... damn

Holy shit, my mom thinks Aaron broke his arm at BMX. They're on their way to urgent care right now.
















wow

this sh*t is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s

it is isn't it? sometimes i feel so lost, so confused, so hopeless. where is this world going?? am i the only one who notices that this world might be going... down the toilet??? no... that's no fair, i can't say that, lots of my friends care about this world... and lots of them don't.

i hate this computer. i HATE it. you know why i hate it??? it is stealing my life!!! and i can't seem to do anything about it! when my family goes away the first thing i think about is getting on this f*cking computer. why do i do it???? i tell myself so many times that there are other things i should do, other ways to spend my time, more productive things... and yet i always gravitate towards this dark hole of a room with this miserable machine. it's terrible!! i hate it!!! I'm such a hypocrite!!

cell phones... thank The Potu we don't have one of those. i see people every day talking their lives away on a cell phone. they say they need it, that they couldn't live without it... well, were the people 100 years ago DEAD??? i have to say i think we're the dead ones. walking around on a georgious day texting our friends who happen to be 300 feet away from us. missing the grass turn green, missing the birds singing, missing the clouds soaring through the sky. do they ever wake up and say "where have i been?? what have i done?? where is my LIFE???"

life... what is it really??? why are we here?? what are we?? what is this place?? is there really such a thing as life? or are we mannequins swinging from strings, manipulated by some other being with a macabre sense of humor?? how can we know?? what if everything we "know" is all lies??? planted in our minds for the amusement of those other beings watching us running around, trying to figure it all out. are our feelings really feelings or just illusions?? is anything real???

nothing... is there such a thing as nothing?? how can there just be... nothing?? my mind can't even understand the concept. and yet... how can something go on forever??? i can't even begin to imagine forever. all this space of not being able to understand... doesn't it lead to the conclusion that there must be other dimensions? just as a two-dimensional person would never be able to grasp the concept of 3 dimensions, wouldn't it be impossible for us 3-d people to grasp the concept of a 4th dimension?? yes, it makes sense... but then it's all a game, i'm the mannequin.

i don't want to be a mannequin, a puppet, with no real choices of my own. i want to decide what i do, how i do it, when i do it, why i do it. most of the time it seems like that is how it works... but does it really??? or am i just given the illusion of having made my own choice. what a miserably depressing thought. if there is such a thing as depression and thought.

i want to do something for this world. i want to make a difference. so many people have told me that i can't. i'm only one person. "how could one person change the world?" They can!!!!! my whole being screams that they CAN!!!! why don't they understand???? one person can make a difference!! can change the world!!! just because everyone else votes for the democrats and the republicans doesn't mean that i should! they whole purpose of a democracy was that everyone would get a say. but you are not really having your say if you vote for someone who doesn't share your beliefs!!! if people voted for who really and truly represented their beliefs i think the country and the world would be a lot better off... if only because people were giving themselves the freedom to choose.

you can open the gate for a horse, but if he doesn't run out he isn't free. we are given the chance to share our beliefs, but we don't take that chance, we aren't free. we never will be if we keep this up. what the f*ck is wrong with us????

what you read influences your mind. if you read a book with lots of cussing (example: The Bourne Trilogy) you will begin thinking in cusswords. i am living proof of this.

"the innocent can never last"

Juene Fille de Chevals

On Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith; From Mad Magazine

Star Bores
Epic Load III
Retread of the Sh*t

Oldie-Von Moldie (obi-wan kenobi): we have to stop Count Cuckoo (Count Dookoo) and General Greasy (Grievous) they've kidnapped Chancellor Palpitation (Palpatine). Barf More (R-4) lock in the shields we're flying directly into enemy fire.

Barf More: Boop-deep (translation: but Oldie -Von Moldie the ship could sustain a lot of damage.

Oldie-Von Moldie: that's ok the ship's a rental and i sprung for the hit by laser cannons insurance waiver.

