"I do it because I love the feeling of laying down a perfect trip... not that it happens often, but that's the goal. Because we devote our lives to improving ourselves and our horses and we want to measure our talent, and our horses' talent, against others. Because I love the girls that I show with, and every time one of us wins, it feels like we all win. For the silly, late night, exhausted, delirious, giggling moments. For the time that we imagine what the horse must be thinking right now... and we laugh because they each have a totally unique personality. For the very frequent trips to the Mexican restaurant and the overloading on chips and queso. For the horse that can go in the ring and act like an idiot, but then a small child comes up and asks the horse for a kiss and he stretches his upper lip out to touch her face, and I remember what makes him special. For the feeling of pride in myself and my horse, the feeling that all of the hours in the saddle have paid off, when we finally do lay down that perfect trip. For the friends from all over the nation that all love the same thing I do: horse showing. The trainers that do it because they are lucky enough and talented enough to make a living doing what they (and I) love, instead of crunching numbers day after day in an office. I do it because I love it, and my life would be empty without the horses, and just as important, without the horse shows: the goals to strive for, the continual effort to improve, the sense of being a team with my horse, the barn camaraderie, and the moments. The silly, frustrating, happy, sad, angry, proud, moving, priceless moments are what make it all worthwhile."
~Nicole Cholakian
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ramblings from Lack of Sleep (stupid time change, no one likes you.)
Today we had our first Lit Circles for the semester. My group has been reading Middlesex, and Rachel and Ashley brought up several good points that I had not thought about, such as what would it take for the main chracter, Cal/ Calliope, to come to terms with his conditions? This novel is somewhat difficult to talk about becuase it's an entirely different subject from what we are usually asked to talk about in classes. I know one of the main problems that I had when talking about the novel was whether to refer to Cal as a 'he' or a 'she'. I had been calling Cal 'it', but I feel kind of bad for doing that, even though it was not meant maliciously. However, I spent the rest of the day thinking about it, and I have reached the conclusion that Cal should be referred to as a 'he' because his brain is that of a male, and that is what he thinks of himself as.
So after I post this blog, I will be going to Google and searching the metaphysical conceit, as I missed the notes on it last week (although I don't remember what I was doing- taking the Invisible Man test, perhaps?) on John Donne and his poetry. I'm pretty sure I'm going to want to know this stuff before the timed writing that we apparently have tomorrow. And I know that this has nothing to do with anything, but I definitely just failed at the 'Story Problems' category on Jeopardy!, and I feel very ashamed. They basically gave the problem of the main characters, and asked for the name of the novel in which the situation takes place. Sadness. I think that after our AP Lit exam, we shoould play Jeopardy!, with the categories covering everything and anything that we have or might have learned in the past 12 years that has to do with English and Literature. And this guy just totally interrupted Alex Trebek. You do not do that. That is just INSANELY rude. And unheard of. People these days, I swear.
I am not currently reading anything in addition to out Lit Circles book, however I hope to start the newest of the Janet Evanovich novels soon- Finger Lickin' Fifteen (I can only imagine wha Stephanie Plum will get herself into this time). I've been having some trouble finding things that I really want to read recently, perhaps because I don't really have any spare time to read for enjoyment these days. Over Spring Break though, I will be finding a few good books to read while I am at the pool or laying out on my deck. Hopefully it will be warm enough outside.
Oh, does anyone know if there are study guides avaliable for the AP Lit test? Like a Baron's book or some other type of study guide? I've looked but have been highly unsuccessful in my attempts :(
Have a good week, kiddies :)
So after I post this blog, I will be going to Google and searching the metaphysical conceit, as I missed the notes on it last week (although I don't remember what I was doing- taking the Invisible Man test, perhaps?) on John Donne and his poetry. I'm pretty sure I'm going to want to know this stuff before the timed writing that we apparently have tomorrow. And I know that this has nothing to do with anything, but I definitely just failed at the 'Story Problems' category on Jeopardy!, and I feel very ashamed. They basically gave the problem of the main characters, and asked for the name of the novel in which the situation takes place. Sadness. I think that after our AP Lit exam, we shoould play Jeopardy!, with the categories covering everything and anything that we have or might have learned in the past 12 years that has to do with English and Literature. And this guy just totally interrupted Alex Trebek. You do not do that. That is just INSANELY rude. And unheard of. People these days, I swear.
