Merry Christmas!

-Plink.

Weekend Of Interestingness

This is baisically my summory of the weekend I had at the capitol. I dunno if you'll find it interesting, (after all, it was sorta a school "paper"), here it is anyway...

Youth & Government

Binders, suitcases, name tags, and elevator doors. YMCA's yearly Youth and Government Model

Legislature three-day weekend for high school students had come again. In addition to adult sponsors

and 9^th through 12^th graders included into the program, “pages” were allowed to stay and experience the

event as well.

...And that's where I came in.

As an 8^th grader, I was a year short of being accepted into the program as a whole, but I was signed up

to be a message-runner for the numerous delegate. From the start, I knew that the pages were the lowly,

humbled, and over tasked kids, who usually were siblings of the older participants. We were basically

the bottom of the food chain. It was hard to determine how many times people, almost always former

pages, reminded me to “wear tennis shoes” and to “take the elevator, NOT the stairs.” Page “training”

was more or less a tour of both the House of Representatives and the State Senate. We were warned against personal notes and tic-tac-toe game scribbles, being told to toss these if we felt as though they were rather irrelevant to the weekend.

And then we were sent off. A page (or two) to a room. All nine of us, wondering what our destiny as note-bearers would amount to. I headed directly to the room I was commissioned to, the furthest back in the State Senate.

And then I waited.

...And waited.

That first Friday was–considering the dramatic stories of poor pitiful pages, exhausted and footsore that I had heard–dull. Just dull. Sure, a few highlights, and a handful of laughable occasions, such as the time that I had been aboard an elevator, and despite the pressing of the floor #2 button, the other persons and I ended up in the basement (and how that happened is beyond me), and the moments as I witnessed Eve (one of the Senators there) cringe in disgust when we watched in horror as Matthew, playing the role as Bear Grills, devour a repulsively greasy, grimy, drippy, mayonnaise-slathered and gargantuan-tomato ridden Wendy's burger for dinner.

The next day came to me more fast-paced. Trotting–or rather power walking–slips of paper back and fourth between capitol buildings and the courtyard between them took it's toll on my feet (clad, or course, in tennis shoes). But the larger workload was welcomed, despite my occasional rumblings about them. I ended up spending much of my time on the Senate floor, ferrying messages and listening to bills being poked and prodded at, while the author or sponsor present tried his or her best to defend its cause. A few of the bills that I over heard were

–A bill to begin airing recorded schooling sessions.

–A bill to encourage swimming lessons for small children.

–A bill to outlaw driving while under the urge of going to the bathroom (a personal favorite of mine).

Yup. Saturday was action packed, and when action packs, it often also comes to me with a packet of clumsiness. Ah yes, the day of running into an automatic opening door.

Nice memory.

Lunch that day was pretty neat too. Rumors of Taco Bell haunted delegates and pages alike. Ghastly stories of food poisoning and stomach pumping were heard. But to our surprise–and delight–tins of what looked to be homemade Mexican food, REAL, cheesy, crunchy, steaming hot tacos, enchiladas, and beans and rice all piled together on a paper plate.

...Definitely NOT Taco Bell.

And lastly, Sunday. I arrived at the capitol after church and after grabbing lunch at Chilli’s (oh yeah! Shrimp tacos...). Both the House & the Senate Floors were churned around and bubbling with the frenzy of Representatives, Senators & Lobbyists, all trying hard to pass their bills. My paging job was almost over.

And finally, the closing ceremony. I watched from the floor, standing in the doorway, and feeling like me feet were about to melt off. But it was great to see people, people who I felt I had gotten to know by reading the random things that they wrote to their friends, get awards and being mentioned for the outstanding accomplishments that they achieved. All in all, it was...fun, but, well...work.

...For lack of a better word anyway.

And now since I have annoying people staring at the screen and distracting me, I will try my hardest to wrap this up once and for all.

Argh.

-Plink.

Wordless...Thursday(??)

I noticed that a tennis ball looks really cool against an amazing sky. Hmm... What else will I end up noticing?

And meanwhile...

-Plink.

Wordless Wednesday: After Rain

Honey Suckle & Dew Drops

Blue Skies Ahead

Small Talk

I wish you a happy Christmas and a merry New Year!

...Now, what else is there to say??
It has been raining. ALL DAY LONG. This is actually a good thing. I am smack in the middle of a desert, and it's raining.
Cool huh?
Soooo, plans for Christmas? Anything, anything? I'm goin' to a Christmas party thingy tonight.
Oh, and by the way, what does an ugly Christmas sweater look like? At youth, we are having an ugly Christmas sweater contest. At first I pictured an ugly sweater being something like a mustered colored thing with a picture of a mutated snowman eating Santa's head. But then I figured that that particular item might be a little hard to obtain.
As long as we are on the topic of Christmas wardrobe, I'd like to mention what I spent the whole of this day working on.

 

How do you like 'em? You never know what you might be able to do when you a have a ten-yard roll of Candy Cane duct tape.

I think I have improved since the last pair that I made. See pictures of them on this post. I did attempt to make a pair out of plaid, but the first one ended up like a giant pair of clown shoes, so I never started a second one. I got the duct tape yesterday at my co-op class. My teacher "auctioned" the roll off for 40 tickets (we get tickets for doing assignments & stuff like that).

In other news, Arlo is doing well (though not enjoying the rain), and I shall have to put pictures of his "new & improved house" on here soon.

That's all I'll put in for now. Going to go and watch Adam-12 with everyone else in the house.

See ya soon!

-Plink.

Cycle Of The Non-Inspired

Sorry I've been so unfaithful with the posting. I really don't have much to say. Thanksgiving is here. Or at least, almost here. And then Christmas...and then 2012...and then spring...and then summer...and then a few nasty hot, dry days...all over again.

Kinda makes you feel like you're in a washing machine doesn't it?

I guess I'm in a "cycle" sort of mood. No blogger inspiration. I'll have to wait for my share.

Until then,
Plink.

I, The Beholder On Thanksgiving Day

I see people busy, their coat tails brushing by.

I see smoke rising, and orange flames endangering the pumpkin pie.

I smell savory scents swirling through the air.

I smell cinnamon cider and delicate pastries handled with care.

I hear kettles whistling, chattering their sweet and gentle sounds.

I hear crackling fires, where the warmth of the fire abounds.

I taste spicy samples, the table is set inside.

My mouth begins to water, my taste buds feel alive.

I feel famishing hunger, my patience breaking thin.

And I stare at the golden turkey, time and time again.

At last the dinner is prepared, and at once I grab a chair.

Then my gratefulness is expressed, in a simple, heartfelt prayer:

Thank you God for family, thank you God for food,

Thank you for my friends, and help me keep a grateful attitude.

I guess I'm getting into the "mood" of the season.

This was another one of my school projects. Tell me what you think of it! And more may come...

-The Poetic-Feeling Plink