NEXT SCENE

Mannequin (Anikan): Bar Stool (R-2), even though i could just land i'm going to do a 360 degree spin, bank left, swoop right, then a 720 degree turn, fly between those two ships, zig-zag then zig again, swoop up and then fly to the docking bay.

Bar Stool: Bweeep-Boop (translation: why do you make things needlessly complicated? It only increases the chance of crashing)

Mannequin: I can't help it, it's my training!

Bar Stool: Beep-Bloop (translation: your Jet-Eye (Jedi) training?)

Mannequin: Job training, i used to work as a programmer for microsoft!

NEXT SCENE

Yodel (Yoda): in this clone war your help we will need Chewing Tobacco (Chewbacca).

Chewing Tobacco: Ggrrrrrrawgh! (translation: Master Yodel, i would be honored to serve as a brave soldier!)

Yodel: Actually more of a new fur coat I was thinking. Cold it is aboard these battleships. Purple have my green nipples turned!

NEXT SCENE

General Greasy: Ha! it will take an army to catch me!

General Greasy's body guard: but general Greasy there is an army of clones chasing us!

General Greasy: Err, what i meant to say was that it will take MORE than an army to catch me!

Body Guard: and two Jet-Eyes are boarding the ship!

General Greasy: Aww, for pete's sake! Could the news get any worse?

Body Guard: Yes our sensors indicate that the opening battle is the best scene in the movie and we still have two hours to go!

General Greasy: and to think my horoscope actually said the position of the planets makes today an excellent day for beginning new relationships, prudent investments and taking over the universe. Lying @$#%ing horoscope!!

NEXT SCENE

Chancellor Palpitation: ha ha ha! soon my evil plan will come together by having you kidnap me i have set a trap for the jet-eye! because while they think that YOU are the Sick (sith) Lord it is actually me! so when they rescue me and kill you they should really kill me AND you. and this war which i secretly helped cause, by having you help me start it, without anyone knowing has given me in my roll as chancellor (which is who i am when i am not the Sick Lord) absolute power over the entire republic! soon my roll as Sick Lord will turn young Mannequin into an evil Sick apprentice named Dark Traitor and with him at my side i will rule the galaxy both as Emperor and as the Sick Lord.

Count Cuckoo: Hang on... you lost me at kidnapped. so who exactly is the most evil guy in the universe?

Chancellor Palpatation: actually it's George Lucas, he's the idiot who came up with this rediculously convoluted story-line.

NEXT SCENE

Chancellor Palpatation: Mannequin! use your anger to destroy Count Cuckoo!

Mannequin: I can't get that angry at him!

Palpatation: think of how he chopped off your arm the last time you met!

Mannequin: hmm... still not angry enough

Palpatation: he told me that you look terrible in black, that your hair is soooooo out of style and you're not nearly as pretty as Senator Ama-dilly (Amadala)!

Mannequin: I'm still not quite angry enough...

Palpatation: he told me that after this movie your career will follow the same path as Mark Hamill's!

Mannequin: What??? I'll kill him!!!

NEXT SCENE

Ama-dilly: Mannequin, now that you're back i have some good news and some bad news.

Mannequin: What's the good news?

Ama-dilly: i'm 7 months pregnant!

Mannequin: that's great! what's the bad news?

Ama-dilly: you've been away for 8 months!

NEXT SCENE

Mannequin: Argh! i had a nightmare in which you died in child birth!

Ama-dilly: don't worry, nightmares never come true.

Mannequin: i hope you're right because i had another one in which i married and expressionless human china doll with a personality of a snow cone!

Ama-dilly: ok... so most nightmares don't come true.

NEXT SCENE

Palpatation: Mannequin i'm appointing you my personal representative to the Jet-Eye council. you will have the privileges of a Jet-Eye master.

