I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry

I know I haven't posted for eight days! For lack of a better word, I am so sorry! I wish I had had more to write about, or even just the stamina and presence of creative mind to write about nothing, which is what the really talented writers could do. Unfortunately, I'm not that good yet.

So. I love rainy days. I think they're great. Rain is so romantic if it's done right. Not necessarily romantic romantic, though it often is, but romantic as in the style of writing, as in the feeling of calm and classic and perfect. Many things can be perfect in the rain--if it's done right.

Bailey, you suck.

Bailey is my dog. A cockapoo, to be exact, is what she is, a five-month-old cockapoo. She makes me insane. Try six hours of the morning alone in a tiny cabin in the middle of the woods with no electronics, a five-month-old cockapoo, several different insect infestations, and an eight-year-old boy, and you will see what I mean.

Or try three and a half hours in the car driving to the animal hospital after said cockapoo has consumed a plate of 70% cacao truffles and is spazzing and panting and jumping up and down on your knees, giving you scratches and scars that look like you've been cutting yourself, and you will probably get the same drift.

Or better yet, try eating the first real food you've had all day while watching this very same dratted cockapoo vomit intensely for a very long time, and the same state of mind will most likely begin to grow on you.

Lucky me, I got to do all three yesterday when the fifth of a series of six guests to visit my family this summer left a gift arrangement of truffles on a low-lying table after--and this is the killer--already having seen Bailey jump onto that table. She, of course, had to promptly fly into disaster mode and interrupt my mom's class, yelling about "an emergency with the dog," which made my mom think Bailey had run away or been hit.

So we ventured off to the animal hospital--of course it had to be a Saturday, when the vet was closed--and the guest ventured off to the airport. Yes, she left. She stayed for one night, poisoned our dog, and left. Quite a pleasant woman.

Basically, I had such a wonderful day yesterday that I don't even have the energy left to tell you about it, especially because I'm working on some typing for my mom that she's paying me 20 bucks for, and I need the money.

Uh-oh, ominous wind. Sounds like another tornado, almost. Bye.

spring cleaning (can you say ick)

Dear everyone,

I guess this is why we pay $10,000 in taxes every year: our garbage collectors ROCK. Our public schools? Honestly, we could use some more tracking. But the trash guys--and gals--kudos to you.

This morning, while I was still blissfully asleep, my mom apparently called up the garbage collectors and asked them if, for two hundred bucks, she could have them pick up anything we wanted to dispose of. They agreed, and at 10 in the morning, she was standing in front of my recently woken-up self with a looming box of Hefty bags, saying, "We have a project."

Well, we then spent over two hours (until my mom had to go pick up my brother and sister from their half day) pulling out dirt-covered sleds, wooden planks, too-small clothing, and other equally pleasant items from a garage, where we had to stop when it started raining; attic; and sunroom slathered in useless stuff. Yes, I feel like I've accomplished something, but I also have the horrible urge to vacuum.

See, a couple of months ago, I discovered our cleaning ladies had stolen not just several hundred dollars from me, but also a gold ring with a good-sized ruby and six small diamonds. It wasn't the kind of thing you can replace. My mom found it on the streets of New York City years ago. So even when my advisor kindly offered a gold ring with a ruby and diamonds that she "didn't want," it wasn't the same, and I just couldn't take her jewelry.

So my mother fired them, and, long story short, my stairway and room became dust hell. While in a cleaning frenzy a couple of days ago to make my room acceptable before a friend came over, I pulled a rather unfriendly-looking wad of dust out from under my overloaded and tilting bookshelf. It's disgruntling to see layers of the stuff sitting around the place where you live, especially when your little sister has horrible asthma triggered chiefly by dust mites.

I have to go--my sister's got two friends over, my brother's got one, and I've got up the motivation to vacuum.

Adios amigos.

deer

The deer! They escaped from the crazed hunters in the South Mountain Reservation! Well, three of them did, at least. I'm so happy. My mom is too. I pointed them out to her from our landing window. They did look pretty huge to me from there, although they do appear admittedly small here. I fixed the photo, though, so that it's brighter and better quality, and you can see them better. This is all in my backyard (and my neighbors behind the fence and to the far left). Doesn't it resemble a wonderland?

Their new names are Sleepy, Dopey, and Grumpy, after my three favorite dwarves. Not counting Kai.

this is my second post called NYC but I figure you won't mind

Quick summary:

Yesterday, I went on a triple-decker train (see far left). Also, I passed a rather scary store exclusively for dog couture, which I think is called Harness Dog but cannot find anywhere online. But the main plan for the day was meeting my grandparents at the Carnegie Deli for lunch. We call the girl in the beige "cousin Hannah" and the man on the right "cousin Howie." It was very cold, so I got a new hat. We stopped at AE for impulsive shopping for things we don't need, too (not pictured). I'll tell more later, when I get back from swimming at the JCC, some exercise I am in need of.

