9:53 p.m. - 2002-06-17
My plans for my diary during the summer, and an update for 5/18-5/24
Alright. Here's the deal.
As most of you know, I'm going to be away for pretty much the entire summer. From June 28th to July 11th I'll be in France (Paris and Normandy); from July 14th to August 2nd I'll be in CTY (an ethics class at a campus in upstate NY); from August 11th to around two weeks afterward, in Nantucket.
I don't really want to leave my diary unlocked. There are always cookies and things on our computer that people can find -- plus, we're going to be doing some major work on the computers this summer, possibly replacing one of them.
I'm going to lock it. I'll unlock it as soon as I get home. I don't know if I'll be able to update that much. I'll make sure to put in a note in my few days at home in between France and CTY, and CTY and Nantucket. I may or may not have computer access at CTY.
I've added a notify list. It's right before my long links to diaryrings. Could someone sign up? Even if it's just one persun, I want to learn how to work it.
Leave me a note in my guestbook or something if you'll want a password for dernhelm (I'll make sure it also works on my old diary, jessica5787, where there are still 70 entries up). I'll email you a username and password, and if you're on the notify list, well, you can go check when I update. I think I'll create one account for all the LOTR sisters. You can share it with any new ones. Wow, how many new sisters will there be by the end of August? I can't wait to "meet" them all.
I'm really sad I won't be able to keep up with all of your diaries this summer. You are ALL amazing and interesting people and I'll miss hearing what's going on in your lives.
This isn't really goodbye! But I felt the need to update so someone would sign onto the notify list. I'm thinking tomorrow maybe I can spend some time writing a real update (I'm still on 5/18, people). I also need to update my favorite people's list with some more awesome LOTR sisters. I love you guys. And sorry if the quotes I have aren't representative of you; I'll be changing them.
I found an update of a few days that I wrote a while ago, so I'm going to post that too. You don't need to read, but I really can't stand not writing about such an important period of time -- my sister's Bat MITZVAH!
5/18: As mentioned in the last real entry, the windows got washed. Didn't do much work because there was no privacy. I did some math though. Kelsey went to Talia's Bat Mitzvah. Talia is this (obnoxious) girl that Kelsey went to Hebrew School with, in 3rd grade I was friends with her sister Hannah, then when I went to 5th grade the next year and taught myself how to read and write Hebrew over the summer, I realized that Hannah was immature and obnoxious. Talia's just as bad. I don't understand why they're friends. Kelsey had fun, though, so that was good. I went by with Mom to pick her up so I could drop off some brownies for the youth group sale, but everything was locked, so I just decided to screw it. In the evening we did a very informal run-through of Kelsey's service. It was pretty funny, we were all hysterically laughing while doing our Aliyot... good times. In the evening Lauren wanted to paint her nails so while they dried we went down and finished "Shakespeare in Love" which we had started weeks ago. That movie always makes me cry.
5/19: The beach cleanup was cancelled, and I didn't go to the temple car wash/bake sale/elections, so I went to Alexa's dance performances. Jazz and tap. In general it's a very showy school, very wiggly-hippy, and the kids are really not that good, but Lex was great! She has improved SO much, she even smiles while she's dancing. We went home in between performances and I started on my global homework. After the performances we took her out for ice cream and then went home and polished the silver. And I mean ALL the silver -- everyone's necklaces, all the kiddush cups, the teapots, the spoons -- insane. I hate the smell. Then I kind of ran out of time to do homework since I hadn't done anything on Saturday and forgot about the practice chem test, so I ended up going to bed really late, because I had to study for French too... oh well. I ended up finishing global but not quite finishing math. Oh well.
5/20: Got 100 on the French test, wohoo. Classes with Maggie. She gave us a week's worth of homework to do in two weeks' because of the Bat Mitzvah and the SAT/SAT II. She's the BEST. Dan started work in Dad's office downstairs. He comes up and eats lunch with us, he's fun, I guess we're just really comfortable with him because we've known him and his family so long. I spent the rest of the afternoon studying for my French test on "Rhinoceros." I reread the whole first act and part of the second, all our packets, studied the vocab...
5/21: ...and the test was SO hard. I got a ton wrong, but somehow wound up with a 90, so I'm definitely not complaining as to how I got that grade. Heh heh. At 3:30 I had the awards ceremony for the National French Contest. Unsurprisingly, since Dad was driving, we were late. I was, again, one damn question away from placing nationally (I was 8th regionally, and all the 7th-placers were 11th nationally; they stop counting after 11th place). I still don't see HOW I didn't place nationally, since it's a multiple choice test, and I got 69/80, which seems a lot like 11 to me... oh well. Next year! My prize was a little magnet thingie that says "Comment vous-sentez-vous aujourd'hui?" and you move the magnet to whatever emotion. Pretty stupid. last year I got a badge that said France. Their prizes are pretty pathetic! First place you get a dictionary, and all the level 5 first placers get a trip to France... ahhhh. now THAT would be nice. or at least just the money. This years' first-placers in Level 5 got $250 for a trip to France. sweet! After the ceremony I went home and studied for a test on organic chemistry.