I am not currently reading anything in addition to out Lit Circles book, however I hope to start the newest of the Janet Evanovich novels soon- Finger Lickin' Fifteen (I can only imagine wha Stephanie Plum will get herself into this time). I've been having some trouble finding things that I really want to read recently, perhaps because I don't really have any spare time to read for enjoyment these days. Over Spring Break though, I will be finding a few good books to read while I am at the pool or laying out on my deck. Hopefully it will be warm enough outside.
Oh, does anyone know if there are study guides avaliable for the AP Lit test? Like a Baron's book or some other type of study guide? I've looked but have been highly unsuccessful in my attempts :(
Have a good week, kiddies :)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Weekend Morning Housekeeping
OK, so on weekend mornings, I watch cartoons. Really though. Usually I watch Spongebob and the Fairy Oddparents. Because I can. While I was watching the Fairy Oddparents this morning, Wanda told Timmy to think about not saving Vicky. And you know what popped up? An image of Timmy, sitting in a graveyard, wearing Shakespearean type clothes, and holding a skull. Hamlet allusion? I do think so :) ((There was also an allusion to Brave New World, but I won't get into that one)) Ah, the joys of childhood.
So this coming week, we have the joys of an Invisible Man reading test ((please let this be easier than your usual tests, Mrs. Clinch)), Lit Circles ((did the date on those change?)), I have an allusion presentation on Pandora, annotations due, and surely more excitement ((I don't have my agenda in front of me)).
You may be reading this and thinking 'yeah, thats great, get on with the literature'. Sorry to disappoint, but this week, I made comments on other peoples blogs. I highly encourage anyone who reads this to go and check out the 30 Days Project blogs being done by Kylie, Holly, and Blake. Its an awesome project to be doing and I wish them each tons of luck. And I hope someone tries out that recipe that I gave Blake- its really good and simple haha!
Off to work on my Pandora Allusion presentation :)
So this coming week, we have the joys of an Invisible Man reading test ((please let this be easier than your usual tests, Mrs. Clinch)), Lit Circles ((did the date on those change?)), I have an allusion presentation on Pandora, annotations due, and surely more excitement ((I don't have my agenda in front of me)).
You may be reading this and thinking 'yeah, thats great, get on with the literature'. Sorry to disappoint, but this week, I made comments on other peoples blogs. I highly encourage anyone who reads this to go and check out the 30 Days Project blogs being done by Kylie, Holly, and Blake. Its an awesome project to be doing and I wish them each tons of luck. And I hope someone tries out that recipe that I gave Blake- its really good and simple haha!
Off to work on my Pandora Allusion presentation :)
Friday, March 5, 2010
Makeup 1/25/10
As I'm pretty sure no one knows, I will be competing in the Public Speaking II state competition for our school's FBLA at the end of March. The speech that I will be giving is based off of a quote by Henry David Thoreau, which I first saw on the inside of the Balfor graduation cataloge when they were handed out in the beginning of the year. The speech discusses this quote (which is now one of my alltime favorites) and my interpretation of it. I wrote the entire speech (except the quotes of course haha).
"Dreams.
When I was young, my dreams changed every few minutes. One minute, I wanted to be a firefighter so that I could drive around in a big red truck with a Dalmation by my side; the next minute, I wanted to be a doctor, so that I could save peoples lives and make the world a better place to live, But as I became older and gained more experiance in the world, my dreams became more solidified than they had been when I was younger. When I was in the fifth grade, I decided that I either wanted to be an equine veterinarian, or a fighter pilot for the Navy. In pursuit of my dream to become an equine vet, I became an instructor at my barn. Instructing horseback riding lessons has shed light upon a different talent of mine- teaching. Seeing my students finally understand a concept that we have been working on, or seeing them connext with their horse warms my heart, even on the coldest winter day. It is because of these feelings that I now have a new dream, which is to become a teacher.
One of the main goals of FBLA is to inspire confidence in students and their work. As Henry David Thoreau once said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined,". While many say that dreams are naught but the results of an over active imagination, I agree with Thoreau in his thoughs that the achievement of dreams and confidence go hand in hand. If one always doubts herself, she will never be able to believe not only in her work, but herself. Belief in one's self is apparent in everything that a person does, and the best leaders are those who can convince those around them that they truely do believe not only in their words, but their actions as well.
