Self Defense (Practice?)

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but some days when I'm doing something dangerous, risky, or just plain stupid, I hurt other people along with myself.

Today was one of those days.

So remember how in "World's Most Dedicated Fake Baby Babysitter" I mentioned I would tell Nathan that I almost lost his baby when we were done with our self-defense unit in gym? Well, today we had some Tae-Kwon-Do guy teach us some ways to defend ourselves. And let's just say he'd never want me in his class.

We were practicing what to do if some creeper guy tries to choke you from behind. I got out, but when I got to the palm-to-the-nose part, I accidentally hit him. Hard. Very hard. So hard I gave him a bloody nose and he had to excuse himself from class for a couple minutes.

I apoligized like a million times, but the guy said it was okay because he gets accidentally hit all the time. Poor guy.

But then he started messing with me. When we were practicing how to flip people, he made me flip the other guy instead of him. Then the other guy was like, "I don't want her to hurt me!"

But I flipped that guy anyways. And I don't know if it was the fact that we were on a springboard, but the guy made a pretty loud thud.

Well, here's today's summary:

Kim + Tae-Kwon-Do guy = KATASTROPHIE!

~Kim~

P.S. When I saw the Tae-Kwon-Do guy after school, he was holding a Kleenex to his nose. I'm going with the story that it was the dry air.

Blog Action Day 2010

Well, this has been an awkward day.

First, I run up to a police officer and tell him my friend's flour is missing. Then, I realize I'm late for Blog Action Day.

Again. For the second year in a row.

So here goes tonight's second post. The theme is- water!

Okay, I'm just gonna start out by saying I hate it when people say water doesn't have a taste, because it does. They say it tastes like nothing, but really, how do you know what nothing tastes like, because, I mean, it's nothing!

Well, now that that's out of the way, I'm going to talk about the real issue- water pollution!

I'm gonna cut straight to the chase when I say I bet fish hate us. I don't blame them. We throw a bunch of trash and stuff into their home, and then they die. Who wouldn't be angry?

Next point. Disney's whole "Friends for Change" thing. I have to say, I admire and hate this program. It's great when little kids see their idols like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato helping to save the earth, but who says that those overpayed Disney stars actually do anything to save water? It's not like they can't afford to pay the water bill or anything.

Disease. That's what's happening in places like India, where the Ganzes River will supposedly heal you of all wounds and illnesses if you drink from its water. Yep. If typhoid and cholera is considered healing.

Okay, I realized my post is kinda choppy, but I'm tired and just wanna go to bed.

Next. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about BP's fantastic little "promotional stunt," where an estimated 190,120,055 gallons of oil was leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. Now thousands of animals have suffered, beaches have closed, and BP is favorited to win Repower America's 2010 Snake Oil Award. Quite an honor. I bet their ex-CEO is proud.

Well, it's already almost 10, and my brain stops functioning around 3:30 PM, so I'll stop going all hippie on you and do everybody a favor and go to sleep. Night.

~Kim~

P.S. 78% of people think water has a taste.
P.P.S. I made that statistic up. ;)

World's Most Dedicated Fake Baby Babysitter

Now, looking at the title, you're guessing my post is gonna be about some lady in China who sacrificed herself to save her daughter's doll, right?

Wrong.

You see, it all started Monday. Well, actually, it technically started Tuesday. Anyways, that was the day the health class's baby project started.

You know the project I mean, right? The one where you have to carry your sack of flour around with you everywhere and if someone sees it alone they'll steal it and bring it into the health teacher to get the $5 they were promised?

(Okay, well maybe not that last part.)

Anyways, I don't have health this semester, I have gym. So a lot of times, my friends in health will be like, "Kim, can you watch my baby?" Of course, I can't say no. So I pretty much just stand there holding a doll for who knows how long.

Well, today I was watching my friend Nathan's baby Clarice. He was in the lunch line, and I wasn't eating lunch because I had a big breakfast. All the sudden, I hear someone say, "Kim!" I turn around, and it's my friend Dayna, who I haven't seen in like forever! So run over to her table to talk.

5 minutes later...

Oh my God. The baby's gone.

So I'm on the verge of a panic attack, Dayna's wondering what the heck is going on, and somewhere some babynapper who needs some cash is running around with a sack of flour.

Now I'm thinking, "what do I do? Nathan's gonna fail and it'll be all my fault! And some low-life is gonna get $5 because of it!" I look around, and lo-and-behold (I've always wanted to say that), it's the school police officer!!!

So I run up to him, feeling like an idiot and say the stupidest thing ever-

"My friend's flour is missing!"

The guy kinda looked confused, until I explained about the baby project. He just laughed and said he'll look around.

(Nathan is still in the lunch line while this is going on.)

