome's in ruins we are the lions free of the coliseum.". From Save Rock And Roll to a throwback of We Are The Champions you sing at the top of your lungs and dance until your legs burn just like everyone else. Even with people passed out drunk around you and the smell of cigarettes wafting the crowd you can't help, but say that this is the best day of your entire life.

The four hour drive to North Carolina and the four hour drive back the next day were completely worth seeing our favorite bands. Considering this was an early birthday present, I couldn't be more thankful to have celebrated my sixteenth birthday with the two girls who are my best friends. I know my mom hated sitting through a four hour concert with no bands she liked, but I am so glad she brought me and can never repay her for putting up with three high school girls for two days. Ending my summer with Monumentour was truly monumental.

Monday, August 25th- Literary Character

We all remember certain characters that we love and that stay with us forever. My character is Albus Dumbledor. He is from the amazing series of Harry Potter and, as most of us know, died in the sixth book. Take a minute with me, though, and pretend like he is still here. He is in our world, not the Wizarding World, and let us see what he would be like.

               In my mind I can picture Dumbledor as the wise Prime Minister of England. He is loved by most and one of the brightest men known to man. In his free time he likes to do magic tricks, like card tricks and making flowers appear. Dumbledor always has the interest of the majority in his mind and makes sure to act on his intuition. He strongly believes in keeping everyone safe from radical and evil people. With the help of his cabinet, he is a strong leader and optimist for the nation. I can also say that I believe his beard would be slightly shorter, but still of great importance to him!

Maybe these thoughts are just mine and you believe I'm incorrect, but that is completely your opinion! (Feel free to comment and let me know.) The character of Albus Dumbledor, brought to life by J.K. Rowling, is the singular character that will stay with me forever. Between the lessons he was written to teach about and the compassion he showed to all, I will never forget our loving wizard.

1881-1997

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Friday, August 22nd- Wacky Words

Look a citrusy skirt!

            "Hipster" "Citrus"

Am I a hipster?!

A hipster is just a hippy wanna be!
From 2013 drinking citrus tea!

These hipsters live with flowers on their heads
And citrus fruits all around their beds.

Some say I'm a hipster, but how can that be?
The only citrus I eat is those baby orange things!         

Must you eat citrus if  you are hipster you ask?
Well yes! If you don't eat citrus being a hipster will never pass!!
If hippies knew that their child would be guppies who would in return have flower child hipsters,
I wonder if they would've left some citrus fruits out of their diets and let some flowers stay growing in the wild.

From high-waisted shorts to citrus print crop tops, hipsters are growing out of every society!

Don't get me wrong some people are just hip, but hipsters are a fashion phase that should really go away! Oh and maybe the citrus fruits will stop disappearing from all the stores as well!

People make songs about hipsters and their citrusy fruits, but hopefully one day those will all be on mute!

I believe in being hip, but I don't think there should be, a lifetime of citrusy, hipstery beings!

Would you like To Be A Hipster?
Interested in a class on Hipster Culture?

Thursday, August 21st- Mystery Lady

The Mystery Lady that you are seeing here is not one of darkness, but she is one of fear.

The colors you see show her bright personality, but do those colors make her truly happy?

Her disfigured face and her arms so fragile represent more than just some terrible accident.

She was broken so terribly by the man she loved dear, that her body collapsed in a state a fear.

Her heart dissolving and her body following, causing so much pain to distract from her agony.

The fear that she has is true for the many; That none will love us when they see our destruction.

Looking at the colors of the great Mystery Lady may make us happy, but for her they are just a façade to distract from the misery.

 

 

                                           Here are a few pictures of other Mystery Ladies.

Wednesday, August 20th- Alter Ego

Our dearest Wendy Darling. We all remember her as the girl who stepped out onto that rooftop and took Peter's hand to fly away. Little did we know that our Darling dearest was not a darling at all.

I had the pleasure of viewing Wendy's dairy just the other day and I'm afraid to tell you she was a horrid little girl. While her looks were unquestionable her personality was quite a shame. One entry of this diary said,
          "Dear Diary, Today I played a prank on my teacher at school. On the way to school I stopped by the creek and picked up eight large, slimy, stinky slugs. When I arrived at school I placed the slugs in my teacher's bag and went to talk to my boyfriend #1, James. After the teacher found the slugs I exclaimed "Oh John! (Boyfriend #2) Why would you do such a thing! Let's just say John is no longer boyfriend #2 or at our little school!"

It is incredible how awful one sweet, innocent looking child can be! But wait! There's more!

Is our Wendy Darling really that innocent? Not at all! You might think oh she only has two boyfriends, but neigh neigh my friends! After reading her diary she had 12 different boyfriends all at once! (Two of them considerably older than her!) All of these "boyfriends" loved to spoil Wendy with pearls and diamonds and her favorite chocolate, but her 18 year old boyfriend got her something entirely different! He got Wendy a tattoo. On Wendy's right rib cage she has a tattoo that says "I will soon be in Neverland." And in Neverland she will be.

It is a tragedy of how she met Peter for the second time after barely escaping the grasps of Captain Hook the first go around! Wendy Darling is at fault for her return to Neverland because she decided to go cliff jumping. (May we add that she was with boyfriend #8 at the time and he was 21.) When said boyfriend and our dearest Darling were found washed up on shore their heads and backs were covered in bruises and their bodies reeked of the awful 21 year old smell. The Darling family was so sad to lose their precious Wendy, but they all agreed that she set herself up so she could live with the adventurous Peter Pan for the rest of her life.

