why I smile

because I got to see light at midnight.

because (even though The Deadliest Catch is probably the most boring show on the face of the Earth) I got to see The Time Bandit.

because my finger stopped swelling. (If you must know, ask the car door. He will tell you everything...)

because I can sleep in my own bed.

because Switchfoot is awesome. (the song in my soul)

because my thoughts are more focused. (think hard; think well)

because I have purpose.

because swing dancing is not only fun, but great for exercise.

because I cut my shower time in half by cutting my hair in half.

Alaska pictures:

~The Mennyms~

-by Sylvia Waugh

**sparks memory**

When I was in love with The Trumpet of the Swan, and believed that books couldn't get any better than that. When we constantly listened over and over and over again to four children entering a wardrobe during those car rides - long and short. We liked to listen.

And when our (her and I) cousins took cassette tapes and recorded their voices, wonderful voices, as they read the Mennyms. They sent us the tapes, and we listened over and over and over again to a house full of rag dolls that don't eat and pretend to smoke pipes.

This created an idea in my sister's mind. We got out some cassette tapes of our own and started to record her story. The one with the fairies, the automatic doors, and the prince charming who no one knows is a prince. We needed to record the sword fighting scene, and we needed sound effects.

What does metal clashing together sound like? We didn't know. Later we had to admit to our mother that the scratches and dents on the two forks that stood out from the rest were from a quite entertaining and thrilling encounter with the Dark Fairy, of which, of course, the stable boy won.

At least, that's how I remembered her story...

**end of sparking**

It's surprising how differently the story plays out in your head when you read it for yourself...

where the sun doens't stop shining

I'm going to Alaska! Yay!

I've been heckled a lot though, because of it. Go somewhere cold during the hottest time of year?! I must be out of my mind...

Okay, okay, I don't really have a choice, but I still would have gone anyway. At first I was excited that we might possibly maybe go see the bus where Chris from Into the Wild died. I didn't like the book at all, (just the idea of it) but I still would have liked to see the bus. But we can't because it's about 2 hours out of the way.

One of the things that is most exciting to me is being able to see the sun at night. During the summer, the northern parts of Alaska hardly ever see the sun set. And during the winter, the sun hardly rises. We are staying somewhere in the middle, so the sun is going to be out most of the time, but only for about four hours.

I will be sure to tell you about my adventures in Alaska when I get back, but I'm still worried about getting cell phone reception, so I don't know if my dad or sister's laptops will work. Part of me just wants to wait until I return home, but if I can, I will post while I am there. Otherwise, I won't be posting for about a week, and I'm not one for scheduling posts. (although it does come in handy sometimes...)

~The Maze of Bones~

-by Rick Riordan

Book One of The 39 Clues.

I read this before Catching Fire, so don't think that's why I didn't like it.

Yeah, I didn't like it. I was expecting more of something like Percy Jackson, I guess. I should stop expecting, I guess.

I liked the idea of it, though. I'd love to go to Paris and research Benjamin Franklin. Oh, what fun I would have, stopping at all of the bakeries and pastry shops along the way. :)

But I know that the book (and series) is meant for younger kids, so I will give it that. It was entertaining, and I did like the plot, it was just the immature joking around that I didn't like.

It wasn't bad or anything, but I was wanting, expecting for it to be more like a mix between Heist Society and the Olympians. The adventure that takes you all over the world (or just to Paris), and it is in the hands of two young siblings, and one overacting babysitter.

But then I am told they get better after the third book by a very smart little cookie in gold wired glasses named Jack.

I picked up a book

I waited a week.

I didn't want to be biased. I didn't want it to affect my feelings for the poor book. It can't help but be perfect and absolutely wonderful.

So what did I do?

I sat in the grass with a fuzzy yellow blanket that keeps me calm at night and a red spiral notebook opened to a blank blue-striped page. I listened to music and played around with my newly-strung guitar, the acoustics sounding better than ever. I wrote, and continue to write about everything and anything and sometimes nothing at all. I stared at the clouds as we drive by, looking at the the colors that the sun caused on the ones above, and the ones miles away. I went to a baseball game and watched the drunk fans look for their cars with wheels and doors in frustration after the loss. I convinced someone that rain has a smell, a fantastic smell, after they bluntly claimed it had no aroma at all.

But mostly-I didn't try to forget-I tried to suppress my anxiety. August 24th is such a long way away, and I will be in school. Its such a bad combination.

...and there I go again... (to self: suppressssss)

But the week went quickly, and now I think I am back to normal. Now I can get back to those books. :)