Christmas is Coming!

Christmas Christmas has always been my favorite holiday.The atmosphere is always so happy and bright around Christmas time. Winter is the best season, to me, because most of it is full of celebration and fun. It's also the few months that we have barely any school. Winter break and then finals; how can't you love it?

The holiday season always seems to bring everyone together and make the air feel raw with excitement. I'm counting down the days til the twenty-fifth! It's always the time I take to relax and relieve myself from the stress I gain at school. You get to go shopping, decorate the tree, make-and eat-tons of cookies... Getting gifts is always nice, too. I get to go see Santa this weekend. :) It's when I feel the happiest and brightest. Everything seems homey around Christmas time. Lights are up and boots are being worn. I love the colors and the snow. I don't mind the cold if it means we'll have a white Christmas. Snow just makes the whole experience better.

My family and I are always brought closer through out this season. We laugh more, and we spend a lot of time together. It has been a hard time for my family so far this year, so I'm hoping we will be able to put the depressing things happening aside and enjoy the new year. My dad deserves the best holiday.

http://www.history.com/content/christmas

The Big Discussion

When I walked in the room there was a certain excitment in the air. Honestly, I wasn't pumped for it at all, considering I'm quiet in class, but I tried my best to focus on making opinions. I didn't get a chance to participate with my group, due to me missing the class the day before, so I was somewhat of a "bystander" and it was refreshing to hear everyone's opinons and knowledge compared to having to commit and stick with one side.

I made my own opinons, and decisions. The debate was extremely heated; fire starting from each side of the room. The back to back arguments had me on the edge of my seat and my mind was racing. It was also somewhat intimidating; and I didn't even have to state an opinon aloud. When all of our desks were in a big circle, you were deprived of freedom from the glares of angry and opinated roleplayers. I was happy to be a listener and watch the fun.

My opinion on the Rwandan Genocide is very mixed. I can't really decide "who to blame" par se, but I do have a good idea of who had the most to do with it. Belgium came to dictate the country, yet claim to know nothing about Rwanda or the people who live there. What I don't understand about that is how you could come to a completely different place with intentions of ownership in some way, and not have any knowledge of what was happening there. It's impossible to say that any place is perfect. Everywhere and everyone has their differences and opposing groups. The Hutus and Tootsies hated eachother, yet Belgium did nothing to stop them or prevent them from violence and look at the consequence.

I also put a great deal of blame on Juvenal Habyarimana, who was the cause of several other groups to kill and take part in this horrible tradgedy. For example, the Interhamwe was under control of them and they did a great deal of wrongs. Juvenal was also in charge of the MRND, which included Hutu extremists that killed no matter what. The former president is most of the blame for the brutal genocide.

It seems that the division was simply between the terms, wealthy and poor. When other countries and agencies got involved to "keep and bring peace" it, in most cases, only made matters worse or didn't affect it at all. Either way, it wasn't beneficial. France is being accused in participating in the brutal killings which, of course, they're denying--who wouldn't? The U.S. didn't even consider it a genocide at all, and half of the places involved, who may or may not have helped, are being suspected to have done things they haven't.

Over all the genocide shouldn't of happened. But it did. And it WAS a genocide. I suppose what's in the past is in the past, but it shouldn't ever been in the future again.

Halloween

One of the most unlucky things that always seems to happen to my friends and me on Halloween night is getting pranked. One year my friend's house was T.P-ed and another time we were chased down the street by some crazy nut in a Michael Myers costume with a fake knife. How mean can you be?

We went trick-or-treating with caution, always expecting the worst, but oddly nothing happened. And that fact terrified us even more. I spent the whole night on edge, scared of the dummies in the ground that really weren't gonna move and jumping at little things like smoke machines and fake screaming. My friends thought I was hysterical. Just as I was about to tell them all that it's Halloween.. you're supposed to suspect the worst, a big Jason was standing behind Mira. I studdered and ran away, my friends laughing at me as I did. Till they turned around... :)

Being Hungry In Class

I never have a chance to eat breakfast before school-what with my psycho bus driver showing up ten minutes early from what's considered showing up early-so I always know I'll be hungry during the day. First hour I'm usually fine, my stomach's usually numb and tired from when I wake up. But once second hour hits, my tum immediately starts rumbling. And of course it's not a little gurgle, it's a huge grrrrrawrrroar, and everyone around me stops writing and stares. I always try covering my traitor stomach with my arms, but it doesn't ever help. As if it would... And, as if by dumb luck, the growl ends up being a minute long. Perfect.

