Today was the first day of the 2006-2007 academic school year at St. Teresa's Academy which means ya girl is finally a senior! I know there will be hard times and tough spots but I'm really looking forward to the rest of this year. Even though so much rides on the decisions I make now I'm not nervous at all... at least not right now. I'm more excited than anything else but I have until May to talk about why I'm so excited or nervous or angry or whatever. So let me refocus and reflect on this summer... and what better way to do that than a top ten list!

The Best of Summer 06:

10. Television. I've never been one to watch much t.v. but this summer since I didn't work watching t.v. became a pasttime. A lot of what I watched could be classified as wack but it still kept my attention. Point is I can understand the addiction now t.v. junkies. 

9. That one night at Passages... enough said lol.

8. Going to the drive-in .

7. What would summer be without all the hott guys? Thank you to all the hot guys that brightened up my summer(you know who you are)... and I guess you too Charles lol cause everyone talks to someone loco at some point in their lives hahaa(at least I can laugh about it now)

6. Number six is something that I would have never expected to be on this list, but it just goes to show how God works in mysterious ways. Volunteering at Glad Tidings was definitely a highlight of my summer. The kids... the beautiful, gifted, and black kids, the environment, the teachers and staff whom I admire, really eveyone and everything was just wonderful. I know no words that can describe what I'm tryna say but I thank God for the experience.  

5. Running XC... again. It feels so good to be back.

4. Running Summer Track for the Kansas City Sprinters Elite is something I will never forget as long as I live... and that's a good thing. I met so many new people who I consider good friends now, became a better athlete, not to mention running for some of the finest coaches in KC, and just in general I got more out of this program than I thought I would.

3. Making it to AAU Nationals in VA for Summer Track. Even if we didn't get to go, just making it was a feat in itself. 

2. Every moment spent with either Jasmine or Alex made this summer great. Whether we were wildin out or just chillin... matter of fact everything on this list one of them was prolly around or not to far away even if it was just their support lol. I love you ladies, eternal comrades baby!

1. What do you think number 1 is? What else! This summer was my 1st summer with a license and I loved it, loved it, loved it! Maybe I was loving it too much or not enough, depending on how you look at it, when I umm damaged the bumper on my mom's SUV and flattened the vouge TWICE(the 1st time was kinda funny tho). But hey other than that nothing beat rolling thru KC, music bumpin, shades on... ya know the rest.

Here's to the beginning of the end!

So this week marks my last week of summer...   

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard

‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

I dedicate this poem to any and everybody who has ever made me feel like shit, especially the admin. at STA. It's motivation baby.

I'm no longer running at Nationals in VA... got the news yesterday. I was looking forward to it. But oh well shit happens. I guess it's time to focus on cross country now.

Edit 7/24/06

Juke Box Love Song by Langston Hughes

I could take the Harlem night

and wrap around you,

Take the neon lights and make a crown,

Take the Lenox Avenue busses,

Taxis, subways,

And for your love song tone their rumble down.

Take Harlem's heartbeat,

Make a drumbeat,

Put it on a record, let it whirl,

And while we listen to it play,

Dance with you till day-

Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.

Hmm.....It would be nice if I had somebody in my life who inspired me to write poems like that...........

I just knew that this summer would be the summer that changed my life forever. Okay I'm probably being more than a little dramatic right now. But seriously during second semester I got so pumped for this summer. Mainly because I was sick of the routine of school but also because I was sick of myself. Not in a depressed, cry for help sort of way. I love myself! But I was just ready for a new look. Ready to be more me. You know over the year I had grown and changed and I didn't feel like my outward appearance and manner accurately reflected who I was anymore. But you see this summer was going to change all that. I was going to step my game up financially and socially. Here was my plan:

Financially, I was going to start working full time at The New Theatre Restaurant. Put a little money in the bank to practice saving right and spend the rest on clothes, jewelry, expanding my Puma sneakers collection, getting my hair done, and going out to like the movies or out to eat. I also was going to buy my car this summer. Yes, yes ya'll I had dreams of balling.

Socially, I was simply going to hang out more. Those who know me know that I'm no party animal. I would much rather chill with a small group of people at somebody's house, ride around with one person, maybe a few people and get into something, or something of the like. Nothing too big. But I decided that this summer I would go to the "big" parties AND have fun. You know all those parties you get invited to on facebook? You know all the teen clubs? I was going to go to them this summer. I really was. Meet new people, run into old friends, get closer to some people, grow distant from others, mingle... all that good stuff. Oh yeah I almost forgot my biggest social change for the summer. I was going to actually talk to guys that I liked. Can you see how this summer was going to be the summer that changed my life forever?

However this thing called reality happened and I begin to notice how my once solid agenda begin to revolve around running. Big surprise. I quit my job because it conflicted with track practice and meets. Therefore I have zero dollars. Which means all the clothes, jewelry, fresh hairdos, Pumas I wanted...nada. All those parties I was supposed to go to... haven't been to one this summer. And that guy that I like... he still doesn't know it. Hmm did I fail or did I fail lol.

If I knew things would have turned out like this way back when I was anticipating this summer I would be more than a little down. But now, as I'm living it, I don't mind one bit. Well not letting members of the opposite sex know that I'm attracted to them could possibly pose a problem but other than that.. lol. Anyway I say all that to say this: I might not have stepped my game up in the ways I imagined but things are working themselves out. I feel how I look: good. Ha! Seriously tho I'm doing alright. I'm pretty happy.       

I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I just sat down, started typing, and this is what came out. I think I might even be a little embarrassed... really. But since I'm telling everything else, I might as well tell this lol. The 4x4 relay that I'm on placed 3rd with a time of 4:02 at Regionals in Joplin and qualified for Nationals(all glory and honor to God). I think we did good. Especially considering it's the first time all four of us have run together. But I know we can do better and we will at the Junior Olympics, or Nationals, in Virginia later this month. Speaking of which, it should be a fun trip because we're going to be there for a whole week but we only run like the last two days so you know what that means . 

Wow I'm really enjoying writing this post and I could go on and on but fortunately for you... and me too, my ace boon koon Alex is over and I got to keep her company. We just got finished lighting up the block. I mean we set it off hahaa. Now she's trying to get me to get a MySpace and I'm trying to get her to get a Facebook. We'll prolly be on both by the end of the week which means we'll have Xangas, Taggeds, Facebooks, and Myspaces... that's just pitiful. But look out for us anyway lol...

And I know I'm a little late... but Happy Fourth of July!! And can I get more than 2 comments please!