Mannequin: awesome i get a Jet-eye master's parking spot! access to the jet-eye master's dining room! a jet-eye master's corner office with a view of all those cool ships whizzing by! and 10% off at the Jet-eye company store! what a thrill! what an honor! what a-

NEXT SCENE

Mace Window: Mannequin, you're on the jet-eye council, you're responsible for reporting on all the chancellor's activities, but the one thing you're NOT granted is the rank of Master.

Mannequin: not a master! but i still get 10% off at the company store right?

NEXT SCENE

Oldie-Von Moldie: Mannequin did not take to his assignment of spying on the chancellor with much enthusiasm.

Yodel: Much anger there is in him! still mad about not recieving the rank of jet-eye master he is.

Mace Window: how do you know?

Yodel: an "i was appointed to the jet-eye council and all i got was this lousy t-shirt" t-shirt i saw him wearing!

NEXT SCENE

Yodel: and now to the Woolie (wookie) planet i go so with the Woolie army the droids i shall fight!

Oldie-von Moldie: Huh?

Yodel: the droids i shall fight with my woolies by my side there will be on the woolie planet!

Oldie-von Moldie: i still don't follow.

Yodel: to war i go with the assistance of the woolies who fight against the droids we shall!

Oldie-von Moldie: after all these years you'd think i could understand you but it still sounds all... you know... backwords.

Yodel: Backwords! try to understand this you should! ME BITE!!

NEXT SCENE

Palpatation: the dark side of the force is a pathway to things that some consider to be un-natural.

Mannequin: like saving people from dying?

Palpatation: no, like wrining ever last penny out of a franchise with lame licensing deals. speaking of which... want to buy a Darth Tater Mister Potatoe Head?

NEXT SCENE

Oldie-von Moldie: no fair! how'd you get four light sabers??

General Greasy: two for one sale at Tatooine Costco! plus i had a coupon.

Oldie-von Moldie: just my luck of all the robots in the universe to fight to the death and i get the one that's a bargain shopper!

NEXT SCENE

Oldie-von Moldie: I'm sorry to inform you that Mannequin is now a sick lord, i must kill him.

Ama-dilly: *sniff* no! not Mannequin! *sob*

Oldie-von Moldie: i'm genuinely surprised by your reaction!

Ama-dilly: that I *sniff* love my husband *sob* no matter what??

Oldie-von Moldie: no, that you can express actual emotion i've never seen you pull off anything other than "blank stare" and "long winded monotone speech".

NEXT SCENE

Palpatation: i've heard of a floor fight in the senate but this is rediculous Yodel!

Yodel: kill you i cannot! but you kill me you cannot!

Palpatation: because we're equally matched opponents who merely exist on opposite sides of the same almighty force?

Yodel: no, because already released have the sequels to this movie been! and in them we both appear, problem this is with prequels. no suspense can there be when already we know which creatures live!

NEXT SCENE

Mannequin: Heeeeelp!!! my skin is on fire i feel like Joan Rivers's 8,000th chemical peel!!

Oldie-von Moldie: serves you right turning to evil! you were the chosen one!!

Mannequin: if i'm the chosen one then why won't you save me?

Oldie-von Moldie: because apparently you have been chosen to be burnt to a crisp.

NEXT SCENE

Palpatation: Lord Traitor, i have some good news and some bad news. you are now half man/half machine encased forever in a suit of armor forced to use a respirator to breath and at the service of the greates force of pure evil the universe has ever known!!

Dark Traitor: well i can handle that as long as my wife's safe. what's the good news?

Palpatation: umm... that is the good news.

NEXT SCENE

Palpatation: with you by my side we are ready to rule but there is one who could stop us! one who is much like you...

Dark Traitor: you mean the younger Skystalker?

Palpatation: no, i mean the younger Batman.

Batman: cape, leather suit, mask, you stole my act kid! but this man in black has been around a long time and he's gonna kick your butt!!

Palpatation: ruling the galaxy will be easy but the summer box office more difficult. i sense the force is strong with this one.

Perhaps I Can Please Everyone...?

