Hi.

It’s me. It’s slightly older, more mentally and emotionally developed me, but it is still me. It was me when I started this blog as a tiny ten year old who thought that “famous author” was a career, and it’s me now that I know better but still wish that I could be a famous author.

A lot has happened that I’ve never been fully comfortable talking about online, and maybe I never will. I want to start blogging again because it feels nice. But I’ve found that every time I go to write a post, I can’t seem to write about myself without getting the cruddy stuff out there first. I am apparently unable to enjoy myself if I just ignore all of the other stuff that’s happened. The not so happy stuff. This blog has been a weird catalog of my life, so I guess I just can’t pretend that 2015-2017 didn’t happen.

Because of this, I’m going to first summarize the negativity of the last few years. Dumping out negativity really isn’t something I do here, so if I am doing so, it’s kind of a big deal:

• The summer of 2015 I moved to India.
• The summer of 2016 I was kicked out of India (yes, really). I came back to America after being a mess for an entire year, to continue being a mess for about another year and a half. Life took a huge dump on me so needless to say I felt crappy. For a good two years I hated everything. I saw only the worst in people, I stopped caring about taking care of myself (mentally, emotionally and physically), and everything made me cry because I was upset all of the time by default.
• I moved into the crappiest home I’ve ever lived in (an ancient mobile home from the 50s or 60s) and started sharing a room with one of my brothers (which I hated, and still don’t like).
• I started attending high school after being home schooled since the 3rd grade. Not exactly an easy adjustment.
• I was held back a grade due to not having credits/prior experience in high school.
• I had an absolute madman for a bus driver. I don’t just mean that they drove a little crazy (because that’s not worth mentioning), I mean that they were a little crazy. A lot of crazy, actually. I could write a book about things this person did, but to give a small taste of what they’re like: You must hold your backpack in front of you when you board or else you will be written up. You must keep your leg in your seat and your backpack on your knees at all times or I will pull to the side of the interstate, while shouting, to write you up. You must keep all bottles zipped up inside of your bag, not in the side pockets, even if they’re empty I will write you up. You must not whistle. You must not hum. You must not sneeze or cough loudly. You must not lean your head against the window or the seat(s). You must sit up straight. If you’re too short to be seen over the seat, I will write you up. What’s funny is that half of that sounds like over exaggeration… But those are all real examples I’ve been witness to.
• I had to learn algebra from scratch despite everyone else having years of experience in math that I didn’t.
• I was lonely. So lonely that I latched onto the first person to offer me any kind of attention, and basically substituted that person as a best friend despite the way they treated me. I just wanted a friend so badly and had felt that way for so long, that I was willing to keep someone around even though they purposefully hurt me. We’ve since drifted far apart. Partly because it was for the best, partly because they ghosted on me, and partly because I made some friends who are, well, a lot friendlier.
• That same school year I had a bonkers crazy teacher who started off everyday by calling us useless, dumb, worthless, etc. To a kid who was already going through a lot and wasn’t exactly what you would call confident, this was not a good little speech to hear every morning. It resulted in a lot of tears, a couple of full blown melt downs, and a whooole lot of anxiety.
• I met someone within the first two days of arriving to high school (we’ll call them Dick) who was… A real character. The first thing Dick ever did was harass me about sex. This continued until Dick was suspended for some unrelated issue. The next year I met Dick again in a new class and got to hear and see them say a lot of scary/offensive/idiotic stuff. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to write down a lot of it, since I already had to write it down for the police. So skipping past a lot of gritty details; I overheard Dick talking about how they wanted to kill me in a very graphic, well-described way. I told everyone I could think to tell, but nothing really came of it since it was passed off as an empty threat from a dumb kid. Eventually Dick brought a knife to school and “playfully” pinned their “friend” (gotta use a lot of air quotes for this person) in a headlock and “playfully” tried to slice the friend’s neck. You know… As friends do. Long story short, Dick is gone now. They don’t really use social media (at all) so they pretty much don’t exist online. Trust me, I’ve looked. Dick is someone who put me on edge for a long time, to the point of having incredibly vivid nightmares about them. I didn’t even feel safe walking from class to class. I’m extremely relieved to see them go.
• Speaking of crappy people, the very next semester I met someone who I wish so dearly I could share all of the details of, but sadly that’s illegal. This particular individual was one of those greasy teenagers who can’t not make a sex joke about anything and everything. Except this person was a little different, because they dressed in The Joker cosplay everyday (even dyed and styled their hair like the Joker’s…) and apparently thought it would be okay to grab my boobs from behind during a group project. I started shouting at them, other girls began shouting at them, and all this person had to say was: “Okay, jeez! I didn’t know it would offend you so much…” Usually when I tell this story people laugh, but it’s honestly not funny to me. It’s alright though. Later they threatened to shoot up the school, so I don’t have to worry about them anymore. I guess.

