As difficult and crazy as it is to think about, my brother who I’ve known as the “grown-up kid” for my entire life is now married. He’s married! He has a wife. Wow… that’s… old! This past weekend, my family and I met in Houston to watch in excitement and joy my brother, Joseph, get married to his other half, Jessica. The weekend could not have gone more perfectly.

I attended the rehearsal since I was an usher in the wedding, and it went quite smoothly, ending in about fifteen minutes. Of course, as spontaneous as Jessica is, she decided at the rehearsal that she wanted the two ushers to also be witnesses in the wedding, so there was the other usher standing the bride’s side with the other bride’s maids… it was quite an interesting sight.

The rehearsal was, of course, a pleasant experience that allowed the two families to get to know each other. My dad gave a touching toast. All was swell.

The next day was of course the wedding. I spent most of the day over at Joseph’s where I got ready for the wedding and kept him in line during the last hours of his single life (ha, yeah right). I ended up getting ready over there, and I have to say that my tux was… what would you call it… fly? Who knows, but it was pretty good looking! Now whether I was the same is another story, but the tux sure was something. After a thirty minute drive to the church, Joseph getting lost trying to find his own wedding, billions of pictures, minutes of waiting and anticipating, the wedding was finally ready to commence. It all happened so fast, and I’m sure it happened even faster for the bride and groom. Before I knew it, Joseph was married.

After a billion more pictures, an unexpected meeting with a missionary from the Congo, another thirty minute drive, we finally arrived at the reception, which was by far the best part of the whole weekend (kind of snotty to say, though, considering I rate the reception more than the actual wedding). We ate Mexican food and danced well into the night; not to mention, my other brother’s formal toast was hilarious! We met more family and just overall had a fun time celebrating the union of my brother and new sister-in-law. The entire weekend was quite a blast indeed, and I couldn’t be happier for Joseph and Jessica.

I finally decided that I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I wasn’t going to just let it all go. I had to do something. So I did. Actually, Kelvin and I did. We took a road trip anyway. Mind you, we didn’t drive to Colorado and back, but we did drive to San Antonio and back.

On the first day, we left for New Braunfels, TX, where we could go to Schlitterbahn. As my first time at Schlitterbahn, I must say that it was quite an experience. As soon as you step onto the resort, the sight of a turquoise-colored river and hundreds of draping trees creating a shady canopy over the entire resort makes the visit worth the travel. Simply seeing the scenic size of the original resort is worth attending, but actually riding the rides carries you over the top of the experience. Unfortunately, we only rode a couple of rides due to the extremely large crowd, but the experience was still a fun one.

On the second day, we awoke early to pay a good ol’ tourist’s visit to this amazingly humungous flea market… or at least that’s what we were told. We hadn’t actually seen it before, and we spent an extra thirty minutes trying to find it. Only after a phone call to my dad and a google search were we on the right track. Needless to say, we did end up arriving, and as expected, the market was just as huge as we were told. They sold everything from birds and dogs to jewelry and clothing to knives. It was quite a neat shopping experience; not to mention, prices were as cheap as you were ever going to see. From the flea market, we drove to go see the Natural Bridge Caverns, the largest caverns in Texas. After a thirty-minute way for tickets, we were ready to tour the famous caves, which spanned 180 feet under the ground. And tour we did… as I was equipped with ten dollar tennis shoes I had bought the same day at Wal-Mart (I still think that was a beast purchase). The caverns were amazing, and we saw some amazing sights. The temperature was moderately around seventy degrees with a high humidity, so the entire tour was very comfortable. Over all, the experience was breathtaking, with every step of the way making you want to say, “WOW!!” or “Whoooaa!”

By the time the tour was over, we were pretty much about to starve to death since it was already around 3:00 in the afternoon, and we were without lunch. So, what did we do? We got lost and used as much time as possible to find a place to eat, of course! I mean, what else would we do? We ended up going into San Antonio and eating along the riverwalk at a really delicious steakhouse. The riverwalk was yet another amazing experience, something I had never seen before. Such a beautiful and scenic area makes me want to live in San Antonio (If only downtown Lake Charles had such a thing). The riverwalk spans a few miles and is full of restaurants that allow you to eat right along the river, a tourist area that is quite a sight.

After walking along the riverwalk and visiting the rivercenter mall, we headed back to New Braunfels where Kelvin’s grandparents cooked us a delicious brisket dinner. The day was not over, however. Instead of spending the night, we decided to be a little crazier and drive back that night. Crazy it was as we ended up getting back to Friendswood at around 12:30 in the morning. There ended up being a wreck on I-10, so we had to take a detour around it, which of course, led room for getting lost, which of course we took advantage of. Getting lost only leads to more of an adventure anyway, so we didn’t worry about it.

Over all, the “road trip” was a blast, allowing me to spend some fun times with my best friend and giving me opportunities to experience things I haven’t experienced and broaden my horizons. I only wish that the trip could have lasted longer, but unfortunately, “money doesn’t grow on trees.” Darn saying.

July 3rd came and went.  The infamous July 3rd.  The day we were supposed to leave.  Oh well.  That dream has come and past.  Actually, it hasn’t.  Quite the contrary, the dream is still there and strong; it’s just postponed.  So what have I been doing these past few days?  Spending it with my girlfriend before she leaves for a ten-day Washington D.C. trip.  Actually, I wished her goodbye this morning, and now my ten-day withdrawal starts….. now!  Just to highlight some things I’ve done over the past few days:

- I wonder how many people in Lake Charles realize that there is a beautiful state park available 15 minutes away.  It’s called Sam Houston Jones State Park.  In fact, even if people knew about it, I wonder how many appreciate it.  It’s such an awesome place, good for appreciating your surroundings, relaxing, and just letting go.  There’s so much shade that not even the hot summer sun can stop one from going and having their share of the interesting green scene of nature.  When Kayla and I went this past week, we took some pictures.  Quite a lot, actually. Here are two:

- We’ve been doing a lot of double dating with a couple who are really good friends of Kayla’s.  We’ve bowled on two occasions, had dinner together, and gone to see Wall-e in theaters (because it’s a Pixar film, of course).  There have been some fun times, especially because it’s always fun every once and while to be in a group to hang out.  

- July fourth was interesting because it was originally deemed an entire family day for Kayla, making it impossible for me to see her (go figure).  But, as the day progressed, that became impossible I presume, and I ended up getting invited to watch fireworks with her whole family.  I must say, my July fourth mind as well have started at that moment.

Now that Kayla’s left, I’m thinking about a few things to do with my time, but they’re too premature and too speculative to even share.  I’ll probably end up not doing them, but it’s fun to think about because they’re pretty awesome things to do.  In the meantime, I will now get ready for the day and try to get through these ten days as best as I can.

