11:02 a.m. - 2002-05-11
My birthday week :)
Continuing from where I left off in my last real entry...
The guests on Sunday were the Levy's. Marcia was our teacher in the 4-5 group way back in nursery school, and she came over with her husband Jonathan and their obnoxious, tiny, perverted son Daniel. Mom brought out brownies, which were yummy, but I ended up just going inside because I couldn't stand it, I felt so shitty. Lauren spent most of the day at a calculus review session at the teacher's house. I did get SOME work done, but not all. I did the math, though not well; wrote that damn journalism article on the Day of Silence; found pictures from the Wizard of Oz for my digital media project; studied for my French test; and did the "Some Basic Stuff" in the Princeton Review chem SAT II book. I worked out a schedule where I do one chapter a day; if I stick to it (I'm behind, of course), I'll be done by Wednesday, and I have eleven practice tests I can do. More on that later.
Monday, Lauren had an AP, English, I think. I didn't want to go to school, but I also didn't want to miss my French test. So I go to school, and do nothing in digital media because the Internet is down and I can't get my images. Next period I have French, and when I find out it's cancelled, I call home and Dad picks me up. I stayed home through French, volunteer service, and journalism (I was sick, remember?) and came back for chemistry. While I was home, I did the typing for Joan (an hour and a half's worth), and emailed it to her. I hadn't had time to do it the day before, which I felt badly about. Went back to school, put the journalism article in Ms. M's mailbox and went in and apologized to her and also to Mrs. B., who I do volunteer service for. Missy was sick too, but we both only came in for chem. :( We started a new unit, organic chemistry. Me don't like it that much. I think I liked equilibrium best, actually, because I really understood it. Then again, I did best on the acids and bases test. Go figure.
I had classes with Maggie, but she was pretty nice since I was sick and since the next day was my birthday. Got my period, which sucked. I did the practice test on electrochemistry, which I was supposed to finish over the weekend, and read five pages in "Rhinoceros" for French. I slept four hours that night, which SUCKED, I couldn't breathe and my head hurt and I couldn't get comfortable. Before that I had gotten six hours of sleep all weekend and I was dying. Eugh. I was so tired.
And now for.. my birthday! YAY! I'd kind of been up the whole night... fell asleep at midnight, woke up at two, read for half an hour, tried to go back to sleep, managed, woke up at five-something... eh. Dad had put streamers on my door, which were fun, they hang down and when you walk through them they billow out behind you. He also tied three balloons to the railing of my loft stairs: a purple butterfly, a smiley face on a flower and another one with lots of flowers. Mom put pretty flowers in my room and Alexa got up early and picked some pansies to put in a vase for me, and she added some mint... it was SO sweet, she actually got up early to do it, and pansies are my favorite flowers. So cute!
Mom got chocolate croissants for breakfast and she also covered some bananas in Hershey's sauce. I miss the place that used to make the chocolate coffeecake, though :(. Since Lauren had to leave for an AP, this one was calculus, I think, I opened some presents at breakfast. Mom and Dad gave me a cute reversible bag -- one side is black denim, the other side is red paisley. The funny thing is that I got it for Pilar and also for Emma! haha. It is really cute though. They also gave me a pair of lovely Tiffany's pearl earrings... they're beautiful. It was funny because Kelsey and I had been having a discussion the other day about how I only had gold and silver earrings for nice earrings, and Kelsey and Lauren both had pearl, and Alexa didn't count because she had just had hers pierced! I also opened a present from Kelsey and Alexa. They gave me the Alan Lee illustrated edition of The Hobbit! YAY! I was so happy, it's so beautiful. They also gave me the Frodo bookmark with the Ring, which made me very happy, but to tell the truth, I kind of wish they had gotten me the others and let me pay them back... Arwen, Gandalf, Strider... I really want them and I want a complete collection and I would have DEFINITELY been willing to pay for them. Oh well, it was still incredibly nice and sweet and made me very happy.
Went off to school, had the French quiz (98, it must have been because it was my birthday!). Missy gave me a really pretty journal she got in Italy, it has flowers on the cover. Jackie and Lauren made cards while I was sitting right there, which was funny. Na Lee gave me smiley face socks, smiley face hairclips, and smiley face hair sticks. So now I think we need to have a Smiley Face Day and we can all wear our smiley face stuff, because I might not wear the hair stuff otherwise!
