Homecomig (AKA More Rice, More Sexy)

My homecoming week / weekend has come to an end. And . . .

It

was

GREAT!
EXCITING.
FABULOUS.
WONDERFUL.
AWESOME.
REALLY REALLY AWESOME.


Everything was really, really amazing.

From our dress up days this week -

the building of our senior float -

the Senior verse Freshman co-ed volleyball game -

to the actual day of the Homecoming Dance -

every moment was extremely fun and just, well, perfect. 

Homecoming week in general is always pretty fun. Little homework, shortened schedule, and dress up days make the week fly by. And of course there's the big game on Friday night (which I probably only watched about thirty seconds of. Football is not interesting to me). 

The greatest day of the week, of course, was Saturday:

The day of the actual dance went by pretty quickly, which was good because Petra (my date and best friend of 12 years) and I were very hyper/excited/anxious. 

I'm pretty sure we were ready like two hours early.

At least, I was. Pet was a little slow. 

But we still had more than enough time to take pictures.

 And, of course, there were many, many family pictures. I actually didn't mind all the pictures. I have a really great family.
 I'm blessed.

(This is right after I got elbowed in the eye by my mother, just so you know.)

After the obligatory five million family pictures or so, we finally headed over for group pictures.
 

There were ten of us in our group, and I couldn't have had ten better of people to spend my last homecoming with.

 We went to Osaka, which is a Hibachi grill in Peoria. It's one of those places where the food is cooked in front of you and the chef does crazy things with fire and knives.

The food was really delicious (I ate meat! *GASP*) and our chef was hilarious. The title of this post More Rice More Sexy is in honor of him. He was very Japanese and really funny. He kept piling rice onto our plates and whenever we tried to say no, he'd just say: "More rice, more sexy."

At one point he made what looked like Mickey Mouse's head out of rice on the stove. My friend Briana smiled and said, "it's Mickey Mouse!" To which he replied, "No, that rice."

He was awesome. Money well spent.

After dinner, which only took 45 minutes, we had an hour and a half to blow. So, we went and got my favorite thing. 

FRO YO, BABY.

After we all gorged ourselves on frozen yogurt, we decided to go play Pakour Tag in Khols. (If you don't know what Parkour is, go check out my Chicago Trip Post from this month).

We did not get caught and played it for about thirty minutes. After we found Petra (long story), we headed to the school for the dance.

My friends and I were the first people to start dancing and we didn't stop. We're the kind of people who do weird dance moves, such as: the Light bulb, Shopping Cart, the Basketball, the Harry Potter, the Q-Tip, the "Getting That Money," and many more. 

I love my friends. There was this point, toward the end of the dance, when I just looked at all of them and couldn't help but feel so lucky. I mean, they're amazing. My whole family is amazing and I have great, weird, loving friends. 

It reminded me of the book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. At one point the main character says, "And in that moment, we were infinite."

It wasn't as if I felt we were infinite. I just felt that everything was perfect. I was so happy. I'm growing up so fast and I just took a moment to cherish it all.

In the end, the dance was a blast. My feet hurt so bad, but it was worth it. 

After the dance, we headed to Alli's house for a movie. Her mother, Caren, was nice enough to provide us with a TON of snacks and stuff.

 Including my favorite drink just for me <3

We ended up watching X Men until one in the morning. 

Pet, B, and I made it home and pretty much collapsed into a deep sleep.

This morning:

 ****

It was a perfect weekend. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. For better friends, a better family. I shared a great experience with the people I love.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this weekend special - not just for me, but for those you care about. It means a lot.

Also, thanks for reading and helping me celebrate an amazing weekend and my first blogaversary.

Upcoming Blogiversary

I just want to let all of you know that in thirteen days it will be my BLOGIVERSARY! It's almost been one year, folks. I just want to thank all of you out there who have read, commented, or laughed at my blog over the past  year. It means the world to me.
Stay tuned because I might put something special up on September 29th :D

Chicago Trip

Like 8 million years ago I went on a school field trip to Chicago.

I've literally been working on this post for four months. I started this post the day after the trip, but blogger has not been friendly toward me. NONE OF MY PICTURES WOULD LOAD. 

I took about 250 pictures on my Chicago trip, and the only ones that would load onto this blog are these dozen below. So, I will make-do. 

I couldn't just delete this post. This trip is one of my favorite high school memories (so far). I'm a little rusty so I hope this works out. 

(Blogger and I are still not on good terms.)

Don't talk about it. 

I had been pumped for my school's Chicago trip all this year. Every year the art department and the Spanish 3 &4 class get to take the train to Chicago and miss school for a day. My friend, Alli, and I were the only students in French 3, and after much begging and blackmailing we were finally allowed to go, too.

Honestly, I was most excited to miss school. I didn't really like Chicago that much when I went previously, because it seemed dirty, loud, and crowded.

But, I was still excited to miss a day of school and go to an art museum. The only one I've ever been to was the Louvre in Paris, and I didn't like it.

(I was 13. And I had a bad attitude about everything.)