No Fear

I stood, staring up at the 420 foot high metal contraption. It made my heart hammer. What was it about it that frightened me? The height? No. The speed at which you ascended to that height, or descended from that height? No. The drop, straight down towards the ground? No. None of these things frightened me. What frightened me was the makers, the designers, the creators.

I was afraid of it becaus of who it was made by: Humans. All it would take was one miscalculation, accidental or purposeful and everything could go wrong. Or one bolt, left loose and the everything could fall apart. It hadn't happened yet, not in the year and a half of the tower's existence, but it could only take one time.

You must trust them, I told myself. They may be human, but they are professionals. If something went wrong they would have no more job; no more money. They did it right.

I will put my life in their hands.

Still, my heart hammered as I climbed into the little car and pulled down the puny lap bar which was all that stood between life and death.

Oh no! I don't want to do this! Too late for such thoughts. You are stuck now. You can't get out. Your life is in their hands.

The train moved forward smoothly and oh so smoothly. My heart is going to pound out of my chest, blood is rushing to my head, my mind is screaming, "Let me out! Let me out! This isn't natural! this isn't right! Let me out!!" But I won't get out. I'm held in by a puny lap bar. My life is in their hands.

Oh what was I thinking? I must be out of my mind! What convinced me to do this? But I knew I would regret it if I didn't do it. So here I was.

The train had come to a halt at the starting line. I looked at the starting lights, tensed, waiting. The engines revved. My heart pounded. I didn't look up. My eyes were fixed on the starting lights.

Then I heard the hiss of hydraulics as the final wall between me and my fate fell away. The track was clear. Any second now. I braced myself. How can you prepare yourself for the unkown?

The first light flashed on. the others followed; too quickly. 3-2-1-go! The train shot forward. I was plastered to the back of my seat. Silent words came from my mouth, "oh my god, Oh my god, Oh My god, Oh My God, OH MY GOD, OHMYGOD!!!"

I could see were were only halfway there; halfway to the bottom of the hill. Already we were going too fast and it only got faster. By the time we reached the bottom of the 'hill' we had reached 122 mph. 0-122 in 5 seconds.

We rose to the top so quickly, so easily, so weightlessly. All I could see before me was the blue, blue sky. Then the top. I found I wasn't afraid anymore. I wanted it to stop, right there, on top of the world, but it didn't. For a split- second I saw everything and then we were plunging towards the ground. We came to a fast, smooth stop. It was all over in 20 short seconds. I was laughing, my heart was pounding and my hands didn't work properly. I didn't want to get out! I wanted to go again!

I climbed out. I thought I would fall over, my legs barely supported me. I had done it! I had conquered my fear. I was fearless! I could do anything!

After conquering the Dragster all the other rides and rollercoasters seemed small, wimpy and insignificant. None of them made my heart speed up even a little; not even the Millenium Force. I looked nonchalantly down from the top of its 310 foot hill and enjoyed the beauty of the sun sparkling on the lake as our train plunged over the top at the meiocre speed of 90mph.

Now all i can say is: "instead of paying 25 million dollars to build a tower of steel why didn't they save the rainforest?"

Caught Up

I'm caught up in the tangled web which is Jason Bourne's life. Oh! it is so exciting! it is like John Grisham, maybe better, most deffinently exciting. My mother might say it was "A little more than you can handle." but i think i'm handling it quite well. aside from withdrawal from lack of sleep and symptoms of wanting to become an undercover.... undercover what?? I still don't know what he is!! he still doesn't know what he is!!! I cannot seem to read fast enough!! he is my knew idol though.... constantly running for your life.... not knowing who you are.... what you've done in your past.... all you know is someone, for some reason.... wants you dead.