For years, I’ve dreamed of going on a road trip with my friends.  I used to envision stopping along the side of the road and looking out at a breathtaking scene of tall rock formations or cascading mountains.  I’d see commercials showing a group of friends having the time of their lives on the road, and I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, that would be such an amazing experience.”  Taking a road trip by myself, having the freedom to go where ever I wanted, the excitement of not exactly knowing where I’d end up, is something I’ve dreamed of doing for years.  So, six months ago, when I struck up the idea to my three best friends, they agreed, and suddenly, the very experience that I had dreamed about for so long was actually a possibility.  So, five months and something days later, we’re scheduled to leave in two days.  In fact, I’ve planned an entire schedule.  I’ve taken every expense into account and formulated an estimated total cost.  I’ve reserved hotel rooms, gotten directions to different places, and even made a checklist for departure day.  Everything was set; I had planned everything.  I had the okay from everyone.  We were supposed to leave tomorrow, and this morning I get a call.  For various reasons, one person has backed out.  Boom! Just like that, a second person backs out.  A day before the road trip.  Then boom!  The road trip’s off.  Just like that.  For six months, I’ve been seeing tomorrow as a reality, and it fades away just like that.  I don’t know, I guess it was too good to be true.  I must have too many good things going for me right now that one more thing was just too much.  I mean, I’m going to Texas A&M, I’ve earned several scholarships, I have the most amazing girlfriend in the world, and I’m pretty financially secure right now (hence the opportunity for a vacation), so I guess one more thing is just too much for one person to have.  Who knows… I just can’t believe this happened.  

The past few days have been slow for me.  I’ve had an overabundance of time, something that I quite often like to avoid, and, well, I’ve actually been bored.  I know, I know… impossible.  But it’s true.  I guess that’s what happens when people are out of town, leaving you to entertain yourself (gasp!).  I’ve been doing a lot of TV watching lately to try and correct for this boredom, and it has partly worked.  Granted, I haven’t subjected myself to anything degrading on TV (I mean, c’mon, I could be watching Family Guy, Cheesebob, Talladega Nights, etc.).  Instead, I’ve been watching mostly FOX News, getting caught up on the presidential candidates’ ideas (or lack of) and other current events.  Hey, if I have to watch TV, I’m going to at least get something out of it.  

It didn’t help that it was my birthday two days ago, either.  It was surely an uneventful birthday (the actual day was… I’d rather consider Kayla’s day for me my real birthday.  It was a million times better.)… pleasant, yes, but also uneventful.  Regardless, I am now eighteen years old.  I can now legally go to Cowboys (yeah right!), gamble, and vote!!  Voting is perhaps the most exciting thing that comes with my new age, now.  It’s definitely something I’m looking forward to.  But anyway, I must get back to doing whatever I was doing (which would be… nothing?).

Last Tuesday and Wednesday were the first two days in which I experienced for the first time some true Aggie spirit.  Yes, these two days were spent at Aggieland, spent meeting down-to-earth, friendly people, spent familiarizing myself with the Aggie traditions, and most importantly, spent registering for classes.  These two days were spent attending the long-awaited new student conference!

The first day was one of those rare days where you can truly say that you literally had absolutely no free time whatsoever.  Typically, one says such a thing in a sense of “almost” or “slight exaggeration” where there was perhaps at least thirty minutes or so of free time, but my first day of the NSC was not that at all.  It was the hardcore type.  No free time. Nada.  Nothing.  I checked in at 9:00 A.M. and retired from the day at 10:00 P.M.  Even at meals, we were scrambling to get enough time to eat just so we could make the next meeting in time.  It was such a rush, being enriched with the Aggie spirit while being surrounded by the aura of college.

A few points of interest:

- Never have I seen such an amazing atmosphere like I did at the NSC.  Aggies are truly how people depict them (excluding the Aggie jokes).  I didn’t meet a single person who wasn’t friendly or who wasn’t willing to strike up a conversation with me.  All one has to do at A&M is say “Howdy” and you’ll hear a nice “Howdy” back, and all of a sudden, you’ve made a new friend.  It’s amazing.  Moreover, I didn’t speak with a single Aggie who didn’t have pride or integrity for where he or she was and for who he or she was.  Everyone spoke with confidence; I could almost hear people’s attitudes speaking to me, “Look at me.  I’m proud to be an Aggie.  I’m proud to be myself.  Is there anything I can do for you?”

- The campus is beautiful.  I guess that this is true for almost any university campus, but A&M does have its unique features.  For instance, in the middle of the campus, there is this huge (and I mean huge) oak tree that extends outward over a walkway to create almost a totally covered overhead shelter.  The tradition says that anyone who walks under it alone will be alone for the rest of his or her life.  Consequently, you can always see someone heading to class walk inconveniently (or conveniently, depending on how you look at it) around the tree instead of walking under it to make sure that he or she doesn’t end up alone for the rest of eternity!

- Howdy!  My name is Samuel Congiundi.  I am a chemical engineering major from Lake Charles, Louisiana, but more importantly, I am a proud member of the fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2012.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

- I registered for my classes, as you may have guessed.  For my first semester, I am enrolled in 14 hours, consisting of the following:

 MATH 151 (I am likely to test out of this calculus 1 class due to my AP score)
CHEM 101/111 (I am likely to test out of this class and CHEM 102 and go straight to Organic Chemistry due to my AP score)
PHYS 218 Honors
ENGR 111 (This is a freshman engineering class) 

Over all, the new student conference was an exhilarating and exciting experience, allowing me to observe for the first time Aggies holding true to the Aggie spirit.  I know now that Texas A&M is truly the college for me, and I can’t wait to show everyone how proud I really am of being a member of the fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2012.  AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

It’s not every day that a guy has an entire day planned for him by his girlfriend.  Yesterday, Kayla and I celebrated my birthday, and that’s exactly what she did.

I woke up yesterday morning not to an alarm clock or from the sunlight shining through my window.  No, I woke up to Kayla laying down next to me.  She had chosen to start our day off by surprising me in the morning.  She was dressed in a red dress with matching red nails and shoes, and she looked beautiful.  Of course, one could imagine how excited I was to see her as I woke up.  She granted me a few minutes to get ready for the day (Thanks Kayla), and we were off.  Keep in mind that I had no idea what any of the plans for the day were.

She immediately blindfolded me, not even allowing me to see a clock, so I had no clue what time it was.  As she started driving, I kept keeping up with streets based on how long it took her to turn, so of course, Kayla disoriented me by turning into every street you could think of and bringing me around the whole city (she says we went on the interstate; I don’t believe her).  We finally arrived at our destination, by which point I was totally clueless.  She walked me outside a few feet and took the blindfold off, and to my excitement, I saw a breakfast picnic set up with homemade blueberry pancakes (my favorite) and Sunny D.  Not only that, but it was set up at a spot that Kayla and I had claimed as “our spot” at Prien Lake Park–a peninsula that extended out toward the lake.  

After we were done eating, I found out that the day wasn’t even close to being over.  She handed me a bag and told me to go change.  Of course, in the bag was <i>my</i> bathing suit and <i>my</i> towel (I have no idea when she got those out of my room).  After I changed, we walked to the boat launch at the park and to my amazement, I saw her dad on their boat, ready to go.  Yes, the second part of her plan was a fun couple hours on the boat.  I skied for the first time in my life, even if it was for only four seconds.  I also got to drive the boat through Contraband Bayou, a beautiful, scenic route that I didn’t even know about.  It almost made me think that I wasn’t in Lake Charles anymore.  Of course, I didn’t know where we were heading; I just kept driving through the Bayou, but eventually, we reached Bennigan’s, and that’s where we ate lunch. 