One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is one tha a very good friend and excellent teacher taught me. A few summers ago, I took a rather disturbing fall from a horse. From then on, I would have a panic attack every time I was riding and felt my horse speed up. My friend Heather took me aside one day during a lesson and told me to close my eyes and let go of my reins. She then put my horse on a lunge line and urged him into a canter, talking to me the whole time. Her confidence in me quiickly helped me to build my own confidence, and I overcame my fear of speed when riding. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to teach a girl who was afraid to allow her horse to go faster than a trot. I did the same thing with her that Heather did for me. The young girl is now happily cantering along in every lesson, and can not wait to go faster. The look on her face everytime I see her ride is what has made me want to be a teacher. That feeling of warmth and undderstanding that I feel every time one of my kids gets even the smallest of things. That confidence that understanding gives them as they strive for their dreams.
To some, dreams are the equivalent of fantasies. What these people do not realize is that everymajor leader in our society has had a dream. For Doctor Martin Luther King, it was equality among people no matter their race, and Aristotle's dream, was hope. Dreams are goals that we set for ourselves, pep-talks from our subconscious to give us confidence. Without our dreams, our individual confidence would dwindle, leaving our leaderrs without hope, and our societies without cause. However, this is not a one way street. Without confidence, we cannot dream. Confidence in ourselves, our work, and who we are going to be are all fundamental parts of life, which is why it is essential we are taught these valuable skills now. FBLA inspires this confidence in its followers, urging them to become the hopeful leaders that our world so desperately needs. Every meeting, every service oppertunity, every professional speaker, and every competitive event oppertunity inspires a dream, which in turn, inspires confidence in the leaders of tomorrow. This confidence inspires even more dreams. Dreams that are inspired by FBLA."
"Dreams.
When I was young, my dreams changed every few minutes. One minute, I wanted to be a firefighter so that I could drive around in a big red truck with a Dalmation by my side; the next minute, I wanted to be a doctor, so that I could save peoples lives and make the world a better place to live, But as I became older and gained more experiance in the world, my dreams became more solidified than they had been when I was younger. When I was in the fifth grade, I decided that I either wanted to be an equine veterinarian, or a fighter pilot for the Navy. In pursuit of my dream to become an equine vet, I became an instructor at my barn. Instructing horseback riding lessons has shed light upon a different talent of mine- teaching. Seeing my students finally understand a concept that we have been working on, or seeing them connext with their horse warms my heart, even on the coldest winter day. It is because of these feelings that I now have a new dream, which is to become a teacher.
One of the main goals of FBLA is to inspire confidence in students and their work. As Henry David Thoreau once said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined,". While many say that dreams are naught but the results of an over active imagination, I agree with Thoreau in his thoughs that the achievement of dreams and confidence go hand in hand. If one always doubts herself, she will never be able to believe not only in her work, but herself. Belief in one's self is apparent in everything that a person does, and the best leaders are those who can convince those around them that they truely do believe not only in their words, but their actions as well.
One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is one tha a very good friend and excellent teacher taught me. A few summers ago, I took a rather disturbing fall from a horse. From then on, I would have a panic attack every time I was riding and felt my horse speed up. My friend Heather took me aside one day during a lesson and told me to close my eyes and let go of my reins. She then put my horse on a lunge line and urged him into a canter, talking to me the whole time. Her confidence in me quiickly helped me to build my own confidence, and I overcame my fear of speed when riding. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to teach a girl who was afraid to allow her horse to go faster than a trot. I did the same thing with her that Heather did for me. The young girl is now happily cantering along in every lesson, and can not wait to go faster. The look on her face everytime I see her ride is what has made me want to be a teacher. That feeling of warmth and undderstanding that I feel every time one of my kids gets even the smallest of things. That confidence that understanding gives them as they strive for their dreams.
To some, dreams are the equivalent of fantasies. What these people do not realize is that everymajor leader in our society has had a dream. For Doctor Martin Luther King, it was equality among people no matter their race, and Aristotle's dream, was hope. Dreams are goals that we set for ourselves, pep-talks from our subconscious to give us confidence. Without our dreams, our individual confidence would dwindle, leaving our leaderrs without hope, and our societies without cause. However, this is not a one way street. Without confidence, we cannot dream. Confidence in ourselves, our work, and who we are going to be are all fundamental parts of life, which is why it is essential we are taught these valuable skills now. FBLA inspires this confidence in its followers, urging them to become the hopeful leaders that our world so desperately needs. Every meeting, every service oppertunity, every professional speaker, and every competitive event oppertunity inspires a dream, which in turn, inspires confidence in the leaders of tomorrow. This confidence inspires even more dreams. Dreams that are inspired by FBLA."