I just sit there, rolling my eyes until it decides to shut up, partially embarrassed. But what's the point? It happens to everyone from time to time. Just like someone letting out a fart or burp in the middle of a completely quiet hour of testing. Our bodies betray us at the worst times, don't they?

In Ten Years

Within the next ten years I hope to be the best I can be. I hope to have gone to college-preferably Ohio State, gotten good grades, and made my life the way I've always dreampt of it. I'm betting to have moved out of my parents' house long before ten years, and I will have a house or apartment of my own. I'm praying this economy will be better and I'll be able to have a job that pays decent. I'm not so sure if I'll have children yet, considering i'll only be twenty-four. But hopefully kids are in my plans someday. I would like to have traveled a lot; to have gone to other countries would be fabulous. I want my life to be lived up to the fullest and greatest. I hope in ten years I can have memories that will last me the rest of my life.

Hackers Are a Major World Problem.

Hacking; a term people don't like to hear or be involved with. Hackers can not only damage important things that belong to other people, but they can take advantage of others without them even knowing it. You could go online to buy something, put your credit card number in-as asked, and then a week later get letters and phonecalls from your bank telling you tons and tons of money has been spent and you'd have no clue what was going on. This is terrible and certainly not helping the money issues going on in the world.

Hackers are extremely smart and trained people. They know exactly what they're doing, and they try their ultimate best to hide themselves and not get caught. Sadly, they usually get away with it. The police are trying their hardest to stop hackers from taking people's things and warning them that they will be in trouble if they're caught. But then they know: Don't get caught. They do everything in their power to cover up their tracks and leave no "fingerprints" that can link them to being found.

Computers are one of the main places this problem occurs. Buying and taking part in things online puts a lot of your information in the syber world for many, many people to see and discover. When they find all they can out about you, or how they can get a hold of money or an important file (whatever they're after) they basically go into your personal computer and take out what they want. This may sound minor compared to the many other issues going on in the world, and maybe it is. But I think that something should be done to stop these people other than a law saying, "If you're caught, you'll be procecuted." The authorities should do more and as much as they possibly can to help these people.

My friend's mom used her credit card number online for something, and a few weeks later she found out that tons of her money was spent and gone; but she didn't spend any of it. The bank tried tracing the buyer back, but of course the hacker found a way to hide it. The police did nothing, and the guy who took their money is still out there. All they found out was he was from Britain and he was untouchable. People like this need to be stopped. My friend's mom was given her money back by the state, but the person who took all of it is walking around with everything he bought and all of the cash he took.

It's a shame things like this happen every day. Something should be done.

My Bus Driver's Nuts.

This morning I got on the bus, like I usually do, but it was early. Extremely early. It made me angry because my bus driver already drives too fast as it is, and we're always the first bus there anyway. Why did she have to be so early? It wasn't like we were going to be late. I followed the kids up the stairs, and took a seat towards the back. Of course, the second everyone was situated the lady zoomed us out and sped down the road.

My entire body was glued to the back of the seat and I couldn't move, she was going so fast. The next stop came up so quickly that she almost missed it. She slammed on the breaks and the other kids and I went forward and slammed back on the chair. As the other people coming from that stop got on, a car decided to drive past us eventhough the stop sign was in full view. Now, my mother and I tried doing that one time.... and there wasn't a pretty outcome. Bus drivers get MAD. As I expected, the driver laid on the horn. "Way to go, bub!" She screamed out the window. It was too early for me to laugh and I was way too annoyed.

As we approached our way to Stevenson, I noticed our bus lady was driving faster than usual. And she drove fast. It was scary. Six forty in the morning and we're dodging potholes at fifty miles an hour... wonderful. As we sped up to the main road, where we were to turn right to the school, a boy screamed, "POSSUM!" Our driver swerved left so fast kids were falling acrossed seats onto the other side of the bus. I didn't know if she was tired, or half-cracked on cold pills, but she was really getting on my nerves. People towards the front of the bus were laughing and cheering. Idiots..