5/22: Happy birthday to Rob from CTY 2000, who turned 16. I haven't talked to him in a long time but he was a good friend at camp and dated my best friend, so I sent him an ecard anyway. We'll see if he writes back. Also happy birthday to Natalie from school, who I haven't spoken to at all this year, and to Mike, who's in my chem class.
Did I write about the digital media project yet? I can't remember. It's a self-portrait, and we have a list of things we have to include, like opacity and transformations and filters and strokes. And once you're done you have to assemble it all in a sculpture using posterboard, with some layers raised above others. It's HARD. I finished the "Wicked" book cover, which I thought turned out pretty well.
After digital media, I did something really stupid. I thought I had volunteer service, but Mrs. B wasn't there, so I spent the period studying, then went to French. It turned out I had had FRENCH that period! ARGH! I was so mad at myself! And we had gone over the Rhinoceros test and started demonstrative pronouns, so I had to do it all myself. Grrr. Plus then I had a period with nothing to do, so I did the French. Pain in the butt. Didn't do anything in journalism again, she forgot to rent "All The President's Men." The chem test was easy, I got 100, oh yeah. I still don't really like organic chem though, but I don't mind 100's :)
I went to see Dr. Joan later with Mom and Lauren because my ears had been hurting. I've had serious ear issues for years. One of my earliest summers at this camp, I got swimmer's ear, and my ears have never really recovered. They get ear infections and earaches way too much. It sucks! Anyway, she said it was just wax buildup, and that I should put hydrogen peroxide in them. Uhhhh... yeah, maybe I'll do that, but I kind of forgot about it until now. :) While we waited for Mom I did my global reading.
5/23: Happy birthday to Sonia from Pathways. My first summer away from home at Amherst! Mom, Lauren, Kelsey, Alexa, and I all went together to get our nails done nearby, just pink, but they looked purty. Ran across to the street and got Starbucks, I tried to get Missy mechanical pencils for her birthday at Big Top but they only had stupid ones. Then we all went into the city to do the shopping. In French there's a word for it -- "faire les courses" -- but in English you just say "food-shopping," I guess! Zabar's, Fairway, Citarella, H&H, the whole run. Lunch at Fairway cafe. The best part for me, though, was when I was allowed to run into Barnes & Noble's for five minutes, and I got the Gandalf and Strider bookmarks with the rings on them! YAY!
Bunny arrived that night, one of Mom's cousins. She's perfectly nice, she was there for Gramie and Grumps' fiftieth anniversary party last year, but not *that* interesting. David came home too.
5/24: Donna, the photographer for the Bat Mitzvah, was scheduled to come at 10ish, so we had to get up and get dressed and do our hair and EVERYTHING... Mom didn't want to hold people up the day of the event, so we had to do everything twice! She was perfectly nice, and actually (speaking from June, when we've already seen the proofs) she got some really good pictures of me. I don't love the group shots, but I was happy because in general, I am really not photogenic, and I had a Huge Monster Zit on the tip of my nose that didn't show up. Wooot.
Peter and Kay came shortly after Donna left, our cousins from England. They're lots of fun for a few days, but since Kay expects to constantly be entertained, it really should only be a few days! Kristen and Steve came that night too, from Utah, and I have explained the relationship with them and their sons SO many times I'm not going through it again.
That's five houseguests so far: Bunny, Peter, Kay, Kristen, Steve. Bunny slept in Lauren's room, and Lauren moved in with me. Peter and Kay took the guest room, and Kristen and Steve took the other guest room (which used to be Alexis' room).
Alright. That's enough. I updated for six days. But 5/25, the day of Kelsey's Bat Mitzvah, needs a LOT of writing, and it's already nearly 10:00. I want to get into bed and read a little bit. I'm pretty tired. My chem final was this morning, and I spent the whole day cleaning up my room and trying on clothes for France, after the last classes with Maggie.
Next couple days I'll be finishing cleaning, organizing for France and CTY, trying to film that Mother's Day/birthday video for Mom, and studying for the chemistry Regents on Friday.
Then Friday night is Lauren's Sweet Sixteen; Saturday we're going to Playland, and in the evening a goodbye party for Katie at Julie's house; Sunday is Mom's birthday; Monday we're going out for lunch with Maggie and it's Lauren's graduation; Wednesday Mom, Kelsey, and Alexa leave for Utah early early, so I have to be TOTALLY ready by Tuesday; Friday, I leave for France.
I will, however, make sure I find some time to update tomorrow. I can't promise about this weekend, but I'll definitely update at least once before I go. Alright?
So, yeah, sign up for the notify list! Thanks, people! I love you guys!