Makeup 2/1/10
A random fun fact about Shannon: I love to make lists. When I was in eighth grade, my friends and I had a notebook of lists (among many other notebooks- it was how we passed notes to one another because it looks much less obvious) that was quite infamous to say the least (think Mean Girls, and you pretty much have me and my friends in middle school, but we weren't quite that bad). So I thought that for this blog, I would make a list of my top 5 reading picks (in no particular order), accompanied with a little blurb for those of you that like details. After all, Spring Break is coming up :)
1.) Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews
~ok, so this is not exactly a book that I would readily recommend for guys, but ladies, its great! Keeley, the main character, throws the mother of all hissy fits when she finds her fiancee, in the service closet with her Maid of Honor, at her rehersal dinner (nope, sorry, it wasn't Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick). Keeley devotes her life to rennovating (she is an interior designer) to an amazing antebellum mansion in Savannah (yes, Georgia) for a new client, who just happens to not only be filthy rich, but amazingly attractive as well. Has Keeley finally found her Tara and Rhett? Read it and find out :)
2.) Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
~laugh all you want, but this is my favorite book of all time. Better than Cinderella, and not nearly as cheesey as Twilight (which is nothing but Cinderella with vampires), Ella Enchanted is timeless. So timeless, in fact, that I have the majority of the book memorized. This book encorporates many classic fairy tales, and if you tell me that you do not need to read it because you have seen the movie, I may smack you. This is the defining case for the saying "the book is better than the movie". I love Anne Hathaway, but its nearly impossible to do Ella, or any of the book proper justice, no matter your budget. Just read it, for the love of good fairy tales. And boys: THIS IS IMPORTANT- you need to read this some at least SOME of you know how to treat a girl. His name isn't Prince Char for anything, ya know.
3.) The Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich
~ok so this actually covers 15 novels, but I promise, they are very fast reads! Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and caught between two hott guys. The first novel is a little graphic (at least I think its the first...the one where she is going after the boxer), but they are all hysterical, and have a very realistic outlook on life. She gives a whole new meaning to "getting lucky" in this novel. And get your mind out of the gutter, I was talking about how she always makes her catch. But in case you were wondering, she always gets the guy(s) too.
4.) Mary, Mary by James Patterson
~If you like the abnormal psychology field, you should definitly read this book! Its a hard book to explain, but basically, someone is killing off Hollywood's A-List, and FBI Special Agent Alex Cross must scramble to figure out who. Can you guess who done it?
5.)Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
~can you say EPIC? The movie comes somewhat close to doing this book justice, but you should still read the real thing. Tyler Durdan's look on life is amazing, and Palahniuk does an excellent job of convincing you of these ideals. Its almost enough to make you want to give yourself a 'lye kiss'. But don't. It will hurt, I promise.
1.) Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews
~ok, so this is not exactly a book that I would readily recommend for guys, but ladies, its great! Keeley, the main character, throws the mother of all hissy fits when she finds her fiancee, in the service closet with her Maid of Honor, at her rehersal dinner (nope, sorry, it wasn't Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick). Keeley devotes her life to rennovating (she is an interior designer) to an amazing antebellum mansion in Savannah (yes, Georgia) for a new client, who just happens to not only be filthy rich, but amazingly attractive as well. Has Keeley finally found her Tara and Rhett? Read it and find out :)
2.) Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
~laugh all you want, but this is my favorite book of all time. Better than Cinderella, and not nearly as cheesey as Twilight (which is nothing but Cinderella with vampires), Ella Enchanted is timeless. So timeless, in fact, that I have the majority of the book memorized. This book encorporates many classic fairy tales, and if you tell me that you do not need to read it because you have seen the movie, I may smack you. This is the defining case for the saying "the book is better than the movie". I love Anne Hathaway, but its nearly impossible to do Ella, or any of the book proper justice, no matter your budget. Just read it, for the love of good fairy tales. And boys: THIS IS IMPORTANT- you need to read this some at least SOME of you know how to treat a girl. His name isn't Prince Char for anything, ya know.
3.) The Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich
~ok so this actually covers 15 novels, but I promise, they are very fast reads! Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter, and caught between two hott guys. The first novel is a little graphic (at least I think its the first...the one where she is going after the boxer), but they are all hysterical, and have a very realistic outlook on life. She gives a whole new meaning to "getting lucky" in this novel. And get your mind out of the gutter, I was talking about how she always makes her catch. But in case you were wondering, she always gets the guy(s) too.