After lunch, it was back on the boat, where we drove it back to the launch site and drove it home.  Oh no, the day wasn’t over yet.  By then, I was still unaware of the time; but I knew that it had to be in the afternoon.  Kayla drove me home, saying that she needed time to set up for the next part of the day.  Set up?!  Hmm.  Okay, so I went home and awaited further instructions.  An hour and a half later, I got a phone call from her saying that she was on my way to come pick me up.  After another blindfold, another trying to keep up with streets, and of course, another disoriented failure, we reached our destination–her house.  Still blindfolded, she led me into her dining room, and when she took it off, I saw the table set up with fancy china, candle, tablecloth, and of course, pizza… all to the sound of piano music playing in the background.  It was amazing.  And for desert I got to eat my favorite ice cream–cookies n’ cream–which she of course had already prepared in the form of a cake with a candle on it (that’s when she sang me happy birthday).  She gave me some very nice cologne for one of my presents.  The other present was, to me, one of the best presents a person could ever get.  She had written a song for me on the piano, which she played for me after dinner.  It was beautiful, both through the lyrics and the music.  It was perfect.

Even though her plans for me had ended after her song, we still went back to my house to watch a movie and have some time to simply relax with each other, concluding a… well… absolutely perfect day.  So, do I have an amazing girlfriend or what?

Wow is all I have to say to that.  What a relief!  Last year was my first year to direct the Family Life Community Center Chess Camp, and while it wasn’t a complete disaster, it did not go very well.  A coach canceled at the last second, and we were short people to help discipline the kids, so while pieces flew, children ran, and chairs fell, I stood and thought chaos.  Well, this year as I stood watching the kids focus intently on their games, I couldn’t help but think the complete opposite.  Wow, what a success this year!  

The first day consisted of mostly chess instruction given by coaches Haider, Sinh, Ngoc, Sanjay, and me.  That’s right; I made sure I wouldn’t be understaffed this year, and let me tell you, the abundance of coaching power helped greatly.  A question never went unanswered, and we had more capacity for chess instruction.  Moreover, we were able to split the kids into small enough groups to allow for instruction without too crazy of a scene.  I had such a fulfilling feeling seeing the kids participating, hands raised high in the air, eager to answer every question I threw at them.  Such a scene just wasn’t present last year, and I’m truly grateful and relieved that things went smoothly this year.  

On the second day, we held a tournament for all of the campers to show what they had learned the day before.  Again, the day could not have gone more smoothly; as soon as I said those five words (the ones that drive every tournament player crazy minutes before the round starts), “you may start your games,” the room was completely silent.  A pen drop could have been considered quite audible.  What an amazing sight!  

So, after months of preparations, a dozen phone calls and meetings, eighty-five dollars on awards, ten dollars on candy and name tags, twenty-one dollars on pizza, and the feeling of knowing that I perhaps made a difference in fourty-eight childrens’ lives, I’d say that the past two days have been not only a blast, but an experience that I’ll remember forever.

As the end of the year concludes and the summer connecting youth and adult begins, more signs of an ending begin to show themselves.  Vacations become reality, family and friends become closer, and reminiscence fills the air as the ending, the realization that high school will never be again, concludes.

Last Thursday, I gave my senior piano recital.  What could very well be my last piano recital of my life, I did not disappoint.  In fact, I played my songs beautifully (or at least I think so), and it could not have gone better.  Played at Temple Sinai on a brand new Yamaha piano, my recital attracted many congregant members as well as family and friends.  After it was over, I didn’t know how to approach the idea that a year’s worth of practice and concentration, a year’s worth of frustration and tedious slugging through notes, was over.  It was as if I was charging a camera flash, and all at once, it let go, just like that.  It was sure over in a flash.  However, it was not myself that I played this recital for.  No, unlike my last year’s recital, this one was for a very special person who, unfortunately, could not make it, although I know that she was watching from above.  I hope that I made Mrs. Spencer proud because she made me proud to be her student.

The very next morning, I left for Houston to visit… well, who else… Kelvin (or typically douchebag) for his graduation.  I must say that the weekend was a total blast.  As always, there was never a dull moment, especially during this weekend, because there always a party to attend or a restaurant to go eat at.  As soon as I arrived at Kelvin’s house, it became a non-stop adventure including graduation, graduation parties, ultimate frisbee (along with ultimate dehydration), Free Bird’s Burritos, concerts, and lots of driving.  Needless to say, this Houston trip did not disappoint, as usual.  I had a blast.

Now that I am back, I cannot help but think about how I’ve lived my life these past few years.  I reflect and say to myself, “You know, Sam, you really did a good job.  You worked hard, stayed out of trouble, and made a name for yourself.  You did well, Sam.  You really did well.”  I am proud to say that… well… I’m proud of myself!

Graduation weekend could not have gone better than it did.  Friends were united while we made sense of the whole concept of… um… this graduation.  And yes, it’s official–the aura of graduation has now hit me (it’s about time).  I am no longer a high school student.  I am officially a college student.  I will never be able to experience the four years that everyone says fly by so quickly.  They’re over. Gone. Never to be seen again.  Oh man.

The graduation party was a success, having a greater turn-out than I thought.  Not only did I get to visit with people whom I hadn’t talked to in a while, but I also received the chance to spend some time with my best friends, all united in the same place (unbelievably).  Visitors included guests from Shreveport, Houston, Lake Charles, and even across the street.  I had a great time; however, the fact that I was graduating still didn’t hit me.  

Fast forward to graduation.  I’m in the confined back of the Burton Coliseum with 369 other seniors waiting to march out to our seats.  We’re taking pictures, reminiscing about our high school years, and screaming of joy.  Except me.  What was going on?  Was I really graduating?  Oh wait, it’s time to begin walking out, making sure we give enough space in between the person in front of us.  The graduation music is playing.  I’m walking out in front of thousands of eager and proud family members.  I’m graduating.  It’s happening.  It’s hit me.

The End of the Beginning of the Journey

Four years.  Four years of early mornings, grueling tests, countless flash cards, and enough handouts to save a forest.  Wow, four years.   Four years of high school considerably impacts any eager, graduating senior, and I am no different.  I’ve had my share of letdowns, school fight sightings, good grades, bad grades, school stress, embarrassment, laughs, the list could extend indefinitely.  Boy, could it.  Phew, four years.  These past four years have been some of the most influential years of my life, teaching me more about myself than any genie, fortune-teller, or psychologist could ever teach me. 

