So I'm sitting here with a poop load of homework but I think that's the best time to do everything else that you need to get done, or don't need to.  I wen't sledding Sunday night with Evan and Bekkah near Ev's house on his big toboggan.  It was so much fun, and it really accelerated pretty fast with all three of us on it.  We hiked up to a cornfield in the dark and there were even more hills, big ones.  But the view from the top was breathtaking.  It wasn't a clear night, which I noted in observing the "snow moon", or hazy moon.  We took a couple of rides down the gargantuan hill in the moonlight, it must've talken us 1,000 feet or more before we had to walk back.  Then we took a break and just stared up at the sky.  Huge flakes began falling upon us silently from the sky.  It was a beautiful scene, us sprawled out on our backs in the snow, talking and watching the flakes glide to the ground.  It was so much fun, but it made going back to school a terrible challenge.  How can school be such a stressful thing?  It's not that hard, and it pretty much lays out your social life for you.  Yet, I'm happier on my own, however withdrawn I may be.

Snow/Sleet/Hail/Freezing Rain tomorrow afternoon till Friday!  Can you say early dissmissal and snowday?!?!???!?!??!!

Currently Listening White Lilies Island By Natalie Imbruglia see related

Well, it happened, I got tagged.  I knew this would happen someday.  I'm not going to tag anyone else, because I personally think it a kind of annoying and impersonal way to leave a comment, but I like the idea nonetheless.  My five weirdest quirks are:

1) I carry a waterbottle with me every day and every hour of school, but I don't anywhere else, usually not even for working out.

2) I wear blue practically everyday, without even intending to.

3) I don't answer the phone when other people are home. I let someone else answer so if someone is calling for me it seems like I'm hard to reach or I'm just too cool to care.

4) I consume an average of 4-5 servings of cereal every 24 hours.

5) I'm a tree hugger.  I want to work for National Geographic when I grow up and wear high socks with work boots and high kahki shorts that come up to my chest and star in nature documentaries.  

Yesterday was sooooooooooooooooooo overdue!  Snowball fights are my antidrug.  When provided with plenty of wet packing snow, and moving, living targets, there is just nothing better in my eyes.  The boys underestimated our intellect and deft manuvering in the sport of snowball fighting.  We were outnumbered about 3 to one, but we used weaker players like Amanda and Lis as decoys so as to tease the boys and lure them into a trap of snowball bombardment.  Actually, I don't think these girls realized how valuable an asset they were to the team.  And number one (Marie), what can I say?  You just can't be number one at everything.  That's impossible!  You are still immortal.  Then after a long and exhausting battle, we headed from Will's house over to Eric's and hung out.  I got shot in the foot with a BB gun.  I'm still not sure whether it was Will or Dut, but it didn't matter because I couldn't figure out how to work the damn thing and shoot them back.  We hung out at my house to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith later on that night, (Will, Mark, Eric, Nate, Lis, and Me that is).  Katie stopped by and ate and ran.  Lis slept over.  She is one incredible breed of a backgamon player.  That girl is going places, I tell you. 

Tonight I'm headed to Cass's for her super doper X-Mas PARTAY!!!  I'm not sure what to bring to the party that can truly be unique to my style yet appealing to all guests there, but I'm running out of time.  I'm gonna go play with my cat Murphy and go to bonton with my mom.  This girl has things to get done, so peace out homies.   

So breakdancing seems to be a bit too much on my already tall menu of extracirricular activities.  Maybe it's something I'll pursue more heartily this summer.  O sweet summer, I measure my life in summers. 

The sky was my nightlight last night.  The snow blanketed the ground as it reflected bright in the night sky.  If you ask me there is nothing more beautiful.

I don't really feel the urge to write a lot so if I had meaningful interaction with any of you, I'm sorry, but there will be other times. 