And that’s… All of the biggest negatives, I think. Excluding stuff I still don’t feel comfortable sharing, or (again) possibly never will. But because all of that was so depressing, here are some well deserved positives.

• I’m currently getting free college through dual enrollment. Half my day is at my college, half the day is at my high school. 2-3 days a week I don’t have college classes, so I get to stay home in the morning and work in blissful silence, which is amazing.
• Last winter I started biking everyday to every other day. I’m not a hardcore biker, but it’s nice to say that I do something outside that I actually enjoy. Semi-toned legs are a nice plus too.
• I got a bird! A beautiful little budgie named Fiddleford, after the Gravity Falls character. Have I mentioned that I love Gravity Falls? Because I do. I’m not obsessed with it like I used to be, but I could definitely see it happening again. Anyways, I love my bird and he really brightens up my day.
• I have some pretty good friends at my school now. My absolute best friend is an internet friend I met in a DeviantArt comments section back in early 2015. That sounds a lot weirder than it is.
• Speaking of said best friend, I’ve gotten to meet up with her three times now! The first time was just a couple of hours, but it was so much to us. The second time was actually a couple of weeks during the summer, and the third time was three weeks this summer! I definitely look forward to our next meet-up, because they’re honestly the highlights of my entire year. I wait for them all year despite never knowing when the next one will be. I can’t put into words how much it hurts me that I can’t just see her whenever I want to.
• Uhhh I’m seventeen now, turning eighteen in November. That’s a positive I guess, since ages 14-16 were dumb aaaand that’s when almost all of the worst stuff happened.
• I’m still working on that book I’ve been talking about for years now. It’s come a long, long way… I’m actually glad that fifteen-year-old me didn’t finish it because the way I wrote the characters (and wrote in general) back then was horrendous. Looking back through that first draft, all I can think is: “That character would never do that!” It’s like a bad Fan-Fiction of what the actual story is.
• I’m also still drawing, and still want to create a series one day. Preferably with my best friend, since we’ve actually had stories developing for years now. When we were younger, creating a show together was mainly something we wistfully joked about, but now it feels much more serious. Not like it could actually happen, but… Still, if we ever get the opportunity, you can bet we’ll seize it. I’m going to work myself to the bone trying to make that dream come true.
• Things are a lot better now. Nothing crazy has happened in awhile. My bitterness still exists but not as strong and not everyday. I’m just focusing on school, attempting to maintain the friendships I’ve managed to make, actually taking care of myself for the first time in way too long, aaaaand… I guess that’s kind of it. Sometimes I still cry over dumb stuff, but it’s over normal dumb stuff now rather than: I Got Held Back A Grade After Being Deported From A Country, Also Like Seven Million Other Sucky Things Happened -By Fall Out Boy

With that said, I guess it’s time to end this post and go work on some more schoolwork. College is a lot more fun than high school so far, not gonna lie. There’s a 45% chance I’ll actually start posting here again, but the last time I was consistent on here was when I was eleven years old.

Fun fact about me: 11-13 years old was the best time of my life. I don’t know if anyone else has a favorite age that they’ve been, but I guess preteen-hood was it for me. Maybe I’ll hit a more enjoyable age, but there’s nothing like the sweet innocence of writing horrible Transformers fan-fictions and staying up late in DeviantArt chat rooms to role-play with my internet buddies.

Fiddleford ❤

Fifteenth Date Of World-Entering Celebration – Yaaaay!

I present to you, the first blog post that I have ever written, as a fifteen-year-old.

Saturday was my birthday! We (family and I) had a great time, even though I wasn’t with more family—like grandparents—to celebrate with. This isn’t the first time I’ve been away from close relatives during a major holiday, or a birthday. That doesn’t make it not disappointing, but at least—out of all the new adjustments I’ve made within the past few months—that doesn’t have to be one!