"You appear to be a mass of contradictions," Dr Washburn said. "There's a subsurface violence almost always in control, but very much alive. There's also a pensiveness that seems painful for you, yet you rarely give vent to the anger that pain must provoke."
"You're provoking it now," said the man.
"And we'll continue to do so, as long as there's progress."
"I wasn't aware any progress had been made."
"Not in terms of identity or and occupation, But we are finding out what's most comfortable for you, what you deal with best. It's a little frightening."
"In what way?"
"Let me give you an example." The doctor put the clipboard down and got out of the chair. He walked to a primitive cupboard against the wall, opened a drawer, and took out a large automatic handgun. The man with no memory tensed in his chair; Washburn was aware of the reaction. "I've never used this, not sure I'd know how to, but I do live on the waterfront." He smiled, then suddenly, without warning, threw it to the man. The weapon was caught in midair, the catch clean, swift, and confident. "Break it down; I believe that's the phrase."
"What?"
"Break it down. Now."
The man looked at the gun, And then, in silence, his hands and fingers moved expertly over the weapon. In less than thirty seconds it was completely dismantled. He looked up at the doctor.
-From The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

-*-*-*-

"When I think of money I think of killing."
-Jason Bourne, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

"Lost and Found" Patty Larkin

hey, I'd like to apoligize for the world

being what it is

and hey

I'd like to shield your sorrow

hey, you know it took imagination

for you to survive

and maybe

make it to tomorrow

when all of your dreams come crashing down

and you stand at the door of the lost and found

who loves you now?

who loves you?

take, my outstretched hand in yours

and I'll take all the hours

till dawn's outside your window

hey, don't waste another moment

alone in here

waiting

shivering when the wind blows

when all of your dreams come crashing down

and you stand at the door of the lost and found

who loves you now?

who loves you?

no one can save you

from trials and demons

nobody knows what you see

you can't walk on water

no matter what you believe in

but you can walk with me

when all of your dreams come crashing down

and you stand at the door of the lost and found

who loves you now?

who loves you now?

who loves you now?

The Fair Drama Continues

so, for those of you who were not at the fair to experience the Fair Drama or did not hear about the Fair Drama i will tell you what happened...

Vernie went on a missions trip right before fair, apparently it changed her life. she decided she wanted to be more spiritual, she realized she had been doing things in her life which she felt guilty about and.... she realized that she had not missed AJ AT ALL!! she also realized she was in love with this guy from her church named Bradie, who has been telling her for about a year that she needs to break up with AJ.

The first day of fair Vernie was going around and around with me about whether she should break up with AJ or if she shouldn't. I told her that if she wasn't happy then she should break up with him. her argument was that they had been together for so long and had planned their whole lives. she just wanted to marry him and have kids... i told her that if she wasn't happy now she deffinently wasn't going to be happy in 10 years when she has 3 kids. then she's going to get a divorce and pretty much ruin her kids lives. besides, if she broke up with him and she realized that she couldn't live without him then they could always get back together.

needless to say, she didn't get up the courage to break up with him that day.

the next day though... after talking to Bradie for 3 hours or so and after he prayed with her, giving her the strength she needed she broke up with AJ. I don't know any details i just know that both of them were very emotionally stressed for several days.

AJ came to the fair every day and sat (looking completely horribly miserable) and would ask her over and over and over again why she had broken up with him. then he would talk to Amelia and tell her that he couldn't seem to talk to Vernie because she had closed her heart off.... he said things like after all theses years... how he put up with not being allowed to kiss her and long discussions with her parents... blah blah blah... trying to make her feel guilty.

she did the right thing breaking up with him.

now in the morning (the following information comes from Greenie, a reliable sorce, although she my exaggerate a little, i don't think this is exaggerated) Bradie calls Vernie in the morning to wake her up. then they talk for hours. seriously hours, 3 or 4 straight.

now they (Vernie and Bradie) have come up with a brilliant plan: when Vernie is 18 she is going to move in with Bradie (aka, shacking up) and they are going to live with each other (but not have sex, hahaha) to see if they really want to live together and be married. then Bradie will move away and if Vernie really loves him, she will follow.