4.) Mary, Mary by James Patterson
~If you like the abnormal psychology field, you should definitly read this book! Its a hard book to explain, but basically, someone is killing off Hollywood's A-List, and FBI Special Agent Alex Cross must scramble to figure out who. Can you guess who done it?
5.)Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
~can you say EPIC? The movie comes somewhat close to doing this book justice, but you should still read the real thing. Tyler Durdan's look on life is amazing, and Palahniuk does an excellent job of convincing you of these ideals. Its almost enough to make you want to give yourself a 'lye kiss'. But don't. It will hurt, I promise.
Makeup 2/8/10
What if Hamlet had been invisible? Much like the narrator in Invisible Man, Hamlet seems to have anger issues, that lead to him, ahem, exploding with fury whenever his anger has been built up inside of him for too long? However, making Hamlet invisible might only add to the mischeif that he gets into, because then no one would be able to see him- or perhaps it is this very reason the Hamlet should have been invisible. But I guess that really just depends on your definition of 'invisible'. In the OED, 'invisiblity' is defined first and foremost as "not visible to the eye, either characteristically or because hidden'. Maybe the invisble narrator is only invisible because he wishes to be invisible. He has always been the subject of humiliation, deciet, torture, and the likes. If I was subjected to everything that he had been subjected to, then I would probably want to be invisible too, wouldn't you? But I guess Hamlet couldn't have been invisible then, because how else would he and Ophelia have drank Capri Sun together? I would think it would really be kinda hard to do that with an invisible dude, but maybe thats just me.
Has anyone else noticed alot of teeth action in Invisible Man? I noticed it first right after the narrator got into the fight with Brockway, and after that, I keep seeing teeth and biting popping up. And the way that the narrator says "the old man bit me!" (or something along those lines) makes me think of someone who has been stabbed in the back by one that they trusted. What a shock that must have been to the narrator (literally haha) when he found out that he had been betrayed by Brockway. Not that electrical shock therapy is a laughing matter.
And Brother Jack! Ah Brother Jack, I should have known that we would see a Jack. It has been quite awhile since we have seen an All the King's Men connection, afterall. The two Jacks seem similar enough (although I am not going to pretend to know alot about Jack Burden because I will admit that I never did finish All the King's Men... it was just one of those books for me that I picked up when I really wanted to fall asleep, sorry Mrs. Clinch); both in politics, both working for the 'greater good' (whatever that is), and above all else, recruiting others to their cause, no matter how much deception may be involved. I must say, I'm curious to see who we meet next.
A now for a quick rant about Senior year. It really kinda sucks. While I am glad to be taking most of the classes that I am (I wish I had not listened to my mother when she told me to take College Accounting- what does she know?), its starting to feel like its really just one thing after another. As soon as we get a break in one class, we have something in another. I think high schoolers deserve those naps more than kindergardeners do. We certainly do more. And supposedly, we need to get more sleep now than we have in years past, or will need to in years to come. Ain't that a kicker.
Has anyone else noticed alot of teeth action in Invisible Man? I noticed it first right after the narrator got into the fight with Brockway, and after that, I keep seeing teeth and biting popping up. And the way that the narrator says "the old man bit me!" (or something along those lines) makes me think of someone who has been stabbed in the back by one that they trusted. What a shock that must have been to the narrator (literally haha) when he found out that he had been betrayed by Brockway. Not that electrical shock therapy is a laughing matter.
And Brother Jack! Ah Brother Jack, I should have known that we would see a Jack. It has been quite awhile since we have seen an All the King's Men connection, afterall. The two Jacks seem similar enough (although I am not going to pretend to know alot about Jack Burden because I will admit that I never did finish All the King's Men... it was just one of those books for me that I picked up when I really wanted to fall asleep, sorry Mrs. Clinch); both in politics, both working for the 'greater good' (whatever that is), and above all else, recruiting others to their cause, no matter how much deception may be involved. I must say, I'm curious to see who we meet next.
A now for a quick rant about Senior year. It really kinda sucks. While I am glad to be taking most of the classes that I am (I wish I had not listened to my mother when she told me to take College Accounting- what does she know?), its starting to feel like its really just one thing after another. As soon as we get a break in one class, we have something in another. I think high schoolers deserve those naps more than kindergardeners do. We certainly do more. And supposedly, we need to get more sleep now than we have in years past, or will need to in years to come. Ain't that a kicker.
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