The School That Made It All Possible

Four years at A. M. Barbe High School will make any brainless student much more eager to rush home and flip on the TV or launch World of Warcraft on their new dual Core 2 Duo PC, but a closer look into the Buccaneers’ home will tell the more observant that Barbe actually has opportunities that aren’t provided at comparable high schools.  After attending classes such as Chemistry II A.P., Calculus A.P., and English IV A.P. for a few weeks, often wanting to bang my head a few times in hope that it relieve the high levels of stress, I eventually realized that Barbe does indeed offer, dare I say it, an excellent education.  After all, I was learning how to find related rates of the most complicated problems in a college level environment that is often considered to be more difficult than the equivalent McNeese University calculus class.  I was titrating weak acids and learning how to calculate chemical equilibrium constants.  I was simulating the distillation of methanol and isopropanol.  I was even learning skills that will hopefully allow for this post to provide a better figurative and rhetorical effect.  In fact, looking back on these past four years, I’ve realized that I’ve learned more than I could have ever imagined.  Those endless hours of integration problems I had to work or short-story essays I had to write not only prepared me for the same conditions that I’ll have to face in Aggieland but also the conditions that I’ll have to face in life.  My employer isn’t going to cut me a break on the seemingly endless hours of paperwork I’ll have to do or the overtime I might have to work.  Sure, I could choose not to partake anyway, but instead of receiving a B that I can simply shrug off in high school, I’ll be without a job (Wow, four years taught me that?).  As a result, I have absolutely no regrets taking the most difficult classes in the entire school (you know, the ones where you actually learn something).  I encourage anyone still attending Barbe to seek the most out of such an opportune school.  Take as many A.P. classes allowable and realize, as I did, that despite the brainless mindset that spreads throughout this generation like an Ebola virus on steroids, Barbe can actually assist you in taking that first step in the… well, according to many educators… wrong direction.

Three Years of the Best Job of my Life

I often hear among my peers how “crappy” his or her job may be.  Perhaps it’s “boring as hell” or it pays “less for more hours.”  Whatever the reasons are, I cannot help but realize even more how fortunate I was to have had the job that I had.  While teenagers were taking orders for Big Macs from people that miraculously had not died from heart attacks yet or carrying out groceries to Grandma’s Cadillac, I was teaching elementary and middle school students how to move toward the center of the board or how to checkmate with a king and a queen.  Yes, that’s right, I was a chess coach, and it was the best job of my life.  For the past three years, I’ve driven to Our Lady Queen of Heaven, lesson in hand, to teach a group of eager, yet highly hyper, children how to play better chess.  I’ve come to realize that teaching these kids has been some of the best moments of my life.  Messing around with the playful ones or cheering up the sad ones (Trust me, chess requires tons of cheering up.) or even talking about politics with the brainy ones has made me more comfortable around young, aspiring students, allowing me to be a better role model and allowing me to learn.  Learn I did, and patience was at the top of my list. In fact, I’ve learned more patience from teaching chess than anywhere else.  After all, if it weren’t for patience, I might have zipped my first grader’s mouth closed after he put a pawn in his mouth for the fifth time instead of constantly and patiently telling him to take it out.  He eventually stopped, though, and when he did, I knew that patience was indeed worth it. 

Now that my three years of chess teaching has ended, I look back and applaud myself not because I led OLQH to three back-to-back state victories or because I was able to tolerate three year’s worth of loud children sometimes literally bouncing off the walls.  No, I applaud myself because in the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and, as Alex and Bret Harris say, take my “first shower.”  I was able to go beyond what I was comfortable doing and extend myself.  I realize now how important it is to step out of one’s comfort zone and do something great, but before I had my driver’s license, I just didn’t have that realization.  Fortunately for me, I took the job anyway, and I believe that I truly did achieve something great.  I helped a group of kids learn chess, have fun, and perhaps pursue a dream, and even if just one kid, the one who never talks and no one ever notices, remembers what I taught him, I’ve made a difference.  I’ll always remember the countless times when my students would come up to me and tell me that they remembered to develop their pieces this time or that even though they lost their queen, they didn’t give up and still won.  Moments like those were always my favorite because I always knew then that I was indeed making a difference, and boy what an amazing feeling did that give me. 

A Year Without Curfew

Four years of high school can require an enormous level of responsibility.  Throughout my four years, I was often given a responsibility but never had the chance to exercise it (For instance, I don’t decline an offer for a cigarette every day.); however, this past year opened up an entirely new opportunity to prove my capability.  I, unlike most of my peers, have no definite curfew, something that many teenagers would absolutely kill for.  Wow, no curfew, eh?  That allows for such things as partying, getting drunk, smoking, etc.  No, not me.  I was given the opportunity to shine, to act responsibly, and that I did.  Instead of getting wasted on a Saturday night, I watched movies, had meaningful conversations, and created memories that I could safely share with my parents.  That’s not to say that I didn’t have fun, however.  Acting crazily with my best friends was definitely possible without the aid of alcohol, but see, the difference between my crazy nights and the majority of my classmates’ crazy nights was that I could actually remember mine.  Now that I have the opportunity to reflect on a year without a curfew, I can safely say that I exercised my privilege with the responsibility expected of me, and that definitely gives me a feeling of fullness.  Knowing that I can follow through with such a responsibility encourages me for not only the next time I’ll have to follow through, but it also helps me feel more complete, more aware of my own capabilities.  In fact, just writing this paragraph has helped me realize more about myself, teaching me that if I believe in myself, I can withhold any responsibility given to me, no matter the magnitude. 

My Continued Efforts Against Brainlessness

I often receive questions from my classmates that could have been figured out if more than five seconds were spent thinking about them.   Questions that basically amount to “How do I plug numbers into an equation?” or “Where do I find this value clearly stated in this graph?” make me cringe.   This past year, I’ve continued my efforts to stand out and rebel against brainlessness, the contagious disease that has fazed so many students not only at Barbe High School, but well, everywhere!  I sought information, knowledge that school didn’t require me to learn.  However, this past year did not teach me how important it is to swim against the brainless current.  No, I didn’t learn from this past year that my generation was swimming in a pool of laziness and that it was a pool I didn’t want to swim in.  See, I learned that I wasn’t the only one who I needed to worry about.  I needed to spread the trend, the rebellion against lack of thought and laziness.  Instead of not only encouraging myself to seek unneeded knowledge, to stretch my mind, I encouraged others.  In chess club, I never answered a question until it killed them.  Only after their brains “exploded” and the students’ brains that they consulted “exploded” too did I answer the question, and I usually only began with a simple hint (usually, the hint did the trick).  At school, I always tried to inspire anyone who would listen to my story, whether it was a simple encouragement or a ten-minute lecture.  I don’t know if the words I said truly affected anybody, but I’ve learned to stick with what I believe in, and I believe that maybe, just maybe, one person because of what I said chose to take that A.P. class that he or she thought might require too much work.  Rebelling against brainlessness has indeed taught me to stick with what I believe in because ninety-nine percent of my peers don’t care about standing out, and in fact, some of them actually try to discourage me to do so.  Consequently, sticking with my beliefs and my efforts was a viable aspect of my senior year.  I could have easily stepped back into that cold, zombie-like pool and become just another blip, not caring about what I learn at school or thinking that life will simply be a breeze.  But I didn’t.  As the others swam around, I dried.  I flew.  I soared. 