"Sorry, guys." She said over the speaker. I rolled my eyes and got resituated. For once, I wanted to get to school--so I could get off the stupid bus. As if it wasn't already a terrible ride, she turned into the bus loop, hit the curb, and took the turn too fast. Once again, cheering and laughing. Personally, my head was throbbing. I lined up to get off of the bus and the bus driver smiled at me. "Have a good day!" All I said was, "Thanks for the ride."

All the Letters of Me.

A. A is for adventure because i love to travel and experiencee new things. I hope to go to all of the places on my long list within my lifetime and meet different people. I'm ready to learn and take part in different cultures and events of traditions I've never heard about.


B. B is for bees, because I hate them and have been getting stung since I turned three. At a picnic when I went to the zoo for the first time I swatted one away from my root beer and the yellow jacket stung me in between my fingers. It's not the fondest memory of my childhood.

C. C is for cookies. I've had several experiences with cookies; both good and bad. Just a few weeks ago I made cookies that weren't fully cooked by the time my friend and I took them out of the oven. I made the mistake of eating a few, and I ended up getting food Salmonella. Bad experience.. Cookies are also one of my favorite foods and every one of my friends' moms make them for me when I come over. It must be a Jill thing.


D. D is for my dad. He is one of the most heroic men that I know. Diagnosed with Esophageal cancer in July, biggest surgery of his life in September; he is still smiling and keeping his chin up. He's not only my hero, but he's the influence of bravery that I hope one day I can have. My dad is wonderful. Give him a cape, and he could be superman.



E. E is for Europe. I hope to go there one day. To see if the Eiffel Tower is really as beautiful in pictures, and if there is a hunchback of Notre Dame. I can finally go to Ireland and visit my dad's family. On the way back I can go see my unknown cousins in Poland and snap pictures of the gorgeous scenery. It will be on my tour of the world.


F. F is for Fab. Fab is my little sister, without my blood. She is the funniest, sweetest, most trusting person I will ever meet in my life, guaranteed. She sticks by my side no matter what and says the ultimate greatest things at the worst, yet best, times. She will always be family to me-whether we have the same parents or not-and I will always love her with all of my heart.


G. G is for my Grandma Barb. She is the tiniest, oddest, craziest little grandma a girl could have. She laughs at things nobody else thinks are funny until she explains them from her point of view and gives really good hugs. She is always proving her point and is convinced she will always be right, even if she's wrong. She's a clean freak, and wraps up plastic bags in knots that nobody can get out when they need to use one. I don't know why. She makes fun of people when you don't expect it, and then yells at you for letting her do it. She says she doesn't drink, but then has a glass of wine. To her the glass is half full rather than half empty. I plan to look at life the way she does.


H. H is for heaven, where my loved ones who have passed are. I hope one day that's where I end up. The plan is to die laughing. And to die with a free conscience.

I. I is for ice cream. It is my favorite midnight snack and saved my life when I was sick with strep. Chocolate's the best.

J. J is for Josie. She is the most insane, ditsy, sweet girl I've encountered since Kindergarten. We've always butted heads, but been best friends. It doesn't make sense, but it just works that way with us. We try to out-do each other and be the better one, but in all reality, we're pretty much the same. She will always be family to not only me, but my parents. (they love her more).

K. K is for Kristen, who is my best friend. She is quiet and timid, but her true goofy self comes out when it's needed the most. She calls my parents "mom" and "dad" and she's been here for me since day one. I've known her for a year, yet it feels like a million.


L. L is for life. Something I expect to live to the fullest. I don't know what's ahead, but I hope to be ready for it, and if I'm not I hope it's an adventure that I didn't see coming. I want to change, to be myself in front of people I'm not comfortable with, and to talk the way I do when I'm with my good friends. I want to stop worrying, and let life come to me the way it wants to.


M is for Mira. Who is one of my favorite people on the planet. She is funny and silly, and she makes me smile despite my moods. She is the best to bake cookies with and when All Time Low comes on, beware. She's in love with Jack Barakat which is funny,in my opinion. I love Mira to death.