We went to a local cafe—which takes a good walk through crowded, noisy bazaar to reach. Frappes are worth it! (Translation: frothy ice-cream coffee smoothie for white girls.)

My brothers and I each got a cupcake, and my mom cried a little when the cafe TV started playing kid shows that I used to watch. No bigs. Just fifteen now. (It’s okay, mom. I’m not eager to grow up, either.)

She (mom) also bought me a really cool necklace that I’ve had my eye on! I dig that Steampunk look. It’s fun to draw, it’s fun to wear!

Once we were back home, I opened some presents that people back home/other places had sent me! A couple movies (courtesy of my grandma), season one of Once Upon A Time (which my brothers are all old enough to watch—yissssssssss), a funny hand-written card from a great internet friend (OUAT also came from her), and Sour Patch Kids. (Also from *insert Generic Internet Friend name here*. Sour Patch is my favorite type of candy, heh.)

Annnnd, a very exciting gift… Copic Ciao markers! Twelve Copic Ciao markers! I have a set of primaries, skin-tones, and grays—all sent previously from a very nice, fellow artist. But those were planned, and picked beforehand. I knew they were coming. These ones weren’t expected at all! I have two shades of purple, eeeeeeeeeeee—

To make things more interesting, these Copics came from a mystery person. They weren’t signed. (Thank you, Generic Mystery Person! I already have a drawing in mind, concerning those two purples.)

Annnd my mom surprised me with something… I should have known. It’s her favorite thing to do. Next to complaining about the state of my hair. *Pointed look*

On Friday (day before said fifteenth birth date), she forced me to go with her to Hindi tutoring. I already take two classes in the morning (with her), at a local language school. I want all my big stuff to be finished early in the day, because I can’t have fun when responsibilities are hanging over my head. So I wasn’t too keen on going to a tutor later that afternoon.

Which is a fancy way of saying: I was mad.

We went down into the bazaar. She seemed happy. Or, normal. And I just kind of stalked, I guess. Or slumped, as moody teenagers do. Walked (slumped) into her tutor’s house. Sat (slump) on the couch. Said hello.

And then she turns to me, and says: “Jackson… We didn’t come here for tutoring. We came here to get mehndi.”

WHAT.

BUT YOU SAID.

OKAY THEN.

Her tutor gave us mehndi! Which is like drawing on your skin in fancy South Asian patterns, letting it harden, scraping off the hard stuff, later—and revealing the stain. Viola, you have a beautiful, traditional skin-stain for a few days!

Probably should have explained that to my American friends. They thought I’d gotten a tattoo.

For the rest of the actual birthday, I spent my time lazing around, playing Don’t Starve. No homework. Putting of NaNo’ until that night. Just birthday-ing.

Overall, it was a great day/weekend! Thank you everybody who sent gifts—they’re all great, and will be used not-sparingly!

Devices End, Stories Don’t?

The day before last, I got a phone! My first phone, used, pretty cheap—thanks to these non-American prices—and much faster than my iPod.

The iPod was last year’s birthday gift, and by far the most expensive gift I’d/I’ve ever received. It was a refurbished device, a couple generations old, but worked well. However, about a month or so after I got, Apple released some new iOS thing, which didn’t allow the older iPods to download… Er… Anything. Anymore.

But despite not being able to get anything useful, it worked great! Until several months ago, when it started to… Visibly die? Battery draining really fast, texts not sending or receiving half the time, taking forever to load anything, freezing, unable to turn off, etc. Which is pretty upsetting, because I made sure to be very careful with it. I never cracked it, never dropped it in water, you name any other disaster that could have befallen it, and it was prevented.

But that’s Apple devices for you. Now with my newer and clearly superior device, I can have an Instagram. I have gone through the right of passage, to become a real man teenager. (Speaking of which, I’m ‘thegirlnamedjack’ on there. Promise I post scenery more than selfies.)

Personal update and mini rant aside, onto more interesting things.

NaNoWriMo, this year, has probably been more fun for me than it has been any other year. Disregarding last year, because I didn’t really “compete” in 2014… I don’t remember what happened last year, but I just didn’t have the drive to write.

But since my first few NaNos’, I’ve grown better as a writer, character-creator and just story-comer-upper in general. So I’ve found myself enjoying the story almost as if I were reading it myself. And thanks to being a full-fledged teen, I cried during a death scene. And the following funeral scene. But it was fun.

