VOTE 4 ME!

So, today as we were sitting in AP US History, discussing random things, speeches came on our television for student government office positions next year. The usual "leaders" of our class are in fact attempting to hold the offices for student government. President: Amy Hanson. No surprise there. She's been the class president the past three years, she runs for every office, she's the perfect child as I like to refer to her as. And I mean no satire in there. So, it didn't surprise me. However, then Sydney brought to everyone's attention that that means we have to have a new class president because, as the rules state, Amy can't hold both offices. Now, I don't think I've ever told you that I was the secretary of our class when I was a freshman and was defeated sophomore year, losing by one vote. But, since then, I haven't run again just because I don't want to go up against someone super smart again and lose. It's embarrassing, it sucks, and I just don't feel like putting myself through that. That being said, when Sydney made this comment I didn't think anything of it, simply because I decided a while ago I wasn't going to set my self up for disaster anymore. But then, Sydney makes a comment to me that I should run for class president. I laugh it off, instinctively, saying that it's pretty propostorous that I would do that and then it got me thinking: maybe I really should. I'm good at leadership positions, Ihave lots of good ideas, and I'm good at incorporating others opinions into it. Plus, the biggest job for this year will be Prom and god knows I could do lots with that. Hell, this will be my second year going and it's a senior prom. I've been to them, I know what it's like, and I feel like I could make ours a memorable night for all. That's why, I've decided, that I'm going to run for class president. Yes, this means that I have to give a speech shown to the entire school but hey that's okay, I can handle it. I've done it before and I'll do it again. So anyways, VOTE FOR KIONA FOR 2011 CLASS PRESIDENT :)

ACT?

ACT.



Just the acronym gives a bit of the shivers. Why? Perhaps because it determines the fate of my success in applying at colleges, perhaps because it only means the world to my mother and father to do well on it, perhaps because there's possibility that if I do bad, I could end up in no college, living on the streets, as a hobo, lifeless, collecting plastic cans and using newspaper as means of a blanket. Okay, maybe that's a bit overboard, perhaps a little insane but the ACT means alot alot alot. Mostly to my parents, but also to me. The ACT is a standardized test that tests your knowledge on subjects like english, math, reading, and science all in one. The ACT can be scored from a 1-36, and it is possible to get a perfect. A good score, I'd say, is a 30, and I'm hoping to meet or even excel that goal. I've been doing several things to get myself prepared: I've been reading some books, practicing math problems, and reviewing my science notes from previous years, but the most important thing I've done to prepare myself is taken the practice test questions to the ACT website: www.act.org. This website has been like an online study guide for me. I've practiced each of the sets of questions multiple times. It's good to say that I initially got a majority of the answers right my first time but even better that I read through why I got them wrong several times to understand what I was doing wrong and make sure I don't make the same mistake when practicing or on the test. Tonight is Friday, the night before the exam, and I'm pretty nervous. I got some fuel food for the morning however. Like toast, a banana, and an egg because it's full of protein, potassium, and the fuel I need to keep my brain working for a couple hours at 8 am in the morning. Yeah I know it sucks having to wake up that early on a Saturday morning and even worse that it's at school but I'm actually just ready to get it done and over with. Once I'm done with this, I can focus on studying for my AP exams which are coming up just around the corner, which I've discussed with you previously. Anyways, tonight all I have on the agenda is studying, eating, studying, cheer tryouts, eating, studying, sleep. All in that order. No, I'm not going out despite the fact that it is a Friday night, a weekend night, instead I am what some people may call cramming but I generally call reviewing and preparing. For me, this feels just right and what I plan on doing the remainder of the evening. So while all you other cool cats are out there painting the town red, I'm sitting at a home like a good little student attaching my eyes to a 10 by 10 screen, answering test questions, OH JOY.

One, Two, Three

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

--Ben Sweetland

I use this quote because I view these tests not as destinations, but as journeys....
Today, I registered for not one, not two, but THREE AP Exams that I'll be taking in just one short month. First of all, It's amazing to think about how quick this year has come along to its culmination and it's weird to think that just eight short months ago I was beginning my junior year of high school. But perhaps the scariest thing is that next year I will be a senior in high school and thinking about what college I plan to attend. But let's not dwell upon the scary things, instead I'll focus on three main things: Ap Language Exam, AP Psychology Exam, and AP US History Exam.