*gag*

here's the best part: Bradie is not going to go to college. he is going to be a drummer. Vernie is going to college... so she can be a kindergarden teacher. whoa! the money's just gonna be pouring in there! (NOT!)

I really don't know what Vernie is thinking, but i think some one needs to talk some sense into her.

Japanes Punishment and Crazy Horses

dang I'm sore today!! it's terrible, it doesn't matter how i move, something always hurts! here is my theory as to why this is:

Peggy is in Alaska with her husband for 3 weeks, taking a well deserved vacation. she has left me in charge of her horse, Ulie. so yesterday i went to the barn at 10 so i would have time to ride Avalon and Ulie. I hadn't ridden Avalon since Sunday, but i figured he would be ok. i was wrong. not only did he have a trillion trillion time more energy than he should he was also very upset that he was out working by himself while his friends placidly sat in their stalls munching hay.

he nearly ran away with me about 5 times and i had my hands full keeping him from running away. (explaining part of the soreness in my arms) so i finally said, "screw this!", and i took him to the round pen. "Now look what you've gotten yourself into, Avalon." i told him sternly. "you are going to trot around and around in the deep sand until you are soooo tired... and then you're going to go some more." so we trotted around and around until dust hung in the air like fog.

when he was properly tired i opened the narrow gate out of the round pen. as we walked out i could see it coming, but not fast enough. my foot caught in the nice little X in the gate. "dang," i thought, "my leg is going to break! it would just figure that this would happen on the day when i told my mom it was ridiculous that she thought i needed to be supervised while riding" it didn't break, but my stirrup got pulled off my saddle and i got pulled off my horse. Avalon being the gentleman he is just stopped and stood there... NOT!!! Avalon cantered happily down to the barn and i was left to limp down after him. (this explains why my leg is sore)

i caught Avalon and took him back up, closing BOTH gates behind me. then we cantered quite nicely.

once i had had my lunch i tacked up Ulie. Ulie is an awesome horse, she can do some amazing stuff, but she can also be really mean, really wicked... Satan herself in disguise. (yes, satan is a she, lol) actually so far she has been extremely nice to me. she lets me pet her and catch her without trying to bite me! she only tries to bite or kick me when i brush and tack her up, it's quite amazing.

riding her is so much because she'll trot slow and tiny or fast and huge, she can turn sharply or arch her neck and prance. I love riding her! but she is a marathon horse and loves to run, so i had quite a bit of trouble keeping her slow (explaining more of the soreness in my arms)

well, it being Tuesday i had Aikido. for some reason i thought it would only take me 15 minutes to get to class..... once again..... i was wrong. and i was late to class. really, it wouldn't be that bad if they scolded you for being late, but no, they are not kind. instead they kept right on going with warm up and one of them (a nice, funny man with long, gray hair) came over to me and whispered, "so sorry you're late". so was i. i bowed, paying my respect to the dojo and then went to do my 10 push-ups. not wimpy push-ups, real push-ups. (explaining why my arms really and truly hurt)

despite the strictness and seriousness of Aikido i really like it (even though I've only done 2 classes). i love the rolls. you just sort of dive at the ground, but roll instead of hitting it. (i also enjoy throwing people, he he he) everyone said i was doing really good. i was really quite flattered, but i get so confused, i'm the only beginner in the class and i fine it very confusing. i suppose i'm doing alright though. i'm also the only girl, there is one guy my age though.

anyhow, enough of pitying myself and whining. think of the muscles i'll have! (and the bruises)

Books... or the lives I lead outside of this life....

when i read books i often feel like i am in them, especially if they are well written. when i'm half way through them i can look back at how it started almost like i was there, i can see how the characters around me have grown, expanded and progressed. when i finish the book i feel a sense of loss, because i realize that it was not real (but what is real?), that i am not going out with Goddard, or will never own Darkling, but it seems like it was real while i was reading it. i can sometimes remember books i have read in the past, and it is not like a memory of a book it's like a memory of something that happened to me, that i experienced. it is kind of wierd and hard to explain, but this is why i love to read so much. it is a way to get out of a reality that sometimes sucks and experience another world.

so, for those of you who, like me, love to lose themselves in another world here are some books i have experienced over the past year which you also may like:

1. Darkling by K.M. Peyton; i just finished this book today so it is still fresh in my memory. it is a horse story and a love story, full of emotion.