And if I can write something so sad that the reader cries and not the teenage girl writing it, than that’ll be an accomplishment. Perhaps mean. But in a twisted way, a compliment to the author.

As for the book itself, my problem right now is that it doesn’t look like the end of November will be the end of the book. It’s going very well right now, but there’s still a lot more to write. (This was the first NaNo’ that I actually planned beforehand. I loosely planned the story, studied my facts, studied some more, took notes, took more notes… Fell asleep… Woke up some time around November. I hibernated early this year so that I could stay awake this month.)

Continuing isn’t hard! I’m on chapter seven, page fifty-seven—which is more words than I’ve ever written in this amount of time. Considering this is the first year I’m aiming for that big 50,000, that looks encouraging!

Ending it, though… How do I end it.

*Screams of anguish*

My user on NaNoWriMo.org is Sticky Computer Keys. Feel free to add me as a buddy!

Barnaby Hugh Button (this year’s main character), stalked by a wildcat. (Art by me, please don’t use without my permission.)

Long Time No Write

Actually, that’s not true. It’s NaNoWriMo right now, and this is the first year that I’m going for that big 50,000 word goal, so it’s been writewritewritewritewrite everyday.
As for my blog… Not so much.

The past few months have been very eventful. Far too much for one post to hold, unless you enjoy reading things the length of Les Miserables.
So, where to begin… Wow.

We moved to South Asia, and it’s been one hectic ride. There’s been monkeys, and a whoooole new bathroom situation, and for about a week there was a leopard on our roof. I’m going to a language school with my mom, which was also a huge adjustment (for me) because as a homeschooler, waking up early in the morning is a sin. Also, studying is a pain. (Thankfully we have the two latest morning classes now so I don’t have to wake up quite so early anymore.)

On the way to South Asia, we got to stop in London for several hours. We missed the big tourist-y monuments like Big Ben, but we did get to ride the London Underground! (I saw very few people on their phones. Everybody had an actual book, or were just talking to each other. In America, everybody is on their phone 24/7 and it’s very distracting when you’re trying to have an actual conversation with someone. So, it was nice to see so many people just… Not playing Angry Birds. Also, the accents were amazing.)

We have an ayah, which is like a maid, or house-help. They’re very common here, whereas in America you have to be pretty wealthy to hire one. (Also, people here seem more… Kinder, to their helpers? I mean, they still call them ‘ji’ which means ‘ma’me’ or ‘sir’. And they just seem to treat them a lot more like family.)
My nine-year-old brother talks her ear off while she’s cooking. She talks just enough English to get her point across, but constantly flits back and forth between Hindi. Nine-year-old mostly just talks about Anime shows he likes to her. She smiles and laughs when he does, and it’s entertaining to overhear because I don’t think she understands him… At all.

But our ayah (I’ll spare her name) is very nice, and an excellent cook. She worked at a nice restaurant for quite awhile, so not only can she make amazing South Asian food, but lots of Western food. She tries to prove this to us, I think, because occasionally she asks for specific things on the grocery list, so she can make pizza. Or burritos. (No way am I complaining!)

Yesterday we went to her house for a Diwali dinner! Her house is one room, plus a tiny kitchen, behind a bunch of stores. She lives there with her husband (all kids and grandkids gone), and she was very happy to have company. We looked at a couple photo albums of her daughters weddings (which were more colorful than American weddings by far) and enjoyed very nice, Diwali-seasonal food! (Fun fact: her husband paints local scenery.)

Going back to several weeks ago–I was bitten by a dog. (This jumps all over the place, I’m trying to cram around four months of living into one post… Mostly for laziness reasons.) To reach our house, we have to take a trail. There’s more than one way to reach the house, but it’s all by trail one way or another (literally).

Everyday my mom and I had been walking past this mama dog with her puppies on the way to and from school. She lived underneath somebody’s house, and never bothered us. Ever. We would stop, see how the puppies were doing (never leaving the trail or touching any of the puppies/Mama Dog), and proceed whichever way we were going.

Then one day while walking home, Mama dog came tearing around a blind corner and bit me on the knee. No growling, barking, snarling—no warning whatsoever. After biting me, she backed away and played off the typical crazy-angry-dog display. Head down, teeth looking really scary, you know.