Mr. C wasn't there, and we had a double lab period, so I spent one period talking to Missy, and then debated staying for lunch since a lot of people have lunch 5th period, but decided I just needed to get home and walked home. Probably a bad decision, because Mom was trying really hard to pick me up, and I don't think walking back was such a great idea when I had a fever. Oh well. I got a bit of work done, I created that country for Carley (called Upotia, it's a small island off Greece where Druids live), worked on the LOTR website list for Judy, and worked on the F-H News. Then we had classes with Carley, I was the only one who had done the homework, haha. She gave me a cute shirt from the Gap (but it's too small, I have to see if they have a bigger size) and a bag also from the Gap. After classes I went upstairs and lay (lied? I'm too lazy to look it up) down for a while on my bed, but then I had to get up because people were coming for dinner.
I ended up inviting Katie. I didn't really want to, but it turned out she felt bad that she hadn't been invited to Kelsey's (TINY) Bat Mitzvah and her younger sister Emily had. Now, first off, Lauren told me this, which I think is fairly screwed up; why is it Lauren's business, and why didn't Katie tell me to my face? The thing is, if we're not inviting some family, if we're not inviting some really close friends... this is really so, so small. We convinced Kelsey to invite some friends, so she chose three, one from Hebrew School (Talia, who I hate), one from school (that's Emily), and one from music (Lia). I suggested inviting Katie, since Emily would be there, but the thing is, Sarah is going to be there, and I need to make sure she's comfortable, along with her younger brother David, and I need to go around and socialize with pretty much everyone, so that wouldn't really work. So yeah, long story short, I invited Katie, Mom thought she would feel better, I didn't want to invite a whole group of people, and I thought Katie's probably the easiest persun for Allison to deal with. We had fifteen people there... which might sound big, but it's not, considering that if you just look at OUR family (minus David, but with Alexis), that's already seven! Gramie and Grumps came, Aunt Dale, Uncle Jon, and Allison (Scott had to work after school on a play), Carley, Katie, Dr. Joan. I invited Maggie and Ken but they were in California for Maria's college graduation (!). Uncle Jon spent the whole time before dinner installing Photoshop Elements, which was their present to me. Real Photoshop 6.0 costs $610; even an upgrade is $150, so I guess this was the easiest thing to do, but it really doesn't have everything I need for my projects, like the things you can do to play with text. Kelsey and Alexa are flipping out over it -- Alexa made a huge collage of LOTR pictures -- but I know what's missing and what's different and I think I really need to get a pirated copy of the program. This is fun to play with, but it doesn't have everything. Damnit. Oh well, it was still really nice of them. Gramie and Grumps had paid for the ski jacket I got last time I was in Utah, so they just brought flowers. Dr. Joan gave me a stuffed animal angel bear that says "Jessica" and a pretty white gold bracelet that she got in Rome. It's too big, but it's pretty, it has spirals, kind of different. I like it, she usually picks out really bizarre stuff, so I was happy. Alexis got me the Pink "Missundaztood" cd. Katie got me a stuffed animal, a monkey. It's very cute. Lorena, our housekeeper, also got me a card with monkeys on it, and some candies, and it was so sweet, she is so nice and she did NOT have to do that!
Mom made an incredible dinner. Appetizers: baguette with melted mozzarella and pesto, my favorite. Unfortunately, I only had time for three (I usually have WAY more than that, because they're little), because I had to stay with Katie! Grrr. More on that later. For dinner, filet mignon, mashed potatoes, salad with Hummock's Pond dressing (the best kind), asparagus, and a pasta-and-vegetable salad for the non-meat-eaters. (Katie didn't eat it, but Allison did, and the more adventurous of the adults.) Then for dessert, her famous frozen fudge cake with whipped cream, which is absolutely to die for. It is unbelievable and incredible. I love it so amazingly much. WOW.
Oh, and as for Katie... I really wound up regretting inviting her... I do think it was the right thing to do... but I didn't get to spend time with anyone else, didn't get to talk to Carley or anyone, and she's really not that interesting... Grrr.
Last Friday, when we went to the nursery and got the flowers, Alexa pointed out that I must feel badly because my birthday was kind of being overshadowed by everything else. I hadn't really thought about it, but it's true. Lauren had AP's, Kelsey had her Bat Mitzvah (two packages arrived for her on my BIRTHDAY, okay?). Even my special birthday present -- going to see Rent tomorrow -- is on Mother's Day.
