The Scientific Method Hard At Work

Initial Observation: I have to study harder and more often.

• Hypothesis 1: The classes have more material to cover in a given chapter over a given time. Subsequently, I have more independent studying to do.
  
• Hypothesis 2: The teachers are conspiring against us.
  
• Hypothesis 3: This is just me complaining about having to work when there really isn't that much more work anyway.
• Hypothesis 4: The teachers are conspiring against us.

Procedure:

1. Go make a milkshake.
2. Compare last year's and this year's planners for increased assignments.
3. Record any disporportionate differences.
4. Dance to Rhianna.

• Observation 1: Milkshakes are cold and frothy.
• Observation 2: My old planner is tatty and frayed.
  
• Observation 3: The number of assignments is substantially different.
• Observation 4: Umbrella is an awful song. Disturbia is significantly better.
  

Conclusion: Junior year is going to be substantially harder than the two years prior.

- Jonathan

Take A Deep Breath And Don't Blink

We are all so damn young!

I had a little epiphany today while waiting for a person in the school parking lot when it struck me. I tried to imagine myself next year, applying to college, and the year after, attending college. That's only two years off! A little more than 700 days! Will we all mature more in the time in between? Perhaps.. but to be quite honest, I'm begining to have a little terror in my heart when I realize that it could be tomorrow that I am doing what the class of '08 is doing, and attend college classes. Give or take a few 700 days.

But seriously, when do we all mature to the point that we are "ready" for college? I can't say quite yet, since I'm not attending college, but I can try and piggy-back on the emotions of those going off to college now. After reading several college move-in and first class stories on blogs this past week, it seems as if a lot of last year's seniors that are starting college all seem to be a little unprepared mentally for this four year (hopefully) degree. I guess they might feel more assimilated once a week or two rolls past, but it does seem like they too feel a little overwhelmed. Then again, who am I to speak for them? However, it made me realize that my turn is very soon. Somehow, this made me a little lonely.

Where childhood summers with play dates and ice cream slipping behind me, I feel like we're being slung up the roller coaster at an exponential rate. Don't get me wrong- I like the here and now, there's a time of nostalgia and I'm not trying to cling to the past, but I do certainly feel like I'm about to be flung off the face of the Earth is this ride goes any faster.

I feel like that if I blink, I'm going to miss entire weeks out of my life. I know it's still a ways off before I have to even think about applying, but living vicariously with these seniors who went off to college, I certainly feel the pressure.

- Jonathan

Here's To All You Good Intentions

No, no- I did not make a grammatical error in my title, I meant it.


See, I have a problem that I am sure is ubiquitous amongst the human race. I start off with these great ideas, promise myself that I will do them, promise others I will do them, but when push comes to shove, nothing comes to fruition. It's a disease, if you ask me.

For example, this summer, I wanted to build a treehouse. Not some dinky-ass lame piece of crap lumber suspended perilously two feet off the ground. No. I wanted the 25 square foot platform, complete with rope ladder, trap doors, and ultimately roof. All of this a modest seven feet off the ground. So May rolls along, nothing happens. June rolls along, "Oh, as soon as July starts!". Yeah right. Turns out, a lot of my friends went to the Mu Alpha Theta Nationals in July. July rolls along. Nada. So it's August 24, and all I have to show for hours of intense research and thinking are four lag screws and a few plans. How's that for failure?


So what is this post ultimately about? It's to say sorry to all of my great ideas (sane or otherwise), and to pinky-swear that I will complete these unaccomplished tasks. I'm talking to you; LED Thowies Party, Treehouse, DIY USB Nerf Guided Missile Launcher ( "DUNGML" for short- but I like to say it like "Dung-Mill" because of the added imagery! ^-^), and Cure for Cancer! Okay, okay- within reason- but still! I will try!

Inspired,
- Jonathan

The First Week

My first week as an upperclassman was awful; until I realized how good it was.

Going into the Monday back to school, there wasn't as much trepidation hanging in the air as there usually is. It was the anxious waiting for that infernal schedule that got me. Did I get all the classes I asked for? Are all my friends in my classes? Did I get the AP Language and Composition teacher I wanted? Why are there so many questions in a row here?


So Monday started with its usual high energy back-to-school zeal and I learned what was to be my future schedule for the year within an hour of getting to school. I got exactly what I asked for. What did I have to complain about? Everyone else might have awful schedules and be put in the wrong classes, but I was fine. Until I met my new history teacher.

Mrs. Barbacci is the bane of me. I would rather gnaw off my right arm than spend a half hour, let alone 50 minutes, with her. She is just the sort of heinous and insipid totalitarian dictator I left when I passed Coach Sprinkle's Pre-AP ACCEL World History class. She is a control freak to the degree that she has requested that if we have a pencil in need of sharpening, that we raise our hand and she will sharpen it for us. I think I'd rather perform a magic trick with her forehead and my freshly sharpened writing implement.

However, the one redeeming quality of her class is that, since it is not an AP course, it is exceedingly easy. I can handle easy. I took Coach Sprinkle's class and ate it for lunch, and I suspect nothing will change here. Except, of course, that I will undermine her every attempt to seem smart by beating her to answers by blurting out the answer before her lazy neural connections have a chance to synapse. I suspect that, however, in the meantime, I will remain quiet and collect my "A"s like paychecks.


I spent a great portion of my summer wishing on shooting stars and the mythical "11:11" that my Junior year would be easier and good to me. It took a week to realize that, thus far, my wish has been granted. As if Mother Nature knew best, Mama Fay swept across Florida at a racing 10 miles per hour to intimidate our new superintendent into letting us off Friday. Though it's been raining here for nearly 48 hours straight, it is this relaxing beat of summer's tears striking and rolling down my window, as if to say "goodbye", that made me realize how wonderful this school year might be. I will miss this summer, but I know that it's time to move on and confront my studies for what could be the greatest battle yet. Only time will tell.

- Jonathan