Well, I was surprised so at first I didn’t move. Then my mom yelled something, and we both ran back up the steps, and headed down a much steeper part of the trail that was out of the dog’s way.

My dad and his friend (who was apparently at our house at the time) were waiting at the bottom, and our ayah was waiting in the yard. (I put this detail in because for some reason it was really weird to have people worrying about the dog bite. I mean, it was worth worrying about. But I was shocked, and my knee hurt, and for some reason one of the most vivid details I remember is everybody looking concerned.)

My dad took me to the hospital (which is just down from our house. We live on a mountain, so there is no ‘a few blocks over’), and they cleaned the bite/put a bandage on it. To be honest, I was just kind of normal the whole time. I mean, shaky. But it didn’t feel like anything bad had happened.
Day one was a like like: “Nah man, I’m okay.”

Then I got a rabies shot. The first in a series of five. And the next day, I… Did not have rabies. Thank you, God. But I kept crying, and laughing, and laugh-crying, and crying. And sobbing. And snotting. And my knee hurt. And I couldn’t move my leg to even sit down or lay down, because the slightest movement made the knee burn like crazy.
Day two was a lot like: “I’M CRYING AND I DON’T KNOW WHY AND I’M LAUGHING AT EVERYTHING BUT IT MAKES ME CRY MORE AND ALL I WANT IS TO SIT DOWN BUT ONCE I DO THAT I’LL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GET BACK UP AND THAT’LL HURT TOO AND ALL I WANT IS TEA AND I’M CRYING AGAIN AND I’M CRYING DURING CLASS AND I LOVE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND I’M CRYING AGAIN AND NOW I’M DRAWING BUT I’M STILL CRYING AND MY MOM MADE A JOKE SO NOW I FEEL SAD AND I’M MAKING LAUGHING NOISES BUT I’M CRYING—”

More or less.

Onto more nicer things… Copic markers.

A very, very nice person bought me very, very expensive markers and mailed them to me. Along with very, very nice paper for said very, very nice markers. (Very nice.) And candy corn, because Halloween was coming up and they don’t sell the American seasonal candies here. And rat-traps, because we (had) a rat problem.

For those who don’t know what Copic markers are, they’re the modern day artist-nerd’s dream come true. I about cried when I got the package, and almost didn’t use them because I was/am afraid of wasting the precious ink. (Although they are refillable, I’m not sure where I can refill them…)

Not only are they refillable, but they blend together like the smoothest paint you’ve ever seen, have a chisel tip on one end and a brush tip on the other, can shade with one color alone if applied lightly, and just in general are beautiful.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Trevor, Sunstreak2000 (on deviantART)’s character.

A Langur (local type of monkey), drawn for my grandpa.

Thank you, very, very kind person.

There’s plenty more to be said, but I think I’ll save those for future blog posts.

-Jack

Jack the Dog, a Salamander Named Dipper, and a Musical.

Hello there! I dropped my habit of posting every Monday, but starting today that should be back on schedule. At least I’m not short of topics.

First, my grandparents got a little dog, Jack (not named after me), and he’s staying with us for a couple of weeks. He’s the sweetest little dog! His hair is short so it doesn’t get everywhere, he rarely barks, is house-trained, cuddles with you, etc. He’s the ideal small dog.

Second, I got the movie Les Miserables! It’s a fantastic movie–my favorite, actually. Everything about it is amazing, from the touching story to the great characters, to the amazing music. I first got to see it when it came into theaters in 2012, back when we still lived in Canada. Since then I’ve seen it three times, and now I finally own it!

The first time I saw it I had never heard of the story, and was very confused about what was happening in it. I’m not sure why I was confused… But I couldn’t keep any of the characters straight at the time.

I forgot Javert’s name. After he sang-screamed for the audience to remember it, I still forgot his name.

Third, our move is coming closer and closer. Soon, very soon, I’ll be in South Asia. Learning a new language, the rules of a new place and the ideas of a new culture. To describe how I feel right now… The calm before the storm. Everything is peaceful right now, nothing has been packed yet, I still have a lot of time to see my best friend and do things. But there’s this excited, nervous, fidgety sense that a really big storm is coming, or I’m about to get onto a roller-coaster.