As for the Bat Mitzvah -- I really am NOT jealous. I had a very different Bat Mitzvah in Israel, and it was amazing and wonderful and I wouldn't exchange that experience for anything, but I'm the kind of persun who LIKES the attention Kelsey despises. I love picking out the invitations, deciding on flowers, opening presents, I don't even mind writing thank-you notes that much. Kelsey hates it. Two weeks from today is her Bat Mitzvah, and she still has as negative of an attitude about it as she ever has. Carley asked her how her speech was going, and Kelsey replied, "What speech? I'm not writing my speech." Which is actually pretty much true. I wrote my whole speech, then Mom and Dad and I edited it, with comments from a whole bunch of other people, but I still felt like it was mine. I don't understand why she wouldn't WANT hers to feel like it was HERS. Hmmm.
Anyway, I would like to get SOME work today, so I'm going to move along. After everyone left on Tuesday night, I went upstairs and frantically studied the first part of the third act of "Rhinoceros." She told us to go up to the picture, but then she tested us on some of the pages AFTER the picture! It was so unfair! It sucked! I had no clue and I definitely didn't do well on that test, which pisses me off. But back to Tuesday night, when I went to bed, Lauren had put the sweetest card on my pillow... I'll have to type some of it up sometime... it made me cry, she wrote about how we'd gotten a lot closer this year and... I don't know, it was just so nice.
Back to Wednesday. Happy birthday to Antonietta. Happy No Socks Day. :) Lauren had her AP Spanish Language exam. We had our last classes with Judy, which made all of us very happy. We went over the F-H News, went over her revised interview, and chose which of Emily's poems to use. The rest of the editing I'll do with Carley so we don't have to pay Judy for overtime. I'm waiting for Carley's "Into the Woods" review (she's seeing it on May 15th); after "Rent" tomorrow, I may or may not review it; I'm waiting for Alexis' music reviews; and Mom said she might write her Letter from the Director after Kelsey's Bat Mitzvah. Hers are the best, they sum up the entire year and are in my opinion the best writing in the whole newsletter. :) And speaking of Carley, remember I said that her friend was understudying Max Bialystock in "The Producers"? Well, guess what? Now he's got a full-time part, he's Franz Liebkind (however you spell it)!!!!! Isn't that so exciting? She's going to go see him and we told her she has to get everyone's autographs for us. :) She just knows too many cool people.
After classes with Judy I went back to school for chemistry extra-help, and then I was going to go to REEF but they ended too early. Apparently Mrs. E quit as the advisor, so they were meeting in the library, but fifteen minutes after school ended, I saw Justine walking down the hall... so I guess THAT didn't happen. Hmph.
My fanfiction account was unsuspended at 5:39, so I went and uploaded a poem and the next chapter on my LOTR fanfic.
I had a sandwich brigade at temple which I didn't go to, big surprise, but I did have a reason: we had guests! I KNOW I've mentioned Dan; he's the sophomore at Yale, he's interning with Dad this summer, used to be David's best friend in middle school, his dad is the one I might intern with at the publishing company my senior year, he had his Bar Mitzvah in Israel too, he's going with Lauren to prom as a friend... ring any bells? :) Anyway, he came over with his girlfriend, Samarra, I have NO clue how to spell that so I'll just say Sam. Sam was much more interesting than Cassandra. She actually talked! She's doing women's studies, which was pretty cool. She's interesting, she is interested, and she was nice. (Incidentally, though, she also had an annoying laugh. But that's not her fault.) Why does David have to date the bimbos?
Thursday. Missy gave me an AFI cd, "Black Sails in Sunset," it's awesome! I only had "The Art of Drowning" and I really wanted to hear some more of their music. Kris tried to burn me the Eminem cd, but since it doesn't even come out until June 4th it's a pretty screwy cd, a bunch of tracks have nothing on them and then some are just the background music. haha. oh well. He says he'll burn a good one when it does come out. In mentoring program people came in and talked about child abuse and domestic abuse. I miss Mr. J. Took the electrochemistry test, I know I didn't get 100, but I don't know exactly how well I did, so I'll just wait and see if I want to count it. Came home and had Hebrew class. We looked a little bit more at the imperative tense, then read over the Torah blessings for my Aliyah, and read the "Atah Gibor" which I'm going to do for Kelsey's service. I did it for my Bat Mitzvah, I think, but I'm very shaky on it and I need to practice. Joanne gave me a cute little pad of flowered paper and a matching pen. Then Mom and I ran out for an eye appointment which she had forgotten about, we were late. My eyesight hasn't changed in two years, oh yeah! If it doesn't change until I'm 21, I could consider laser surgery. I know David really wants to do that, but they're very strict about their rules (21 and no change for several years). We picked up the disposable contacts that we got last time. Came home and worked on chemistry, he gave us forty-six terms to define, due Monday, but we could get extra credit if we handed it in early. Classes with Carley, Alexa worked on her country, Kelsey read, and I worked on the chemistry. Great class. I feel bad for Carley. Most of our assignments require a computer, and there are two people and three computers, so there's always an odd one out. When it's me I always sit and talk to Carley, do other stuff with her, but when it's Kels or Lex they go upstairs and read, and she has nothing to do.