 So bright an early one morning, I found myself and what seemed like my entire high school at the train station. I hadn't been on a train since 2009, which was a long time in Gabbie World. I was a little nervous because I couldn't remember if I liked it or not but I discovered that I adore trains.

I love taking train rides. They are the bomb. The bomb dot com. (What does that even me?)

Maybe I can be a train driver when I grow up.

We finally boarded the train and the ride to Chicago was a blast. It flew by. I sat with one of my bestest friends, Alli. We pretty much talked about her favorite thing (movies) and just acted like dorks.

She can speak Train, if you didn't know.

I find this really beautiful. I love nature, but there's just something about cities that are exciting. So much beauty.

And smog.

Lots of smog. Can't forget that.

The first thing we did when we got off the train was head to a classy restaurant for some deep-dish pizza, which was the bee's knees. Dude, it was so good. I want some now. I want some all the time. It's a good thing Chicago and it's tantalizing pizza is far away.

After the delicious deep dish (such lovely alliteration makes me happy) pizza my entire group, which was about 55 high schoolers, with four adult supervisors, walked to the Art Museum. It was crazy. I kept running into people and getting dirty looks, but I was in awe. Totally a tourist with my trigger-happy finger on my camera.
Plus, we all almost got lost. 

Thankfully, we all pretty much arrived to the museum in one piece.

The art museum was so much fun. I've never taken an art class before or anything like that, but I LOVED it. I guess I just never realized how amazing art is. It's kind of like reading a book - you get a story. You see what the artist was thinking and feeling.

My favorite exhibit was the Impressionists and an area with Georgia O'Keeffe paintings. We were technically supposed to stay in a group . . . but that only lasted about four minutes. My friends and I went off by ourselves and it was an adventure.
We wandered around the museum, playing an elaborate game of hide and seek as we tried to hide from our teachers. We are good children.  

After the Art Museum, we headed to look at more of the city. Being the mature adults we are, everyone was parkouring.
For those of you who don't know what that is, relish it.


Wikipedia defines it as: is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle training.

LOL. I'm dying.
In teenage land, parkour is basically where you jump over things and do extremely idiotic tricks. For example, one might jump off a curb and spin around while yelling "PARKOUR HARDCORE!"

Yes, we are that stupid.

After much parkouring we finally got to the Bean, which my German Friend Char Char was extremely excited about.
I guess they don't have giant metal beans in Germany. How odd. :)

After taking a million pictures at the Bean, we headed to the Museum of History or Something. Charlotte took a nap on a bench in the Africa exhibit and the rest of us went and got smoothies at the McDonald's there. We also argued for quite awhile about the existence of Narwhals.
I still refuse to believe they exist.

Then it was time to head back to the train station.

Alli (AKA Flower Pants) walked like a model for about two miles on the way to the station, which was extremely impressive. Job carried my purse and walked in an extremely feminine way, which was entirely hilarious.

On the train ride home everyone was pretty tired and quiet. Someone asked me to tell a story. I said, "What kind of story?"

And they replied, "A good one."

Of course, how silly of me.
In the end, they gave me a setting (Paris) and character (23 year old art student named Laken) and a plot event (something to do with a business card).

I proceeded to tell a story that was two hours long and, oh my goodness, it was FUN. I totally made it up on the fly, which was pretty exciting for me, and the plot was actually intricate. The story was about 10 chapters long in all and had an epilogue.

Basically, Laken somehow ended up in the midst of a terrorist attack against the United States. I'm not going to give anything away because I'm seriously considering making it into a novel, but I think everyone really liked it.

At first only about five people were listening and then, during chapter four, the boy in the seat in front of me turned around and asked me a question. By the end of the trip about a dozen people were listening to my story, which made me very happy.

I love telling stories. It was just a great way to end the trip.

The trip to Chicago is one of my best memories. I had a blast all day long with my friends walking around the Windy city. The train ride there and back was very memorable. I got to spend a day with people I love and have an amazing adventure at the same time.

It was a perfect day. 

Blast to the Past

About a week ago I was searching through our computer for an old paper of mine when I stumbled across a folder that was full of my old writings.

 I had to share them
a) because they make me laugh and
b) because they interest me.

 I don't remember writing these at all. Especially the first one below - I have no idea what the story was supposed to be about. I think I wrote it when I was nine.

Life as We Knew It

     Chapter One: Hayden McPatrick

“Come on guys!  Were going to be late!” I shouted up the stairs. A dull silence responded.

“Fine,” I said to myself, “Let them be late!”I quickly got out the cereal and poured myself some. I ate quickly and when I got up to put my bowl away I glanced at the clock.

“Guys! Hurry! It’s already Nine Fifteen!” I heard a loud thump from upstairs.

Then the sound of feet thumping down the stairs drowned out the silence. I busied myself as my friends walked into the room.

Courtney walked over and grabbed the cereal box. She frowned at my smiling face, “Not all of us are morning people.”

I laughed and glanced out the window, “My carpools here. Bye Courtney, Kelsie.” I said to my sleepy friend.

“Bye.” She looked as if she was still asleep.