2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares; i could very much relate to this book, i have not seen most of my friends for a month or more and the people i see every day.... i don't get on so well with.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling; i won't say too much because i might spoil it for some one who hasn't read it, and i don't want to die. you probably won't be disappointed, it was very good, but it may reduce you to tears.

4. The Blue Roan Child by Jamieson Findlay; this was probably the BEST horse story i have EVER read (and i've read a lot of them). it was very unique, creative and well written, i think any lover of fantasy and adventure would like this book.

5. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer; a very creative Sci-Fi about a clone boy discovering some terrible secrets about the world he lives in and his fate. it really brings up some interesting thoughts about where technology is going and has a very good ending.

6. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson; this is a wonderful story about an orphan girl who dreams of finding her mother-a grand lady- and it finally happens. but she finds that the life of an aristocrat is not what she thought it would be. it also involves a very hott farm boy who takes care of a georgious horse.

7. The Great Tree of Avalon; Child of the Dark Prophecy by TA Barron; i was very upset when it ended! it was soooo good! fortunately there is another one coming out soon.

8. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke; i already wrote about this one a while ago... it was really good though

9. The Wind on Fire Trilogy by William Nicholson; if you liked the His Dark Materials Trilogy (the Golden Compass, the Subtle Knife and the Silver Spyglass) you will love these. they are funny and thoughtful and the characters grow in a wonderful way.

10. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley; a wonderful story about a red-headed heroine who longs to fight dragons.

11. Birth of the Firebringer, Dark Moon and The Son of Summer Stars by Meredith Ann Pierce; a fantasy about unicorns, and not those awful unicorns that are attracted by virgins and killed for their horns. in fact there are only humans in the second book.

12.Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, Wolf Queen and Wolf Wings by Tanith Lee; the diary of a girl who thought there was more than what lay inside the walls of the garden which was governed by constand ceremony and tradition. she was right, and she also got the adventure and the man she has dreamed of.

13. Wolf Moon by Charles De Lint; the sad story of a Werewolf who is constantly hunted and all he wants is a home and friends. you will have a completely different sense of Werewolves than you get from most books and movies (save Harry Potter).

Enjoy your trip!

it's over! *sniff*

fair is once again over. i can't believe how fast it went, how fast the whole summer went. i can think back right now and say "whoa, just a week ago i was doing that stupid groom and clean class at this exact time." and it feels like it was only yesterday. then i think back on days like thursday where i was running around like a mad person with claustrophobia and it seems like it happened a million years ago. the whole summer just disappeared and i can hardly believe it.

this fair was absolutely amazing. i'm not going to go into great detail because i would have to write a whole book to fit it all in. i do think this has been my best fair and i feel like i have accomplished the most this year. i look back at last year where Avalon completely refused a jump which he would now bounce over like it was nothing or how last year he would have gone galloping around like an idiot when you asked him to canter around other horses and this year he would willingly pick up the most georgious canter ever. i have to say that even though we did not come home with a billion ribbons i have never been so pleased with the way i did at fair.

i love Avalon more than ever!! he was sooooo good and put up with sooo much this week, yet he still seems to like me! he is truly amazing! and jumps georgiously!! (good enough to beat John and Celina T. she also has a story all her own)

now i shall give you an example of one of my days at fair, of course i will randomly on purpose choose the busiest day just to impress you....

Thursday, July 28, 2005 FAIR

first i must tell you that i went to bed at approximately 11:30pm on wednesday night.