So I go back to the table, trying not to hypervenilate, and watch the police officer walk around the cafeteria. I hold my breath when he stops some girl putting a sack of flour in her bag. He pulls it out, and it's- Clarice! I walk over to the police officer and thank him. The girl just rolls her eyes and says a word that-shall-not-be-named.

And before Nathan gets out of the lunch line, I have Clarice back on the table, and I'm studying for the English quiz tomorrow that I'm gonna fail.

And I just laugh when he jokingly pretends to feed Clarice some Sun Chips.

Sure, maybe I'll tell him the whole story some day. Like in December, when we're done with our self-defense unit in gym.

~Kim~

P.S. I'm Clarice's godmother.:)

Canadian Thanksgiving

In my defense, the reason I haven't been able to do a post in a while is because I've been busy. School started September 1st, and since then my day has been packed.

6:30 Wake Up and Get Ready
7:00 Eat Breakfast
7:20 Leave for School
8:00-3:20 School. The highlight of my day. (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell.)
3:45-6:00 Cross Country
6:30 Eat dinner
7:15 Homework
9:00 Bed

Don't freak out at me for going to bed early. I need sleep. 3+ miles a day wears me out, all right?!

So yeah. I hope everybody's school year has been going well. Mine's been, well, intersting. I have a teacher who talks about his ex-girlfriends ALL THE TIME. Most of them don't even tie in to what we're talking about.

I know that he kinda sounds like a fun teacher, but he's actually pretty strict. Last week, he held me after class to lecture me because I circled my answers instead of boxing them in. And I am SO not making that up.

Oh hey, guess what?! I saw a freshman get trash canned the first day of school!

Then again, he kinda had it coming. He was making fun of a senior varsity football player's haircut. Hehe. Smart move. (That was sarcasm, too.)

Well, I guess you're wondering what the heck the title of my post is about. Yesterday was Thanksgiving in Canada.

"But wait a minute Kim! Thanksgiving is an American holiday, right?"

Yep. I mean, since when do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, the day our first president was born???

That was a joke, by the way.

So I Googled "Canadan Thanksgiving." They asked me if I meant "Canadian Thanksgiving." I said "yes."

Here were the results:
Looking for Canadian Thanksgiving? Find exactly what you're looking for today!
Thanksgiving (Canada)- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pumpkin Bread Recipe for Canadian Thanksgiving
What is Canadian Thanksgiving, Anyway?

I picked that last one. It was pretty much a Q&A.

So, when is it?

It's the second Monday in October.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Thanks.

Why is it called Canadian Thanksgiving?

It's not. In Canada, it's just called Thanksgiving.

But why is it so early in the fall?

Because Canada is colder and the harvest ends sooner.

If you were in Canada with your family, what would be for dinner?

Same stuff: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes, which, if you're my grandmother, you mix with turnips. Also, candied yams. And pumpkin pie for dessert.

Does everyone crowd around the TV after dinner to watch football?

The guys do, yeah.

Is it always on October 11th?

No. Since 1957, it's been celebrated on the second Monday in October. Before that, it was celebrated on November 11, which is the date of another mysterious Canadian holiday called Remembrance Day, when you make sure to call your grandfather, or anyone else you know who fought in a war. Long before it had National Holiday status, however, the harvest was celebrated by natives.

What's the holiday all about?

It's a celebration of the harvest, where you give thanks (to God, technically) for all the food you get to eat. For the most part, it's celebrated as a secular holiday, though.

What about settlers and Pilgrims—are they involved?

According to Google, the first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1578 when a lost English explorer named Martin Frobisher landed in what is now the butt of many Canadian jokes—Newfoundland. But as a public-school-educated kid who was taught all kinds of Canadian things growing up, that's the first I've ever heard of it, or him.

So, really, it's all about the food.


Yeah.

Do Canadians have their big dinner on the actual day of Thanksgiving?

Canadians are practical and Monday is a school night, so usually not. The big dinner is traditionally the night before, on the Sunday.

Are things closed on Thanksgiving like they are in the Unites States?

Yes, although if you live in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, or Prince Edward Island it's not a statutory holiday, which means it's not a paid day off. But most stores are closed.

Is the day after Thanksgiving the biggest shopping day of the year?

Nope. That would be Boxing Day, yet another mysterious Canadian holiday, which is the day after Christmas. It's when everyone returns the stuff they got for the stuff they actually want, but for cheaper.

That was very helpful. (Not sarcasm.)

Kim

P.S. One of the comments on the article said, "Canadian Thanksgiving is the day when all the Canadians give thanks they're not American." Hehe. Good one.

Source: O'Connor, Siobhan. "What is Canadian Thanksgiving, Anyways?." GOOD (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Oct 2010. .

Hey, I don't want to get arrested for plagiarism, alright?