One Word: College

During senior year, the aura of college begins to surround you.  Weekends are spent trying to think of obscure service activities that may have occurred for one hour your freshman year and filling out countless pages of applications asking for those obscure service activities.  My situation was no different this past year as I filled out application after application, sent out transcript after transcript, and waited day after day for responses.  After getting accepted into every university I applied for, I made my decision.  This Fall, I will become the third Aggie in the family, and I will attend with diligence, dignity, and determination.  I’ve felt the eagerness everyday throughout my senior year.  As I spent my innumerable hours on calculus homework, I felt it.  As I learned how to build a distillation tower, I felt it.  As I applied for the numerous scholarships, I felt it.  I feel it now, as I write this post.  I know that, after this year, I will excel in college to the best of my ability, standing out just as I believe.  I’ve prepared myself this year for those all-nighters and endless hours of work I’ll most definitely meet in college; however, I still find it difficult to believe that the end of high school has come and the beginning of college awaits.  To think that I will be on my own in a few months can, at times, be quite an intimidating thought.  After all, I’ll have to do my own laundry, cook my own food (yeah right), and have to do everything without the aid of a mother or father.  Yes, it’s quite an intimidating thought indeed, but I’m ready to tackle it.  The year has made me ready, prepared me for such things.  Because of my perseverance in calculus, I’ll have the diligence in college.  Because of my motivation in chemistry, I’ll have the determination in college.  Because of my friends and family in high school, I’ll have the self-esteem in college.  When I look at the big picture, I am fully prepared to take on anything that stands in my way of success, and knowing that I have everything I need to excel makes me feel as if I can be on top of the world.  Well, if living up to my fullest capabilities puts me on top of the world, than I guess that’s where I’ll be for a while.

If One Must Learn, Learn About Oneself

Some people will go through a year and wonder what he or she has gained.  Was it the new Fifty-inch plasma TV or perhaps the new BMW 330i?  No, those are too materialistic.  Maybe more confidence?  Maybe.  Whatever the gain was, was it really a gain, or was it something that took a whole minute to come up with?  Every year, I too wonder what I have gained, what I have learned, and every year I learn something completely new to me, something that I can use forever.  Yes, this year has been no different, as I have learned even more about myself (yes, it’s possible). 

In the beginning of my senior year, I took on a project, and not an ordinary science project but a project that has perhaps decided my entire future.  Dubbed Senior Project, high school seniors are encouraged to tackle a learning endeavor in their professional field of interest.  Well, my interest was in chemical engineering, so tackle I did.  I built a real distillation column and a dynamic distillation simulator, something that has not been investigated even by aspiring college engineering students.  Once again, I had stepped out of my comfort zone to explore the world of chemical engineering, and throughout my experience, I realized that for one of the first times in my life, I was completely sure, destined in fact, about being a chemical engineer.  I now have absolutely no doubts as I begin to embark on the second part of my journey.  Chemical engineer I will be—the best one anybody will ever see.

Standing by my beliefs has been something I’ve had to maintain throughout my senior year, and I’ve learned that believing in standing out, going against the crowd, will bring success.  I believe it more strongly now than ever because I’ve observed and experienced the success that follows a stroke against the current.  I sought to go against the flow as much as possible this past year, staying in my advanced physics class when everyone else was dropping it, encouraging the exploration of extra knowledge when everyone else discouraged it, and even embracing the many traditions that enrich the Aggie experience when everyone else thought they were “stupid.”  I’ve stood by my beliefs, and success did indeed follow.  Not only have I received awards and scholarships, compliments and thanks, and awareness among my peers, but I’ve also gained more than anyone could ever gain from that plasma TV or BMW.  I’ve learned more than I could have ever imagined and prepared myself for anything that will stand in my way.  I’ve gained experience that will stay with me forever and shared memories that shine brighter than any diamond or buried treasure could ever shine.

The End of the Beginning of the Journey

Four years.  Four years of beautiful mornings, aced tests, invaluable knowledge, and enough information to create a genius.  Oh yes, four years has indeed impacted my life in a way no other four years could, and I’m proud to say that I have no regrets.  I wouldn’t change a thing.  I’ve lived my four years of high school to their fullest, and now I am ready to begin the next step of my journey.  As I conclude what may very well be my last end-of-the-year post, I hope that my story has inspired someone to take the initiative and swim against that current that carries so well the people around us.  I hope that, after reading this post, someone will take that A.P. class that he or she wasn’t going to take before.  I hope that I’ve made a difference, even if only for an instant.  Just remember—always try to gain something from your year, and that doesn’t mean buying a car.  Gain wisdom.  Gain knowledge.  Gain yourself.    

It’s here. That’s right, the summer is here. It surrounds me as you read… and as I try to swallow the fact that I will never attend high school ever again (Don’t worry, the end-of-the-year post will come soon). Well, Drew, Jeremy, and I came up with a scary truth that there aren’t many productive things to do this summer. Usually (for me at least) there are countless items that I need to get done throughout the summer, but not this time. So, what did the three of us do? We made a to-do list, of course. Keep in mind that it wasn’t a total democracy, and I definitely… definitely was not the writer.

Summer Ideas

- Jeep offroading
- Frisbee game weekly
- Stab taylor
- Swim with hot babes o ya
- Go to parties oh yes
- Find steady source of alcohols!
- get more money
- teach sam to be notgay
- Computer compatible amp
- get jobs at same place
- cut grasses by mowrs
- pump some irons
- Ignore whores
- Play video gamze
- Find project to work on
- Make a plaine
- build a gokart that’s gay cause sam idea
- learn poker
- rename sams cat from tidders
- hit 70 on warwar
- fix that damn chairs

As you can see, I wouldn’t have written eighty percent of those things to-do; however, Drew and Jeremy (well, mostly Drew) thought otherwise. Despite the lack of productivity this summer, I have no doubt that this will, indeed, be one of the best summer’s of my life. Besides, the summer in between high school and college should be like a no man’s land. No worries. No responsibilities. Just Summer.

Today, I was struck with a few realizations that made me have to stop what I was doing and just wrap my mind around. Firstly, I have two A.P. tests beginning in only two days. A mere two days and I’ll be taking a test that I have prepared for for an entire year. It almost seems like a legacy or something, but here I am about to take it. Secondly, these A.P. tests basically mark the end of the school year. Well, actually, they do!! After these tests, I will not have to attend class anymore. That’s it. Four years of high school finished. Through. Kaput! Oh… my… gosh! I absolutely cannot believe it, and it definitely has not hit me yet. I mean, being in high school is all I know (or at least it seems). Do I really want to move on? Of course, I know the simple answer to that, but pondering about the possibilities and opportunities and simply the new adventures of a post high school life provides a whole new slew of emotions. For instance, to think that I could, in a couple months, be out in the real world, living by myself, being part of the working class, is scary. Well, all I can say to myself now is that I need to enjoy these final days as a high schooler as much as I absolutely possibly can because it will basically be tomorrow when they’re over… and this time such a statement is just about literally true.

For the past two years I’ve gotten the chance to sit in and watch the Senior Project presentations at the end of the year. These projects conclude what I consider a prestigious academic program offered in the state of Louisiana, and the presentations compliment a ceremony complete with well-dressed, important school board members, doctors, professors, teachers, and of course, breakfast. During both years that I observed, I always thought to myself how neat and interesting it would be to take part in such a rare program as Senior Project. So, as I scheduled my senior classes, Senior Project was most definitely on the list.