Fourth, we found a salamander! My dad was cleaning out his friend’s shed, and they bug-bombed the salamander on accident. They rescued him and my dad brought him home to me in a Tupperware container. (Don’t worry, the container had some water/grass in it, and holes poked in the top.) I named him Dipper (after Dipper from Gravity Falls) and after some research, learned that he is a Woodland Salamander.

He lived eating off of small slugs for longer than a week, until one day I woke up and he was gone! He had a cover over his bowl, and we looked underneath of everything in the tank/around the tank, but he’s gone… Maybe he buried himself, but I don’t know why. That was a few days ago and I’ve assumed that he’s dead. 😦

Fifth, my youngest brother turned seven, and he had a The Legend of Zelda themed birthday party. OH, speaking of Zelda… I bought a Wii U! I’ve saved up for a really long time, and I had just enough money for a crazy cheap Wii U! So now we can finally replay The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker. 😀 My brothers were so happy when it came in the mail (it was a surprise), the oldest one started to cry.

Last, my great grandma stopped by yesterday. She brought stuff from Dairy Queen (as she does every visit, it’s almost a tradition now), and some stuff from the Smoky Mountains. (She went on a trip with my great uncle, and came back with souvenirs.)

A Variety of Things Consisting of Sea-Life and Birds

So… It’s been awhile. Too long, actually. Which is why the first half of this post is about a week late.

We went to visit some relatives in North Georgia, and we went to the Georgia Aquarium! It was amazing, and I took a load of photos and videos. I might put the videos together into one big video, but my laptop is too full, so it probably won’t let me put most of them on it. In the meantime, here’s some of the best photos!

I was using my video camera instead of my mom’s, so the photos aren’t the best. Believe me, these are the best photos of the bunch. 😉

Annnd, today is my dad’s birthday! Now, like a bad little daughter I forgot his birthday until about two days before the day of said birth. It’s kind of reassuring that he forgot about his birthday too, though.

So today I thought: “Darn, I don’t have anything for him.” I know he’s a grown man who doesn’t expect anything, but I still felt like I should make something.

“Draw a bird,” my brain said as I plopped down in front of my laptop. “Like one of those Steller’s Jays we saw all the time in Canada.”

But some other part of my brain, a deeper, darker area, said that drawing a bird worthy enough for today was going to be tough. And I have… Very little practice when it comes to birds.

Thus, this was born!

Luckily my dad has a sense of humor, AND a love for birds/nature just in general!

That’s all for now! Post to you later. 😀

Betta, Youth Group, Friends

 Meet Jazz, my new Betta fish. He (I’m calling it a he, but I don’t know this for sure) is my only pet, currently. Some of you might remember, I used to have a lot of pets. A box turtle, a dog, a goldfish, and various small critters–such as minnows. But when I moved up to Canada I had to give them all away, and then while we were up in Canada Jake–my dog–died. So even when we moved back I couldn’t visit him anymore, even though his new family is just down the road. We’ve taken care of a couple cats since then, but that was several months ago. Sooo, I’ve been really wanting a pet lately. Something inside me always wants an animal friend to take care of, and the only thing we can get right now is a fish. Not something I can play with and cuddle, but better than nothing. So hello, fish!

Other than that, I made a couple of new friends at youth group, and although I still struggle to remember names, they’re friendly and like some stuff that I do. I introduced ‘Once Upon a Time’ to one of them and she staid up until 3:00 AM watching it, apparently… I need to up my game and finish the newest season so I can still talk to her about it without dodging spoilers. 😛

My best friend had her Birthday a couple days ago, which was on the same day that I was at my little cousin’s Birthday party, face-painting. So I went straight from one party to another! Squishy (her DeviantART username is Squishy-pony-13, so online I call her Squishy. Safety.) had two of her friends from school come, and we all had a blast! Ate junk food, stayed up late watching YouTube and talking/laughing over all kinds of stuff. I forgot to get her a Birthday present (call me a bad best friend, but I did) so today I found some stuff at The Dollar tree for her… I’m still working on decorating the gift bag, but it’s stuff she’ll like, not just cheap candy and junk. (I love having a friend who is easy to please. Candles and nail polish.)

I also sent something to one of my best friends, an on-line friend from Scotland. This is our first time exchanging stuff through mail, so I’m really hyped about it. 😀

We also went to my great grandpa’s Birthday party yesterday, which is a big Southern get-together with soul food and Southern accents hitting my ears from all directions. I love the food and the family–well, those who I know anyway–and it’s a tradition for him to host a big gathering like this every year.