I Can't Really Think Of A Title Because This Post Is About A Bunch Of Stuff Because I Haven't Done A Post In A Long Time

First, that was a really long title.
Second, I'm sorry I haven't done a post in a while. But I have a good reason.

I was too lazy to.

Haha, just kidding. Sort of. Actually, I've been the opposite of lazy. I've been busy. Well, I've been so busy that I'm lazy when I do have free time. Does that make sense?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

So about a week after I published my last post I left on another mission trip, this time to Rapid City, South Dakota. (12 hour drive :P) I worked in a home for people with special needs. And when I got back, I spent most of my time taking decent showers and getting back into shape at cross country camp. And then at the beginning of August, I had a backpacking trip with my church. I still have mosquito bites. But heck, I can't complain. I'm just thankful I didn't fall 200 feet on one of the 3-foot-wide ledges.

Hehe.

And then the night I get back I have to get up at 4 in the morning so we can leave early for vacation. Darn it. (I meant to the getting up part... not the vacation part.)

So yeah. We got back almost a week ago. But "official" cross country practice started Monday, and that goes from 8-10:30. It's pretty brutal. Yesterday...

~I logged 7 miles.
~I did 45 push-ups.
~I did a lot of curl-ups. I lost count after 78.

I kinda wish they'd be easier on the freshman. But the coaches know what they're doing, I guess.

So by the time I get back I just go back to sleep. But by then the sun's up so I usually just kinda lay there and suck down water.

Well, that's what I've been up to this summer. No major injuries to report. Except for... wait, I don't want people to know about that. It's too embarrassing. Hehe.

Fine, quit begging, I'll tell you.

When I was running at cross country camp, I was on a trail across from the golf course. And some guy trying to show off to his golfing buddies by hitting a ball from across the street hit me on his backswing.

I guess it's kinda my fault, I didn't even see him. But I'm not sure it's even legal to hit a golf ball across one of the busiest streets in town.

I hope everybody had a good summer and good luck this year in school!

Well, we can all hope. ;)

~Kim~

P.S. One of the coaches said she was impressed how "graceful my form was." Ha. Wait 'til she gets to know me.

iPod

GUESS WHAT?! I'M REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE FRIDAY NIGHT I GOT AN IPOD NANO!!! AND NOW I CAN'T STOP TYPING IN ALL CAPS!!!

SO AS OF NOW, I HAVE 76 SONGS ON IT. I ALSO GOT AN ARMBAND THINGY THAT YOUR IPOD FITS INTO SO YOU CAN RUN WITH IT.

WHAT IF I'M SO DISTRACTED WHILE LISTENING TO MY IPOD THAT I DON'T SEE A PERSON OR CAR OR POTATO OR SOMETHING IN FRONT OF ME AND I TRIP OVER IT AND FALL INTO THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON THAT ONE STREET AND GET JACKHAMMERED? (IS THAT A WORD?)

BUT THAT'S JUST A WORST-CASE SCENARIO. (EXCEPT WITH MY LUCK, IT BECOMES A LOT MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN.)

SO ANYWAYS, I LISTEN TO MY IPOD ABOUT 14 HOURS A DAY. (THE OTHER TEN HOURS I'M SLEEPING AND IT'S CHARGING.) HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK MY PARENTS ARE AS PROUD OF THAT FACT AS I AM:

Mom: Kim, if you listen to that iPod a lot with the earphones in, you'll go deaf.
Kim: WHAT??????
Mom: I said, IF YOU USE THOSE EARPHONES A LOT, YOU'LL GO DEAF!!!
Kim: WHAT?!?!
Mom: (pulls earphones out of Kim's ears.) TAKE A BREAK!!!
Kim: First of all, ow. And second, fine.
Dad: If you listen through earphones a lot, the risk of ear infection goes up 700%!
Mom: ...
Kim: ...
Dad: What? It's true.
Kim: Okay, fine. I'll just take out the earphones, turn the iPod up really loud, and we can ALL listen to it!!!
Mom: ...
Dad: ...

OKAY, SO MAYBE IT DIDN'T GO EXACTLY LIKE THAT.

~Kim~

P.S. THAT FACT ABOUT EARPHONES INCREASING THE RISK OF EAR INFECTION? IT'S TRUE.

What is Blog Action Day?

Yeah, I know I did a blog post Saturday. But I was just reading over some of my old posts and I came across the one titled "Blog Action Day 2009." And I figured some people (okay, most people) didn't know what the heck Blog Action Day (BAD... wow, ironic.) was.

So BAD is a day when a bunch of "bloggers" (wow, that sounds nerdy) write a post about a certain topic. Their job is to inform as many people about whatever the topic is. The 2009 topic was climate change. Here are some of the impressive statistics...

~BAD '09 exceeded the number of climate change articles on any given day by 500%.
~CNN covered BAD '09.
~There were 32,000 blog posts about climate change.
~Those blog posts reached 17 million people. That's a big number.
~The White House's blog participated in BAD '09.