The beginning of my senior year rolled around, and I saw to my unpleasant surprise, I was not enrolled in the class that I had wanted to take for the past two years. I soon found out that it conflicted with my English 4 A.P. class; however, I didn’t let that stand in my way. I contacted school board representatives, was in constant contact with the Senior Project teacher as well as the counselor, and did everything in my power to work around this scheduling conflict. Finally, after an email to the principal, I found the reply I was looking for. He had given the okay for my Senior Project class to be “scheduled” to the end of school day, during my off-hour. I was relieved.

So, throughout the year, I worked rigorously with my dad as my mentor on a dynamic distillation simulator and the design and construction of a model distillation tower. Sometimes spending over six hours straight trying to troubleshoot why my simulator kept changing values when it wasn’t supposed to seemed like too much, but I kept at it. After eight months, it’s safe to say that Senior Project has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself. And see, today I had the privilege of sharing my project and experiences with those doctors, those teachers and professors, and even those very important school board members from the state capitol, and I must say, my presentation was the best it could have been. I intrigued, I amazed, and most importantly, I delivered. After three years of waiting for this moment, I was finally there, fulfilling my goal that started as a sophomore in high school. So, while Senior Project may officially be over, it will live on with me, giving me an experience that I will treasure forever.

The past school week has been devoted to A.P. preparation in all three of my A.P. classes. In Calculus, we have tests every Friday no longer on new material, but rather on old material (specifically, problems from our “review sheets”) Don’t be mistaken, though, because these review sheets are model A.P. questions and our tests have been just as difficult. Mrs. Bacon just had to go be a good teacher and give us these extremely difficult review sheets… Well, in Chemistry, we’re in the middle of a hell week for chemistry A.P. students as we’re taking an A.P. modeled test on every chapter for every single day leading up to “the test.” Of course, it’s no hell week for me… (So far, I’ve made two 100s and a 97) but you get the gist. English is just English… I write essays, remember how not-so-great I am in English, and repeat the process over again the next day. Sure, I can write a mean essay compared to a student in an advanced or regular class (They may write one essay a year.), but compared to those A.P. judges’ expectations, I have a lot of room for improvement. It’s too bad I couldn’t write a little bit more creatively on a more relevant subject because then I’d crush that A.P. test, but of course, those A.P. people in Florida or where ever they are just had to go think we needed an education. Stupid educators… trying to make us smart and all…

Apart from A.P. cramming itself down our throats, I competed in the State Literary Rally yesterday in Baton Rouge at the LSU campus. The physics test was, as expected, exponentially more difficult than the District test (although some questions were exactly the same). Many of the problems I did not have time to work through; however, I did know most of the concept questions. Apparently, my knowledge of physics concept was not good enough since I did not place in the top three. It did make me feel just a little bit better when I saw that no one from Barbe placed, reminding myself that State Rally is pretty difficult, and one is not quite expected to win as was the case in District.

It’s Thursday evening, and a group of juniors and seniors are going to go out, get some coffee, discuss current events, perhaps see a movie.

…..

Yeah right! It’s called Ms. Cain’s class, and it’s called quadrilles are due tomorrow. Screw getting coffee… we’re going to get together and copy, B.S., and complete our quadrilles, which should have already been completed weeks ago. Well, that’s how we roll. Six of us got together yesterday at around 6:00 to complete our ten or so labs that we had not written down beforehand, and we only finished at around 11:00. Not that bad, don’t you think? Actually, some people didn’t even finish at that (they had to leave my house at 11:00), although I did. Perhaps it was because I would write down a couple of lines for my procedure (in other words, B.S.), while everyone else would write a few paragraphs. Oh well, I’ll still get full credit, which is kind of sad, actually… (not like the quadrilles are improving my education at all anyway). It’s quite interesting to look back and realize that most of my physics education is spent filling out the infinite amount of lab reports I am assigned or working the most simple, yet required physics problems. Say, I could be using that time to learn physics, but that would just be stupid.

Well, it’s happened. Prom has come and past, and it’s safe to say that it was a blast. I was a little skeptical before simply due to the fact that I had no idea what to expect; not to mention that I’m not a big dancer. Regardless, it was an awesome night. Our group was friendly and fun to be with, the food at Moma Rosa’s was excellent, and our waitress was hilarious (a true Italian). The dance itself was interesting. Since I was on prom court, I had to, you know, escort my partner down the middle of the floor in front of everyone, help my partner up on the stage and hope no one tripped over themselves, stand there for what seemed like hours while eager and proud mothers and fathers took pictures, and await the announcement of prom king and queen (Don’t worry, I wasn’t king.) After that, believe it or not, I danced. I really did… for pretty much the entire night. I was quite proud of myself, despite my date laughing at me a couple of times. It was a fun dance, but I found myself constantly thinking about Kayla, wishing I was with her. Fortunately, my date was kind enough to give me the last slow dance, so I found Kayla and we danced to Green Day’s, “Time of Your Life” (which so happens to be my favorite Green Day song). It was a pretty darn good feeling, I have to say.

No worries, though, because Kayla and I got together after the dance to spend time with each other, and it was as if we had gone to the dance with each other anyway. Yes, the entire experience of prom was well worth the wait, and I’m extremely glad I didn’t go last year. As I had predicted, not going as a junior only made my senior prom all the more special, creating a memory that I’m sure I will remember forever.

Since last Saturday, I’ve been trying to overcome my bad case of senioritis. So far, I’ve managed to maintain As in all classes (hopefully, I’m correct with that statement)… so perhaps I’m doing well? The Sunday after prom, Kayla and I went to Drew Park to do some homework… you know, to try to be good students (she claims she has a worse case of senioritis, but I disagree) only to be distracted by a very large group of forty-year-old men dressed in medieval clothing fighting with fake, blow-up swords and shields. It was interesting, to say the least.

My senior project is nearing the end as I am almost finished with my distillation column. My dad and I went last night to cut out the last two pieces for the column, so now all we have to do is set everything up and hope that all goes well. I even managed to borrow a hot plate from Mr. Sickmann, despite my earlier mishap in lab (what else is new) where I forgot to screw the lid on tightly on a container full of Lead Nitrate, so when Sickmann went to grab it, it fell everywhere.

Fortunately, it’s already Thursday, which means that tomorrow will be a Friday. When the end of the year approaches like this, Fridays are sweeter than ever.

I once pledged that Senioritis wouldn’t affect me like it does the other three hundred or so seniors at Barbe, but I guess not even I can escape the powerful disease. Lately, having Senioritis has caused me to neglect more calculus homework than usual. I’m not motivated to do the three hours-worth of homework anymore; rather, it has decreased to around an hour. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’m still making As on my tests as the reason no alarms are going off in my head. In fact, I’ve been doing just as well, if not better, lately, and I’m not exactly sure how that’s the case. Regardless, I’m just glad that such a contagious disease has chosen to affect me late in the year. I’m actually preparing an antidote against my slacking called AP. Since AP tests are approaching, I’m anticipating a rush of motivation on my part that should basically eradicate any Senioritis left. Remember, I’m shooting for two fives and a three, so there’s no room for anything less than everything I have.

This Spring break was not spent traveling to Michigan or Arizona to visit my grandparents; rather, it was spent at home, experiencing the things of life. I witnessed many things this past break… boy is that the truth.