That’s all for now. Post to you next Monday!

P.S. I’m reading ‘Ender’s Game’, and it’s really great. I’ll try to post a review of it when I’m done.

Christmas, The Hobbit, and Painting–Oh My!

This year has passed by so quickly. Little over a year ago, we drove down from Canada to park–once again–in our little hometown in the Deep South. Since then we have reunited with friends and family, settled into more than one house more than one time, visited hundreds of different places, and just have generally been busy. My life seems to be a constant flow of packing and unpacking, getting comfortable and then throwing myself into the blue like Bilbo running off on his adventure. An Unexpected Journey? Don’t get me started. I am mostly Took, but still a Baggins.

The point is–or at least, what I was trying to lead up to–is that I suddenly find myself celebrating Christmas again. Every year I sense it coming, as the air chills and the “what do you want for Christmas?” questions start poking up. So I make big plans to make something for every member of my family and friends. Make a list of who I want to make gifts for, and grow excited over what I’ll do. This is how it works…

I need to work on that gift, but first I’ll watch an episode of Doctor Who. BOOM–where did the day go?

I’ll do it now, but first I’ll just do this other thing–BOOM BOOM–two days have passed. I’d better hurry, I still need to make six gifts!

This list is way too long, I can’t make these in a week! BOOM BOOM BOOM, Father Time is waking up, and I still haven’t done anything!

That’s how it goes every year. Every. Year. Until now. Which I say every year, accept that this time–please ignore my record–I have actually completed my plan. I have made gifts. Actually–take a seat, this might come as a shock to you–I bought a gift for somebody. TWO gifts. Yes ladies and gentleman, I didn’t just paint a tree and give it to them, I spent money. Like a big girl.

I’ve been practicing traditional painting with acrylics so that I can make decent looking paintings that aren’t digital–so yes, some people may still get a tree. But it’s a better looking tree than last year’s tree so ssssshhhhh…

And I’m making t-shirts for my brothers of each Pikachu evolution. Pichu = youngest boy, Pikachu = middle boy (who loves Pikachu), and Raichu = oldest boy.

I plan on changing the bubble around Pichu to fit the others. 😀

 

 

That’s all for now. Other than that, we’re going to go see the hobbit in a couple of days (a bit jealous of one of my friends–who’s Scottish, so she’s already gotten to see it) and overall have a very merry Christmas. 😀

Merry (early) Christmas!

 

I’m an Official 14-Year-Old!

On November 21st, I became a fourteen-year-old. 🙂 It feels strange, really. Because every year there’s that small sense of pride that I am officially a year older. But at the same time, it doesn’t really matter to me. Last year I was excited because it meant that I was finally old enough to see the other Transformers movies, which I’d been waiting for years to see. But fourteen? Well… Fourteen isn’t a huge milestone or anything. Just sort of an age. I guess I’ve always looked old for my age–and acted older–because at twelve people thought I was the age that I am now! So maybe I can pass as a sixteen-year-old now? I can totally drive, right? 😛

I had a great time, though! My grandma babysat my brothers so that my parents could take me out to a restaurant of my choosing–MEXICAN FOOD (refried beans, O how I love thee)–and to see ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire part 1’! Of course I’ve had ‘The Hanging Tree’ song stuck in my head since I saw that movie. I think I’ve almost memorized all of the lyrics by now. 😀 And it’s helpful that I’m re-reading the books, so the whole story is fresh in my mind.

There wasn’t a party, but I did get some gifts. And my grandpa came over, which is nice because he’s always busy. 🙂 Really, my Birthday gift was my iPod–which I got about a month ago. And that’s the most expensive gift I’ve ever gotten–plus I needed it for texting my parents–so no complaining here! Other than that, my best friend got me a new waterbottle–which I needed (and it’s my favorite color, purple)–and a dainty lil’ necklace with a ‘J’ on it. 

She has a matching one (our names both start with a J) so it’s sort of like a friendship necklace. 🙂 She also came over, so in a way it was a super mini party.

Aaand finally, this thingy-mah-jigger. A pencil bag from my brothers/dad, that looks like a monster. And it’s also a huge zipper.

And plenty of Birthday wishes from family and friends. 😀

That’s all for now, post to you later!