At seven o'clock I went downstairs and worked out and watched an old Friends, part of a deal with Mom so that I didn't have to work out for the new one. Lauren came down and watched the new one with me at eight, but then there was another one after it which I hadn't seen, so I watched that too. :) Haha. I wrote two thank-you notes during commercials, Carley (shirt & bag) and Alyce and Bruce (amazon.com certificate). I had already done Gramie and Grumps (ski jacket). Yesterday I wrote to Dr. Joan (bracelet & bear), Joanne (pad and pen), and Jill and Doug (Hebrew/Yiddish/English cd and adventure book). Today I'm going to email Alexis (Pink cd) and I think I'll do one to Aunt Dale, Uncle Jon, Allison and Scott on Photoshop Elements, and then print it out Monday at school.
Yesterday, not only was Mrs. H. not there, but all the kids in the class but me were taking the AP American History exam, so I slept late, and also slept through volunteer service. It was great! It was the due date for Lauren's stuff for AP Art. In digital media I worked on my book cover for "Wicked." Actually, it's turning out okay. I really like the cover, but the back isn't great, and I have issues with the spine. But the cover is good! :) Besides, it isn't due until Memorial Day weekend, so I have plenty of time to make it good. Lots of kids weren't in chem either, because of AP American and also AP European History, but we worked anyway. He told us a funny story about the time he killed a squirrel by holding ether over its mouth too long. Awww! He also killed a groundhog by biking over it. Dad killed a groundhog too once. With a shovel. Because it was eating our garden. =)
I did my global reading and questions, then I had an appointment with Marsha at three, Kelsey and Alexa had music. We stopped at Borders really quickly on the way back, Kelsey desperately wanted some book that they didn't have. I got another chem SAT II review book, "Best Test Prep," it's the worst in the entire fucking world (trust me, I used it for chem last year). But it has six practice tests (though no scoring thing, so you don't know what you got), and practice tests are good. I have those six, two in the Princeton Review, two that Mr. C gave me, and then one in the official book of Real SAT II's that Lauren gave me.
Still on Friday, I didn't do the global essay questions. They're on changes in France during the 19th century. Wohoo. Friday night Mom and Dad went to see a play at Fieldston, where we used to go, because it had Teddy in it (Dan's younger brother).
Lauren rented a movie for us to watch, "O." Ohhhhhh... it was SO scary and freaky and disturbing. I don't do well with scary movies, and... well, "Othello" is a tragedy (now I need to read it, damnit), and at the end, everyone kills each other. We were flipping out. We finished watching at 11:15 and we were going to have nightmares, besides I didn't want to go into my room because there were spiders in there, so we watched part of "Cinderella," the version with Brandy and Whoopi Goldberg and Whitney Houston. :) Lauren had taped it, so there were commercials, and we kept saying "Ok, next commercial break we'll go to bed"... we ended up watching three, and stopped at midnight. Fortunately, Mom and Dad had just gotten home (they went out for dinner with Laura and Lorenzo afterward), and Dad got rid of the spiders for me. :)
Today... woke up at eight, because Kelsey and Alexa were being loud... must go get dressed and have breakfast, it's already eleven. Haha. Math homework, global essay questions, five SAT II chem chapters, revisions on my journalism article, ten sentences in Hebrew, and Language Arts stuff... plus stuff for the Bat Mitzvah... we need to do a run-through with dresses and see if we need tights, and decide what we're doing with hair... tomorrow we're going out for dinner with Uncle Dirk at this great Mexican place in the city, and then going to see "Rent," which I'm very excited about.
Mom is calling, so I have to go. At least I'm caught up, right? :)