5:15am: alarm jolts me awake, i shoot five feet in the air and slam my hand over the off button. i lie back down and say to myself "you must get up, remember, you were going to be perky today" stumble into the bathroom, attempting to be quiet but knocking things over in the process

5:30am: slightly more awake, walk/fall down stairs and cook some eggs for breakfast. some signs of movement from upstairs.

5:45am: driving to the fair, why is my mom ALWAYS so talkative??? even at 6 in the morning??

6am: arrive at fair, of course i'm the first one here, no big surprise. open all the doors switch on the lights and feed the horses. clean out Avalon's stall and brush him, thank goodness i don't have to braid.

7am: frantically tacking up. why did it have to rain on tuesday???? run into changing stall and put on breeches tall purple socks, tall boots, lilac ice (color) long sleeved shirt with nice high colar, pin colar with silver stock pin, pull hair back and put a billion and one clips in it (i hate hair nets), grab my jacket making sure my number (111) is pinned to the back, grab my helmet and Avalon's bridle.

7:30am: finally tacked up and on, shoot, only half an hour to warm up before jumping classes start. why did it have to rain on wednesday???

8:10am: listen to John complain about having to get up soooooo early so that jumping could start at 8am (thanks to the rain on tuesday and wednesday) and now it's ten after and Celina T. just got here on her amazing, crazy Arab to warm up.

8:30am: jumping finally begins, still several classes till mine, frantically running over the insanely complicated patterns in my head. Avalon hates the arena now, i think i've worked him in there too much, "Val, can i borrow your crop?"

9am: John finishes his first round, no refusals or knock downs. our turn, i miraculously remember the pattern and Avalon floats over the jumps like a cloud. Celina T's horse goes a little wild, the jumps are only 2 feet, not 4 feet high. we win the class! Todd says to me, "good job, John looked like he was driving a ferrari."

10am: our second class went about the same: John drove his ferrari and thoroughly enjoyed it, Avalon floated over the jumps and Celina T looked like she was going to jump the Elephant Ear stand. another blue ribbon for Avalon.

10:30am: after getting second (beaten by Val on Mr Bill) in Handy Hunter (more jumping) we headed over to the 4-h barn for Trail. Avalon was extremely good, not blue ribbon good but better than he usually is at home. amazingly we get 6th out of 24!! that was a big surprise!

11:30am: gobble down a grilled cheese and chocolate milkshake, the people at the milkshake place know me by now, i'm a regular.

12pm: showing at pony barn starts, more jumping!!! and more blue ribbons!! Peggy decides i should drive Cyclone, i was planning on resting... but ok. turns out Cyclone is absolutely amazing to drive!! she is responsive, impulsive, fast and she can trot in place to turn very tight corners. i'm loving it!!!

5pm: what do you mean versatility is tonight???? at 6pm???? grr.... stupid rain on tuesday and wednesday. gobble down some taco soup, curtesy of the family with all those hott boys.... gather my versatility gear (in other words, run around like a madwoman)

6pm: versatility starts, thanks to the fact that our club starts with and A and M comes before W i have to go first for everything. jumping is beautiful, western horsemanship is barely acceptable, reining was awful, english equitation was good until we went galloping around the ring on the wrong lead (Avalon was a little slap happy), and he didn't seem to understand that we were supposed to go FAST for speed and control, oh well, at least he went in the box.

8:30pm: finally i can take these miserable show clothes off which i have been wearing ALL DAY!!! clean Avalon's stall, feed him, give him water, attempt to clean up our changing stall.... fail

10pm: home... take a shower, you smell....

10:30pm: scrawl a little in my journal about my day and perhapse something about Vern and AJ (if it weren't for them, where would the drama be?)

11:30pm: asleep, thank goodness my mom told me i wouldn't be showing until 11 tomorrow, i can sleep in till 6:15!!!!

that WAS the busiest day, but most of the days were at least half that bad, and i was almost always there at 6am, meaning i got about 6 hours of sleep... in other words.... i had a blast!!!