I Am Not A Middleschooler

Well, actually, let me clarify that. I am a Middleschooler, because I am Middleschool age. I’m in the 8th Grade. So I am indeed a Middleschooler. Accept that, you know, I’m not. Allow me to explain.

I am socially awkward, but I love to talk just one-on-one with somebody about stuff (shows/movies and books, mostly). Crowds of loud people–loud noises just in general–bother me. Although I can sleep through my brothers pounding around the house, and I can tune them out–so it’s not too bad. It’s more like unexpected loud noises. I prefer a cup of tea and a book, or a computer. A friend nearby, or somebody who I know well–but I also need my alone time. However because I am Homeschooled, I try to have a decent attitude when I go places that I don’t really want to go, since I don’t really talk to people other than my family everyday. I dislike activities that involve anything other than sitting or standing, especially if it–once again–involves crowds. So far I just sound like a regular nerd/geek, right? Right. But there’s more.

When I walk into a room of Middleschoolers, I’m nervous but excited to be around other kids my age. I rarely get to commune with people in my grade, or around my age just in general. So expecting to be surrounded by people who I can relate to, I go forth. Into a room full of… Middleschoolers. As it turns out, kids my age don’t act like me. Or, actually, it’s the other way around. (I’ve actually got a funny story on that.)

Me: I pretty much explained the basics above, but to give you a bigger idea of myself–I am an MK, or a ‘third-culture kid’. Adults often tell me that I’m very mature for my age, but I usually brush it off as them being nice or just surprised at how quiet I can be.

Real Middleschoolers: Obnoxious, loud, and–frankly, not to be mean–most of them are dumb. On their own, they can be smart. More calm, easier to talk to and just–um–approach, in general. But the moment their friend shows up or they get into a group of people their age, they’re brain goes OUT of the window. The window of a speeding car, where it lands splat on the asphalt. Suddenly everybody is pulling each other’s hair, slapping each other, tackling, hugging, picking on one another. Being really, really loud. For instance. Instead of: “Oh, hi Mackenzie!” It’s: “OHHHH HEEEEEY MACKENZIE!”

I went to a three-hour long party for Middleschoolers that my Youth Group had today, and I pretty much walked into a zoo. Or a mental institute. It’s hard to tell, but either will do. There should have been a sign saying: “Please don’t feed the animals teenagers junk food, not only is this unhealthy for them, but it makes them aggressive.” Seriously. If you’re going to invite a Youth Group over to your house, you need bear boxes to store your food in. It’s great to supply snacks, but it does get crazy.

Awkwardly I dog around the other kids. I don’t want to sit all alone and draw/read, because I’m here to talk and have fun, not do the stuff that I do everyday all day. But people my age are impossible to speak reason with. It. Is. Impossible. For instance, this happened tonight.

Middleschoolers: “HEY, LET’S PLAY MAN HUNT.” (Hide-and-go-Seek in the dark.)

Me: “Oh yeah, I like that game!”

Middleschoolers: *A group of them go outside, beginning to rambunctiously sort into teams* “OKAY YOU YOU AND YOU GO WITH YOU AND YOU YOU AND YOU GO WITH HER AND–” *Meanwhile, everybody is still being just as loud but has no idea what team their on*

Me: “What team am I on? Excuse me what–um–what team am I on?” *Turns to the girl next to me* “I don’t know what team I’m on. I might be on yours but I’m not sure.” *She doesn’t know what team she’s on either. But eventually we’re all sorted out–to an extent–and a Middleschool girl, a younger girl and myself are all hunters*

About fifteen minutes later we still haven’t started the game because nobody can keep their hands off of each other. A boy pulls a girls hair, the girl gets into a slap-tackle fight with him, it probably spreads. We finally start the game, but by the time the first round is done I have to go home.

And that my friends is how I am not a Middleschool girl. Unnecessary touching (seriously had a boy run up to me and slap both of my arms before running off. Didn’t even know the kid) , behavior, and so on. The highlight of my night was speaking with an adult for a few minutes about The Matrix. Oh, and beating some people at Mario Kart, which as it turns out, I’m a pro at. But mostly talking about The Matrix with a sane person.

I just… I don’t know… I hit puberty too, but I still have a brain. It’s clouded by hormones a lot of the time, yeah. But while everybody else is choking in the funny smoke, I have a gas-mask.