N. N is for my mom, Nancy. She makes me mad and we disagree a lot. The only similarities I have with my mom are our looks. She's a worry-wort and doesn't like being in crowds. I'm her exact opposite; I'd rather be in a huge crowd than with a few people. I love being on the edge and not knowing what's going to come next. I never plan ahead, while my mother lives by planning. Though we are opposites, she's my best friend. She's always there, and I will always love her; no matter if I give her a hard time.


O. O is for opportunities that will come at me soon enough. I want to experience everything I possibly can in the longest amount of time given to me. I want to be daring and bold, and show a side of me that only those close to me know. I want to sky dive, and learn to ride a motorcycle. I want to bungee jump and sing at the top of my lungs with the invisible children. I will take all the opportunities offered to me.


P. P is for Pocahontas, a Disney movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. I don't know why I do, but I do. I get made fun of every time someone finds out, but everyone has their little tendencies.

Q. Q is for quiet. Which is definitely something I can be. When I'm around friends and people I'm comfortable with, I don't feel any need to be quiet or shy. When I'm put in a big room with people I don't know well, it takes me a while to open up.


R. R is for Rob Lowe. Who I will meet one day. I got introduced to 80's movies towards the beginning of the summer and Rob is now my favorite actor. Old as he may be, I love him. Make fun of me if you want; i think he's amazing.

S. S is for Shirley, my grandmother. She has my exact personality--or should I say I have hers? Either way, her and I can sit at the kitchen table around 8:00 and end up talking and joking until midnight. I have her eyes, her smile, her everything. I'm the spitting image of her when she was my age. She is hilarious, and she knows exactly how to look at things the right way. I hope the good attitude in her came down to me.


T. T is for time. I wish the best moments lasted the longest, and the worst were over with the second they started. It's usually the opposite, but I think if I look at things differently, time could feel that way. I hope to make the best out of my time here, and that I make those important to me proud.


U. U is for understanding. People who are kind and compassionate, and try to understand touch my heart in life. I hope to meet more people who are like this.


V. V is for vanilla. Vanilla has always confused me. It smells so good, but tastes so bad. But once it's baked into something, it tastes delicious. I don't get it. It frustrates me.


W. W is for writing. Writing is something I started doing seriously when my grandfather died three years ago. It makes me happy no matter what. I love getting into a world that I can control; that I want it to be. It's one of the only places that I feel I can be who I want, when I want.

X. X... I have no idea what to write for the letter 'x'. It must be a lonely letter; considering not many words start with x.


Y. Y is for yellow, my favorite color. It's bright and happy. I enjoy it a lot.


Z. Z is for Zombeck, my last name. It's an odd one.. And I get called Zombie a lot. I don't understand why. It's sort of annoying, but it's me.

High School Now

High school is a step that has to be taken in life, no matter how much I wish I could be a little kid with no worries again. So far it's been a new experience and an interesting start. It's a whole new 'package'. New people, new school, new classes. Everything is different than when I was five and took naps in Kindergarden. No more cookies and crayons; at least, I don't think there are. There are a lot of new pressures and concepts. I realized from day one that it's time to grow up and plan ahead for my future... how fun. The classes-more or less-are go big or don't go at all.

Elementary and Middle school was definately a lot different then Stevenson. You could simply "forget" to do your homework one night, and usually the teacher would give you another day to do it, or cut you some slack and give half credit. Now most of my teachers don't accept late work. It's straight-forward; plain and simple: Do your work. That would be easy if so much wasn't going on. After school it's just as hectic and crowded as school itself. Sometimes it's really hard to get all of the work and extra things done. Some people have sports, clubs, and extra events that keeps them from being home long enough to do their homework. Others are lazy and decide to wait until last minute to finish it, then by the time they look at the clock it's, "Whoops, too bad." That nolonger applies to my life.

People are everywhere, all the time. I feel crowded and due to my amazing short-ness, I feel like I'm gonna get stepped on-sometimes that's the case. I've had to adjust myself to the billion kids stomping around and yelling. It can be hard; feeling alone, or on the outside looking into the "way it should be". My confidence can tend to be a problem when I compare myself to others who I feel are better than me. But I'm learning to make the best of what I have. Now I come to school with a little more confidence every day. I try my best to keep moving forward, and do my ultimate best.