Instead, I'm going to share with you all one of my deepest emotional triggers, the loss of my willow tree this spring.  She didn't ask for a lot, just water and space to grow.  I loved that tree, I remember playing in my Fischer Price pool under under the filtered shade that the 35 foot willow tree provided.  I would look up through its wispy branches and with each gust of wind I let the sunshine dance across my face.  It almost made me forget how dumb it was to pretend to be having fun in a pool that was smaller than my body length and barely came halfway up to my knees.  Other times, the willow would get involved in our outdoor activities to make them more challenging. At times, as I would try to catch a football being thrown to me, the willow would intercept the ball and let it trickle down its branches, making it much harder for me to guess where to catch the ball.  I loved that tree, she was up for any game, any time.  But the best part was watching her blow in the wind at night, those draping branches with slender leaves swishing in the moonlight, as they blew making the sound of a really high quality rainstick that you might pay 60 bucks for at a wonders of nature store.  Who needs a nature store when you have the real thing in your backyard?  But, now that she's gone, I might pay 60 bucks for that rainstick.  Our time together was precious, I just didn't realize how precious it was.  When the men declared her a "hazard," I just never would have imagined anything like this ever happening.  They came in with their ladders and chainsaws and set off to work, just another day, just another tree to cut down.  But it wasn't just another tree, It was MY tree, MY childhood.  And with the continuous, screeching contact of chainsaw to willow bark, I couldn't help but begin to cry.  What made it worse?  Right afterwards we took our family vacation to Disney World (just this past winter).  How was Disney World going to bring me my tree back God, tell me.  It didn't make matters better that I got the flu and was in bed for half the trip.  Here is my poem I recited at the new willow tree planting ceremony this spring, entitled Ode to the Willow Tree:    

Ode to the Willow Tree

By Maryann Gulotta   March ‘05

Just a tree they called you                                                           

But they will never understand

You see, you were my childhood,

You were my friend

I remember blue summer skies

That your branches elegantly framed

For hours I could’ve stared

Too innocent to imagine change

You shaded me on hot days

From scorching ultra violet rays

I tried to climb your mighty trunk

You didn’t laugh at me when I stunk

Your branches so beautiful in the breeze

Emitting no pollen that made me sneeze

You liked to tickle the cool green grass

I tripped on your roots once and fell on my … face

You took in CO2 for the nation

And it really doesn’t seem fair

Becoming a victim of deforestation

You were probably made into an ugly chair

Oh, but I would buy that ugly chair

Just to be with you again

To feel your wonderful comfort

A reminder of your care

They reckoned you were a hazard

We thought about it a lot

To cut you down we would pay

Diagnosis: rot

I hugged you one last time

I cried more than when the cat died

Wondrous tree

How I loved you

But how was I to help

In a world obsessed with new

For the love of me

I do not know why they cut down my willow tree

*copies of the willow tree planting ceremony will be available for a small fee, all proceeds benefit the national arbor day foundation

Currently Listening Everything You Want By Vertical Horizon see related

So I've officially started my new hobby, breakdancing.  It takes a lot of work and dedication, not to mention incredible strength, but I am up to the challenge.  Breakdancing, also known as breaking and b-boying by its followers, is a dynamic style of dance that is part of Hip Hop culture and emerged out of the Hip-Hop movement in the South Bronx of New York City during the late 20th century. Breakdancing is one of the four original elements of Hip Hop culture (the others being Rapping, DJing, and Graffiti. This unique form of dancing is very acrobatic and creative. Breakdance has been performed in countless shows, music videos and at dance clubs.

A breakdancing battle is when dancers 'fight' against each other on the dance floor without contact. They form a circle and take turns trying to show each other up through either better style, more complex move combinations, or tougher moves.

Breakdancing requires hours of practice with technique and form, to produce a more flowing routine.  One move alone can take months to master!  For many moves, such as the Windmill, impeccable balance and momentum is required.  This can be very straining on the body, and injuries are common.  Bruised hips, broken collarbones, and sprains are injuries common to the sport of breakdancing.  The best way to aviod injury is to 1) stay fit (this includes working out the wrists and abs and arms, which are vital to breakdancing), 2)always warm and stretch up before practicing, and 3)practice on a soft surface. 

I am currently working on my 1st breakdance move, called the 2-step.  My instructions say this move, with intense practice, can be mastered in 2 weeks.  Breakdancing is harder for girls due to their heavier lower bodies and sufficient lack of upper body strength, but it is attainable for any girl who is willing to go to extra hours of work and training.  When did that ever stop us women?

Cassidy came over and helped me with my breakdance moves today while we watched the OC.  I missed Cass, and I was so glad to be able to share with her my new fettish.  She was the first that I divulged the information to.  After laughing hysterically for perhaps 1 whole minute, she agreed that maybe this was something I could hartily pursue.  If any of you don't believe me, ask her.  I'm as serious about breakdancing as Lincoln was about his funeral. 

Before I forget, I must pay creedence to the reason for my inspiration to pursue break dancing.  I was with Lis last night and we watched a video of the high school rennaisance talent show and her boyfriend did the most awesome breakdance routine ever.  As I sat there and feigned indifference toward the breakdancing routine, I felt spritley and alive and a childish energy surged through me.  "If only..." I thought.