Some may say reading a private diary is a terrible thing to do, but I must say I was just looking to see if she had written anything about her first go around in Neverland! Unfortunately, I found the complete opposite: her path of life that would lead her back to Neverland and the amazing Peter Pan.

Tuesday, August 19th- Scary Place

A scary place on Earth you see,
Is one with no possibility.
A place that reeks of an emotionless fellow,
Is ripped of love and ripped of mellow.

A terrifying world,as you will see,
Is a world broken of everything free.
A place with no kindness and no compassion,
Is a place of order and that is what is spine-chilling.

An eerie place that traps life whole,
Is a place with no creative control.
A place with no music or art,
Is a place where no friendships can start.

A universe where you can't taste the color,
Is a place without the people of "Hello".
A place where a handshake is considered "uncivil",
Is a place where death comes and leaves his memo.

I guess you could say the scariest place, you see,
Is a world stripped of love and a world where no one is free.

((Would you like to know other words besides "Scary"? Well there you go!))

((When given this topic I automatically thought of "The Giver". Go ahead and check it out! This is for the movie, but you can find "The Giver" in book form right there!))

Friday, August 15th- Kindergarten

(I was shorter than I look!)

 

Flash back to the Friday when it all began.
 The first day when my life started.

Walking in to see those big green and white walls.
  Seeing the "big kids" and the statue of Saint John Neumann.

My older sister annoyed by my side
  Escorting me to the kindergarten hallway.

Entering that carpeted classroom
  And finding the big, blue cubby with my name.

Setting down my backpack and
  Going to find my table.

That sudden realization of someone you know!
  Little ole' Mandy May from Farragut's cheer summer camp.

Once seated at the table I begin to make friends:
  The extremely blonde Nathan Viar and the very whimsical Sophia Rosenswag (Who I later called Soppy and continue to today!).

I see my teaching assistant "Mrs. Theodore"
  Whom I know from my sister cheerleading.

It's a hard day of learning for my five year old brain,
  But when my mom asks how my day was I exclaim, "IT WAS AMAZING!"

Flashing back to that first Friday,
  That first day of school.

Forces me to remember everyday
  From then to now.

It makes me feel older,
  But helps me realize that I must cherish these last few years.

Because one day it will be my child's
  First Friday to start their real life .

My Kindergarten

Thursday, August 14th- Gross!

                   Have you ever tried baked slugs? No? Well keep it that way.

        Picture yourself in Orange Beach, Alabama. Sitting on a dock, eating at a very peculiar restaurant. You're sitting there with you mother, sister, grandmother, and grandfather when all of a sudden the waiter brings out a bowl with baked slugs. "On the house!", he exclaims, "You  must try these!". At the time you are eight years old and very skeptical to try this new, strange looking food. You're coaxed into taking a bite by your grandfather so you place one on your appetizer plate. Picking up your knife you cut into the head of the slug, which you find out later is a truly a slug head, and place the slug on your fork. Like a forklift, you elevate the fork and place the slimy substance into your mouth. You chew and swallow followed by a huge swig of the sweet tea you're drinking. Angrily you ask, "What was that nastiness?!" (Remember your lovely eight year old vocabulary? I do!) The waiter replies, "Well, baked slug of course." Astonished, you wonder what will be served next. 

       While typing I listened to Florence and The Machine on Pandora: http://www.pandora.com


                             ARE SLUGS REALLY EDIBLE??!!
                                Find out here: Are slugs edible?

Wednesday, August 13th - Animal

            I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping. The smell of food all over shook me from my slumber. I rolled up against my tree and stretched my fat limbs. I used my rough paws to push myself off the ground and went on a search for food.

           Once I found my bamboo breakfast, I chowed down and began getting ready for my day. To prepare, I washed my paws and ears off in the stream. I went back to my tree and brushed my hair with my leaf and rock hairbrush. It was now time to go to work.

           I worked in the Panda Kitchen Express and my job was to gather the herbs, flowers, bamboo, and bugs that we served on our menu. I walked about fifty feet and began picking the beautiful Japanese cherry blossoms. After I gathered two bags of those, I looked under the rocks by the stream to find the delectable crickets we loved to eat. I, then, walked about 20 yards away to a near by bamboo garden. I picked around fifty stalks and started my journey to the Panda Kitchen Express.

          Once I returned it was time to start the dinner preparation. (Even though we are called an "express" we have amazing sit down dinner services!) I heard our head chef say that tonight was booked full. I took the fifty stalks of bamboo and cut half of them for the bamboo soup and chopped twenty-five in half for the cricket and flower entrée. Once I finished the bamboo I had to prepare the cherry blossoms. To do this I pulled off the petals and set them in a pot of water. I used the insides to season the crickets so those were set aside. The pot of flower petals was covered and boiled for fifty minutes on low. While the flower petals boiled, I had to season and cook the crickets. To season our crickets, we place a pinch of salt over the bodies and set the flower insides over top of them. After that I heated the oven to 250 degrees and placed the crickets in the oven. They would sit there for half an hour.

           It was twenty minutes before our dinner service began and the flower petals finally finished. I pulled the crickets out of the oven and removed the insides of the flowers. I placed the petals, bamboo, and crickets under the heat lamp and set up another pot of water. Once the water began to boil I threw in the bamboo and pepper. The dinner chefs clocked in and told me that my shift was over. I clocked out and took home a bamboo, flower, and cricket entrée for dinner.

         When I arrived home I turned on my favorite TV show, "Secret Life of the Teenage Panda", and ate my dinner. I took a bath in the stream near my tree and fluffed my pillow. It was time for me to go back to sleep because living as a Panda bear is one difficult feat.

 

 http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/