Until next time, net browsers.

this is so not cool anymore

OK. Can someone please tell me what's going on with this whole cold thing? I mean, I know I should be grateful that in this age of global warming we can still have threatening temperatures. But it is too cold for comfort. My friend Katy may think she is able to go without a coat, but I tried the same thing in 4th grade and got serious pneumonia for my stupidity. Trust me, looking cool is definitely not worth partial lung collapse or the amount of fever dreams I went through.

My friend Alexa, at lunch, she's wearing this skirt that she says her mom hemmed too dramatically, which is fine--everyone does it--but she hasn't got a coat. She's got leg warmers and a scarf. I mean, that's just asking for trouble.

My family, I love them and I ADORE my room, but you know, WHY IS IT SO FREAKIN COLD UP HERE?

Well, I know my issues with the weather. Whaddaya think of the sudden cold front?

Wind

The other day, I was sitting outside at recess at a table. I was trying to read Jane Eyre, but the water bottle I used to hold it down kept rearing up and rolling away. I was very annoyed, not only because I now had to actually hold the freezing cold bottle in my hand, but also because I couldn't read anymore since the pages were flapping around like there was no tomorrow. So I ended up just stuck standing there in the wind. It was one of those times where it's just like, "Oh, come on, can't something go right just once?" Little, but infuriating. Ever have those moments?

December is here

YAY PEOPLE IT IS FINALLY DECEMBER!!!!!

This means Hanukkah and Christmas for me, plus two sweet weeks off for winter break! Aah, I lurve December.

Today, I had my piano recital. I played the Pochod Marsch by Prokofiev. Yes, I hesitated once or twice while I was playing it, but cut me some slack -- I've been sick for a couple of days now and am still not entirely 100 percent.

Hanukkah starts in three days. I can't wait to get my presents! Plus, my family plays this game every night of Hanukkah where, in the evening, when the candles are all lit, we bet on which candle will be the last one to burn out. It's a great outlet for my competitive nature because when I lose, at least it's not a big deal, so it really is just for fun.

Princeton

I just spent my weekend in Princeton, New Jersey--two nights staying in a city no more than an hour and a half from my home. Sounds odd, I know, and that's not just you; that's because it is.

We arrived at our destination on Friday afternoon, but our room wasn't ready yet because they were still cleaning, so we hung out in the lobby for a while before we were admitted. That night, we ventured into the city for a bite at Tom Yum Goong, a local Thai restaurant. I ordered coconut soup and Thai salad, but don't think for a minute that that means I didn't help myself to chicken satay, vegetable rolls, my sister's "Crazy Noodles," and my dad's...whatever it is that he got. Near the end of the meal, my siblings got bored and walked to a health food store across the street, where my mom allowed them to be alone for no longer than 30 seconds before freaking out that there might be "health food perverts" at the store who wanted to kidnap my brother and sister.

Yes, they are crazy, good observation.

Afterwards, we used the pool and gym, neither of which one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter without adult accompaniment.

Then yesterday, my mom took my brother and sister to the gym and subsequently the pool at 5:15 a.m. Of course, the pool didn't open until 6, so they were in the exercise room for 45 minutes before that. I tell you, crazy people, I live with CRAZY PEOPLE. Do I need any more evidence?

At a more natural time of the morning, we ate breakfast in the hotel -- I only had 2 cups of coffee because I'd had miniature rice cakes and some freaky sort of preserves from the accursed health food store of last night in the room and was not hungry. Then we walked around the freezing streets of Princeton, where I was eventually forced by the temperatures to buy fuzzy socks, which yes, I am wearing now.

We stopped at Hoagie Haven for sustenance. I got a hot pastrami sub. Yay. (Needless to say, I also extensively sampled my mother's cheese fries. Come on, they were so nice and hot! [Hot was my first word--double yay. Sorry, you probably don't want to know that much.])

La la la...boring boring...pool, gym, tennis, Mexican food, TV, whatever...

We left this morning at nine. When I felt how relieved I was to get away from "family time" and go back to my 3rd-floor closet-sized room, I realized just how much I like to be alone. Ahhh.

fluffy white stuff

OH MY GOD PEOPLE IT IS SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean it was snowing yesterday too, all day, but that was just a flurry -- although playing soccer in it (and winning the championship, I might add, 3-0, go me!) was, to say the least, not the coziest experience.

But now it's snowing for real! Like, it's genuinely collecting! In a way the suggests actual depth!

WOOHOO!
(By the way, I love snow to almost a bizarre extent, not minding the ever-present and looming possibility of party-crashing snow on my birthday. It's still my favorite.)