I’ve never really thought twice about death. It’s always been just one of those things I haven’t put much thought into, but it seems that life won’t let you ignore it like you would want. Unfortunately, last Monday morning, we received a call saying that Sarah Spencer, my piano teacher, had died the previous night. She was very sick, and I knew it would inevitably happen, but when I finally heard the horrible news, I wasn’t ready for it. She was a wonderful person, teaching me not only how to play the piano, but encouraging me to my fullest capacity. She taught me gentleness and how to love. She and her husband were married for sixty years, and they will always be heroes to me. And as Mrs. Spencer watches over us from Above, I’ll make sure to make her proud.

The day that the terrible news spread through our home, my dad and I were schedule to take a trip to Houston to service my sister’s new car. Yes, that’s right… my sister got a new car. However, she didn’t know about it, seeing that she was away in Michigan at the time. My dad bought her a diesel, turbo-charged VW Beetle with a manual transmission, my sister’s dream car… literally. Take what you can imagine her excitement was and multiply it by about one hundred, and you have her actual excitement. In fact, we videotaped it and plan to post it on youtube! Don’t worry, I’ll share it.

I also experienced Sam Houston Park for the first time this past week, although I couldn’t believe that I had been missing out on such a peaceful place. The weather was perfect, so Kayla and I decided to take a trip there one day. Our time was spent taking walks through the woods or sitting next to the water to relax and take in the scenery. It was a great time to unplug and forget about reality, and when you’re with someone who thinks the exact same thing, what could be better? Exactly.

Finally, my last few days have been spent coughing or taking cough drops because of an illness. The doctor called it a throat infection. Okay? What kind? Whatever. It hasn’t been a pleasant time (well, mostly), but I’m almost back to normal now, so everything is a lot better.

Tomorrow begins the last piece of my high school career. It marks the turning point, the climax if you will. Things are going to zoom by for now on, and for some aspects, I really don’t want it to happen… but I’ve learned to let life do its thing. It likes to do that sometimes…

My average day is usually spent doing my hours worth of homework, trying to perfect Beethoven’s Pathetique, or doing the countless other things that I make myself do… but every once and while, such as today, I find myself with nothing to do, and it’s days like today where it’s good to just relax and take a trip back in time… to go back and relive your first day of high school or remember the feelings you had with your first girlfriend. Well, travel I did, and experiences I relived. It’s pretty amazing to see what a couple of years will do to change the way a person thinks or acts. Two years ago, I thought school was stupid and thought it was “cool” to grow my hair out. Compared to now, I would have never recognized myself because not only do I put everything I have into my studies, but I also try to stand out by going against the flow. Regardless, it was still a satisfying feeling going back and reliving the many great memories I had, like watching Rico hold up traffic on Nelson due to his extremely slow walk or remembering how frustrating it was in JAVA class to know that I was the only one who knew anything. As I continued my journey through my sophomore year, I stumbled upon a paragraph dated December 14th, 2005, and I thought I would share:

Oh, and i was thinking… i wonder what i’ll be doing with this blog a year from now. hhmmm… makes me wonder. I’m definitely not ever gonna give it up though, that’s for sure. at least, not until high school is over. then, after that, i’m not gonna delete it. It’s my virtual memory book, or journal…which ever floats your boat.

The little things like that are what make my day.

It’s March 19th, less than two months from May, and I’ve just gotten accepted into University of Texas at Austin… after months of “We are currently reviewing your application for admission.” March 19th!?! Well, I only had to wait four more months than all the other colleges I applied to. Thanks UT. Too bad I’m going to a better school. Gig’em!

It’s quite a feeling when you look back on a weekend that just flew by… especially when your best friend comes to visit. Yeah, that’s right, Kelvin finally came home, and it was a blast. The weekend was full of our usual crazy hysteria where every other moment was full of laughter, “that’s what she said” phrases, or both. There was never a dull moment.

First things were first, however. Saturday morning, I had to compete in the Physics literary rally at McNeese. So, there I went, nerd-equipped with my my RPN HP-50g calculator and my handy HP 11c (also RPN), ready to beast-mode the test. Okay, so we ended up not being able to use calculators, but regardless, I still beast-moded it (and to my surprise, too)…. soon did I find out that I had placed first over all. I was pretty excited to hear that at my first literary rally, I had done that well. I’m thinking it’s pretty cool, especially when this is my last year in high school. Not only did I have to take the rally test, but I also had to run (literally) straight from McNeese to OLQH to catch the first round of the Regional Scholastic Chess Tournament where I had miraculously convinced Ngoc and Sinh to play one last time. Well, that went pretty dang well, too, because Barbe High School finished, for the first time in four years, first place in the parish. For four years, Ngoc, Sinh, and I have been trying to capture the title, and finally, when it’s our last year to ever play in a tournament together, we did it. We finally did it. Needless to say, it was quite an emotional moment when the three of us went up to accept our team trophy. We received a very large applause, and all I could do was look at Kayla (who was awesome enough to come and support me at the tournament) and think to myself, “Is this really happening?” But, it was, and as I told Ngoc walking up to the podium, “Take this moment in, Ngoc.” And take it in, I did. Our last tournament to ever play together as a team… I’d say it couldn’t have been a more perfect tournament. Not to mention, T. S. Cooley won first place in the K-3 section, OLQH won second in the 4-5 section and first in the 6-8 section. Boy, was I proud of them. Yes, it was quite an emotional tournament for me. My last year as those kids’ coach and my last year to play with Ngoc and Sinh in our traditional regional tournament can make an emotional experience, especially when all I see around me is success.

From the tournament, it was time to start the second half of my awesome weekend, beginning with the introduction of Kayla and Kelvin. The three of us went to Johnny Carino’s and had a pretty fun time (To spend time with your best friend and girlfriend at the same time doesn’t happen every day.). Again, there was never a dull moment.

The rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out with Kelvin, Jeremy, and Dreweus, and I must say… I was glad we were all together. It’s been a while since the four of us have reunited as best friends, and it felt awesome! The entire weekend has been awesome, as a matter of fact. From winning the parish tournament to spending some much needed time with my best friends, I’d say that this weekend couldn’t have been any better. It was, well, perfect.

The following is my letter to the judges who will be judging my presentation. It’s supposed to serve as a first impression. I thought it was worth sharing.

Dear Panel Members:

So lately I’ve been thinking a lot more about how my life has been this year. Taking time to reflect during these past couple of days, I’d say that my life is exactly where I want it to be right now… with some additions. My senior project (I know, you’re tired of hearing about it) is just about complete as my simulation is 99% finished and my column just needs to be assembled. I’ve learned more than I ever could have imagined and realized that I am over 100% sure of my desire to be a chemical engineer. Such a fulfilling feeling deserves to be mentioned constantly, especially when it’s a first. Despite my lack of free-time this year, I’ve still managed to maintain my chess status and even improve… as I’ve moved up about 20 places in the national rankings this year. I’ve still maintained my chess coaching jobs, never missing an opportunity to help my students excel. It always makes me laugh when my first-graders look up at me every time they move as if to ask “Is this right?” “Don’t look at me… it’s your move!” is always my reply. In my third year as a chess coach, I’d say that it has provided some of the richest experiences imaginable. Yes, my life is swell, right now. I’ve become a future Aggie and a future chemical engineer, programmed a fully functional distillation simulator, designed a distillation column, been ranked in the top 100 chess players nationally, seen my little sister play in her first chess tournament, learned Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu, and just recently met a girl who is absolutely amazing. Life is….definitely…. swell!