So yeah. That was my first year doing BAD, and I plan on doing it this year (on time!). Although my post was a week late, it still had various responses, including one from some website owner who was in charge of an organization in Germany. He congratulated me on my post and invited me to join his staff. I didn't think that was a good idea, though, because 1. his organization was in Europe, and 2. when I went to his website, everything was in German. I used a German-to-English translator, but that was still a lot of reading...

www.blogactionday.com

~Kim~

P.S. Here's the German guy's website: http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/ I reccomend a German-to-English translator, unless you speak fluent German, which you probably don't. If you do, kudos.

UHO (Unidentified Hurting Object)

Okay, so last night my family and I got back from the Wisconsin Dells, "Waterpark Capital of the World!" We stayed at the Kalahari Resort, which now has an outdoor waterpark, indoor waterpark, and indoor theme park. (With a Ferris Wheel! :D) They also have a bowling alley, laser tag, rock climbing wall, ropes course, mini-golf, go-kart racing, and arcade.

So I was climbing the rock wall and I was only like two rocks away from being able to push the little buzzer button thingy. However, the higher you get up on the wall, the fewer rocks there are. See the highly detailed illustration below to see what I'm talking about.



So I was stuck in one place for like 5 minutes. There weren't any rocks close to me. Eventually, the rocks got really slippery from my sweat and I fell. On the way down, I hit my elbow on one of the rocks. Apparently you're supposed to push out on the wall when you fall. See the other highly detailed illustration below.





And now, on my elbow, I have a giant... well, I don't really know what it is. It looks like a cross between a bruise and mosquito bite. I have decided to call it a UHO (Unidentified Hurting Object).

Well, hopefully it goes away soon, because it's really starting to hurt, and I can't fully extend either of my elbows.

~Kim~

P.S. My family caused like 3 accidents on the go karts.

24 Hours

Ok, so I kinda got myself into a tough situation here. (What's new??) I bet my friend Grace that I could go 24 hours without scratching, burning, bruising, or cutting myself (against popular belief!!). If I do, she owes me a $5. But if I do injure myself, then I owe her $5 and I have to wear pink someday. I hate pink.

I'm kinda lacking self-confidence on this. I don't think theres been a day where I haven't broken something, hurt myself, or hurt someone else. I had 3 stitches before I was a year old.

There are several reasons why I have to win this bet...
1. So I can prove to my friends, family, and self that someday I MIGHT outgrow my clumsiness/coordination issues.
2. I really need money for a pair of school shoes.
3. I don't think I own any pink.
4. I only have like 67 cents.

So I NEED to win. Feel free to vote at the poll on your right. I kinda need the support. =)

~Kim~

P.S. I'm doomed.

I'm Gonna Get My Braces Off!!!

I'M GONNA GET MY BRACES OFF ON FRIDAY!!!

Sorry, I'm a little over-the-top, but after having braces since 5th grade, I'm gonna be kinda happy to get them off.

I remember the day after I got them on. My class was having a pizza party because it was the end of the school year, and I couldn't even eat because my teeth hurt so much.

There's a countdown at the top of the screen for when I get my braces off. WOOT!!!

Honestly, I don't know what else to say about that, so I'm just gonna put random stuff for the rest of the post.

The dot above an i is called the tittle.
There's a city in the state of Washington called George so the city is George, Washington :D

Okay this random stuff is not working out for me. I can't try to be random. It just happens.

Has anyone else been watching the Olympics? Watching them makes me want to move to Canada.

See?? Unintentional randomness!!! Okay, back to the braces.

I had a really big overbite. That's when your top teeth go too far down when you bite.

Well, I can't really think of anything else to say, so bye!

-Kim-
P.S. Someone told me that when they scrape glue off your teeth, it makes an awful noise.

Scared of a F.A.C.E.

Well, it's the last week of the semester, which means it's my last week of health. We're finishing up our health and nutrition unit. I think I'd rather learn about whole grain AGAIN than go to my new class.

F.A.C.E.

F.A.C.E. is basically a home economics class, where we cook and sew. Most people would want to get free bags and eat free food, but let me clarify just one thing.

KIM + OVENS AND NEEDLES AND EGGBEATERS AND SEWING MACHINES = AMPUTATED INDEX FINGER.

And, I hear my teacher, Mrs. Lubeck, is really mean. According to one of the ninth graders, she once beat a kid with a yardstick because he didn't preheat his oven to 350*.

You can see why I'm scared.

Luckily, we'll have groups when we're cooking, so maybe I'll let them do all the dangerous stuff and I'll do dishes.

Then again, I might stab myself with a knife...

~Kim~

P.S. Did I mention that I already have a bad history with yardsticks??