“Bye Hayden! Have fun at work!”  My older brother Drake walked into the room. I smiled and strode out of the room.

“Wait Hayden!” A voice said behind me. I turned around to see my boyfriend Ryan running toward me.

“Where’s the fire?” I joked.

“Huh? Anyway I was wondering if you are still coming to dinner tonight.”

I groaned and responded, “Do I have to? I’m really busy at work...”

He stared at me, “Yes it’s important! Very! Please come.”

I sighed. “Fine. On one condition.” Ryan nodded. I continued, “You will stay by me and protect me from

That's it??? Protect her from what?? I also think its funny because I was nine trying to write an adult character. Nice try, child me, nice try.

This next one is from 2008. I was in seventh grade then. (I wish my essays now could be this short!)

**

Gabriella Sloan                                                              November 18, 2008

         

          My family is very important to me.  They all support me in sports and school.  If I ever need help or advice my family can help me.  They all love me and make me happy.

          When sports start in school, my family especially my Aunts, teach me all the rules and help me practice.  They help me get better.  Even thought I stink at a lot of sports my family never gives up.  My dad will keep me outside for hours practicing basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc.  

          Every night someone usually has to help me with my homework.  Whether it is math, English, or science, I have a certain family member to help me.  I don’t understand science or math.  My step-dad and mom never give up on me.

          If I’m ever sad or grumpy my family can always cheer me up.  Whether it’s just talking or playing a game with me, they try to do whatever it takes to make me feel better.  They all love me and want the best for me.

          My family loves me and supports me.  They never give up trying to make me happy.  I’m very thankful for my family.

***

I was so cute. What happened?
I just die a little when I read the opening and closing lines of the one below (yet again from grade 7). 

***

Gabbie Sloan

7.1

Personal Narrative

            Have you ever gotten something stuck in your skin?  A lot of stuff has gotten stuck in my skin.  But I remember one time it was really bad!

            The summer when I was ten, I would always go over to the house of my friend, Job.  Going to his house was always fun because he had five brothers, a lake, and a go-cart. 

            One morning, Job, Noah, Paul, and I were super bored.

            “Do you guys want to go swimming,” Paul asked excitedly.

            Of course we all said that we did, and we ran to the lake.  The lake was huge.  The water looked pure black, and it was very choppy and cold.  We decided to play a game that they had made up.  It was called cannonball.  You had to run down the hill and jump as far as you could into the water.  But, I didn’t know that the slope was covered in gravel.  I watched curiously as Job and Noah ran and threw themselves into the dark water.

            “Go, Gabbie,” Paul commanded, eagerly waiting for his turn.  Biting my lip nervously, I sprinted down the hill and leaped into the water.  As I jumped off of the edge, I barely noticed a sharp thrusting feeling against my left heel.  I paddled slowly in the lake as Paul jumped in.

            “Why didn’t you jump from that part,” I asked, pointing to the spot from where I jumped.

            “It’s covered in gravel!  It’s too rocky,” Paul said, climbing out of the water.  Suddenly I was aware of a sharp throbbing in my foot.

            “Ow,” I whispered to myself, sitting on their dock.  Inspecting my foot, I gasped when I saw the dark red blood pouring from the wound.  It hurt really, really badly. 

            “Um, guys?” I whimpered, frantically waving the boys over.  A rock the size of my thumbnail was wedged deep into my foot.

            “Uh-oh,” Paul said, looking down at my bloody foot.  Tears streaked down my face.  I hate blood!  We all stared at each other, too freaked out to move and not knowing what to do.  Finally, I called out in a weak voice, to the boys’ mom, “Lynn, come here!”  My foot hurt so badly that I had to bite my lip to stop from shrieking.  I remember being scared that I was going to die.

            “What’s wrong?” Lynn asked, hurrying over.

            “My foot!” I gasped, and held my foot out.  Lynn quickly picked my up like she was holding a small infant.

            “Does it hurt?” She asked, shoving me into her car.

            “Yes!” I wailed, pulling my seatbelt over my head.

            The house was only a few minutes away.  When she pulled the car to a stop, she immediately jumped out and pulled me with her.  Again Lynn carried me, this time to her bathroom inside.  Quickly she dug tweezers into my foot and yanked the sharp rock out.  I yelped when she poured the germ killer on the wound.  Lynn stuck a bandage over the hole and started to clean up the mess.

            “Can I keep it?” I asked, starting at the large rock.

            “Sure,” said Lynn, and she put it in a bag.

            Though the rock is no longer with me, I will never forget how much pain it caused.




Well, I hope you enjoyed this little blast to the past, folks. (Blast to the past is also our homecoming theme this year! Booyah!)

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. I'm busy being a senior. I love it, just so you know. I love my classes: Photography, Foods, Bio II, English (Brit lit, baby), Calculus (I do not love calculus. My teacher is just really funny. If you love calculus I think you need to reevaluate your priories), Comp 110, U.S. History, and being a Teacher's assistant. I've had quite a bit of homework and with my job I don't have much free time to write, which is sad.

Very, very sad. I miss it.

But I am enjoying my senior year.