A lot can happen in a week. Boy, is that true. So here I am, and I know I owe everyone a post… seeing how it’s been over a week since my last one. Unfortunately, I am in an extreme state of laziness… and with no one to hang out with at the moment… the situation just makes me want to sit and, well, do nothing. And that even includes blogging. I know, I’m sorry. I will stress, however, that as I’ve already said, a lot can happen in one week. A lot of good.

As I sat down to check my blog for any comments (they rarely happen, I don’t know why I even check), I had a thought about the numerous people that I’ve… I guess “inspired”… to start a blog, and… you know… am I the only person who has continued? Besides my English teacher last year, I think that I am the only person that has stuck with it, and it sure makes me wonder. I mean, right off the top of my head, I can name six people who I’ve influenced to enter the revealing world of blogging, and all six of those people stopped within six months. I was once inspired to start a blog (thanks to my best friend who is unfortunately living in Alaska), ever since Chris showed me his in eighth grade. By that summer, I was posting countless times a week. (Chris also has stopped blogging, although he lasted a couple of years) Ever since then, I’ve loved it and couldn’t imagine my life without it. After all, it’s been almost four years since I’ve started it, and with it I’ve been able to not only track my writing maturity, but my over all maturity as well. Just take a look at my end-of-the-year posts, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It does make me wonder about myself, though. Am I the type of person that has to hold onto something to feel complete? Perhaps, since the same situation occurred among my chess friends. I started in fifth grade with four or five other friends playing competitive chess. Even though we were all equally successful, I was the only one who stuck with it through middle school and high school (and now I’m ranked #54 in the nation). Maybe it’s even the reason I’ve stayed in Ms. Cain’s class this year (despite the countless number of complaints among my peers and me). Sticking with it is the way I am, I guess. Well, whatever it is, though, I’m hoping that this trait of mine… consistency, attachment, or just plain stubbornness… will continue to bring success as it has with my blog and chess. Who knows, maybe staying in Cain’s class might have some benefits after all.

Who would ever think that calculating the volume of an object would be so difficult, but here I am struggling to understand how to do it. I’m not talking about finding the volume of a cube; that would be insulting. Try the volume of some weird object that has no regular pattern except for a function like y equals x cubed. I find myself stumped as I try to work through the hardest lesson in Calculus A.P. Thanks Ms. Bacon. Thanks a lot. Well, I can’t say that I didn’t see this coming, though, especially when Allen in chemistry tells me, “Dude, we get to calculate the volume of a donut!” as I asked him what the scoop was in Calculus that day. I must admit, however, that it was pretty neat to prove the volume formula of a sphere, and I did it by myself! How’s that for an accomplishment??

In other news, I now have a prom date, which is a relief, especially since it’s with someone who I actually want to go with. When I heard that I was on prom court, I was afraid that I’d have to find someone or else… such as backing off of the court. That would have been bad. But nope, things have worked out.

This past weekend I competed in what’s probably my last LA Pro-Am for quite a while, and it’s safe to say that I did very well. I again travelled with my two Gayle students, providing a weekend with never a dull moment. Whether it was our arguments over rock being superior to country or whether making good grades was more important than football, we had fun, even despite my countless “SHUT UP”s while we watched this movie about poker that ended up being more lame than you can imagine.

The tournament itself was “GREAT SUCCESS” among all three of us (although Aaron suffered the worst case of blundering imaginable… more on that later). I began the tournament with a great start, beating a strong class B player and drawing an expert. In my third round, I finally didn’t lose to the same person who I’d lost to the past three games in a row. When the day was over, I concluded that it was successful… 1 win and two draws… not bad. On the second day, my success dissipated as I started the morning round with a small blunder; unfortunately, my opponent was the number one seed, so he capitalized successfully. No worries, however, because I bounced back in my last round, beating a higher-rated player convincingly, one who I’ll be facing in March at State. In the end, I finished with 3 points out of a possible 5, securing me 2nd place in the overall section and a money prize of $75 dollars.

Alex was the highlight of my trip as he swept his section with an undefeated score, winning first place and a prize of $115. Not bad for a 12-year-old who’s sitting there playing experienced men who would have laughed before they knew how good of a chess player Alex is. In fact, Alex is so good that he beat his older brother in the last round in only 12 minutes!! That’s unheard of in such a competitive chess tournament as such. However, Alex’s skills were not all that dictated the result of the game for Aaron blundered terribly, allowing Alex to checkmate in one move. The entire tournament hall got to hear a very surprised boy yell out “You’ve got to be kidding me!” as he saw Alex’s queen take a pawn right in front of his king. Of course, we all heard Alex laughing, too. Needless to say, Aaron still walked out with some money, winning second place in his section.

And so I’m back from yet another successful and quite humorous weekend chess tournament with the Gayle brothers, and I must say, it’s a new adventure every time.

I’ve been really anxious lately to receive some sort of scholarship from Texas A&M so I could finally secure my spot and be able to tell people that I am for sure going to Texas A&M (I’ve been getting sick of telling people that I’m still deciding). Well, I came home today and, remembering from a random four or five months ago that it existed, decided to check my Financial Aid Status on A&M’s website. I didn’t expect there to be anything, especially since they’ve said that scholarships aren’t awarded until March. But, I logged on anyway, and what do you know, there it was… the Lechner Fellowship Scholarship… $2,500 per year. Oh, and add about $8,500 per year to that because that scholarship allows me to pay in-state tuition (That’s $44,000!). Whoop! So, now when people ask me what college I’m going to, I can proudly respond with 100% assurance. Texas A&M, here I come!

Unbelievably, I have been elected to prom court. I know, it’s hilarious, right? Well, I never thought I’d be on it, but here I am. Barbe voted today to choose Prom King and Queen. Who knows, maybe I’ll be surprised even more…

On an even more hilarious note, I’ve uploaded Hamlet Meets Othello, available in the Video Archive. However, to make sure you don’t put too much effort in the dilemma, I’ve embedded the video right here for your very convenience. Enjoy!

So good ol’ Chris from Alaska and I had an idea of taking a road trip this summer, sort of as a senior trip. After getting permission from my parents, hearing that Chris has the okay too, and finding out that Jeremy and Drew can probably go too (we’re still working on Kelvin), the growing reality that my best friends and I will be taking a road trip for a couple of weeks makes me wish more than anything that it was time to leave tomorrow. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to take a road trip by myself. I’d always think of how awesome it’d be when I would see movies of such and hear about friends doing it. Well, it’s my turn now. I have a feeling that it’ll end up being the best time of my life.

On a different note, Jeremy, Drew, Kim, and Elise made a Shakespeare parody dubbed “Hamlet meets Othello,” and it’s hilarious. I’ll definitely be posting it in the Video Archive.