First and foremost, I'll discuss my feelings about taking AP Lang. exam since blogging principally deals with this class. Over the year, we've learned a vast amount about composition of language. We've discussed things like: tone, syntax, and semantics. We've read several essays and composures by authors from the past and authors of the present and we've discussed the meanings, the purpose, the views, the arguments, the persuasion, comprehension, basically everything you need to know AND MORE about essays and reading in general. We've written a couple essays, done a couple projects, and written alot of notebook entries. Overall, I think I've benefited from this class and formed reading habits essential for college level classes I'll be in next year. The exam, however, brings me a little grief considering I've either failed or almost failed all of the in class essays we've taken, and failed or almost failed all the multiple choice questions we've taken. I plan on practing these a bit more by finding a copy of an old test online and perhaps going to Barnes & Noble and getting what's called a "POWERPACK". I get this almost every year for the exam I plan on taking and it includes: two full length tests, study plan, large timeline, and 2,000 flashcards going over terms and concepts of the class. They are usually very beneficial to me and I learn alot by using these so hopefully, fingers crossed, if I can buckle down and begin studying up on my terms, practicing essays, and reading a bit more for the reading comprehension section, I should be okay.

AP Psychology is probably the class I'm least worried about because the terms and concepts are relatively easy. My one issue is the chapter dealing with brain anatomy, because it's hard to remember everything and where things are in the brain, what the systems are, their functions, everything. That's why I found a diagram online that I printed out and have been studying. I also have a PowerPack for this class, have taken a couple practice exams, and this is the one book that I have actually read. I understand alot of the stuff, because it relates to me or is easy to relate to and therefore, this class brings me no worries.

AP U.S. History. There's much to say on this class. The past two years, I took AP history classes also, and recieved twos on the exams. History has never been a super easy subjet for me, but I figure there's nothing to figure out. It's just alot of memorization and grouping and what not. Plus, this year I was blessed to have Mr. Benedict as my teacher. While a funny guy, he knows when to get down to business. He gives us plenty of extra credit opportunities, he makes us keep up on study guides, lets us watch movies, and lectures in a fun and effective way. This year, I feel as though I finally have a chance on this exam because there's less material and more of it that I've learned. I've been preparing for this by reading this large packet that Benedict gave us, have been taking practice tests online, and attempting to go over my study guides.

All in all, it's going to be a long month I'm well aware. It's going to involve a lot of hard work and studying on my part, alot of Friday and Saturday nights home (okay, maybe just a few), and a lot alot alot alot ALOT of reviewing. I just have to keep at it and keep my goals in mind for the future. I think I can pass all these exams if I put my mind to it. In fact, I know I can!

Thunderstorms!

I'm currently freaking out right about now, because there's a huge thunderstorm happening in Cedar Rapids at the moment. I've not only been listening to thunder booming for the past twenty minutes, seen lightning brighter than white, but listening to my sisters scream and my dog cry. You can tell I come from a family who HATES thunderstorms. It's natural for people to be scared of thunder, in fact it's one of the most common phobias the world knows (according to my AP Psychology book). And likewise for me, I dislike and in fact dread them alot. This dreadful day of doom started at precisely 10 AM this morning when I first realized it was raining hardcore outside. But that's after the fact that it was wet outside and smelled like worms, yuck! Anyways, the weather was all sorts of whack today. It was rainy and cold when I got out of bed this morning so I dressed for the occasion in a sweatshirt and jeans, but when I got out of school the sun was shining, it was probably 70 degrees, and I was sweating my booty off in just my tshirt and jeans. I went tanning, came home, did homework, got ready for cheer tryout clinics, and went. I got there, worked for about an hour and at 6:30 happened to peer outside to see the sky pitch black. I was a little bit freaked out, but I didn't allow myself to panic until I realized the other girls in the gym were panicing. What scared me the most was that once they dismissed us, and I was walking to my car, the sirens started going off. I can tell you I jumped a bit and my heart skipped a couple beats because I was outside during a siren. Sirens usually mean really bad storms are about to hit and therefore advise people to go inside to a safe shelter, not near windows. So being outside during one of these wasn't one of the most comforting thoughts in the world. Anyways, I ran to my car, blithering like the other people surrounding me, jumped in, and sped home. It was funny going down 42nd street, watching cars hit probably 60 miles an hour in a 35 mile hour zone, and even funnier that a cop was driving and not pulling anyone over for this because he too wanted to get home. So, I got home just in time for the sirens to stop and everyone in my household to return to a sense of normalcy. But, as I sat down to start doing my homework, I saw the bright lights followed by the rumbling and I immediately stiffened up a bit. I've been working hard at my homework for the last two hours, attempting to study and blog and what not, while my computer is located next to a central window in the house. The laptop and my seat have shaken a couple times, as well as the entire house. It seems to me when thunderstorms roll around, things get all out of whack. I can't concentrate. I can't sit still. I want it to all be over with, but the noises and the rumbling and the lights, it doesn't stop. Maybe that's why I hate thunderstorms: they're too powerful. Either way, I'm getting scareder and scareder by the moments I pass writing this blog and watching the storm through the window, so I'm going to sleep it all away, and when I wake up there will be beautiful rays of sunshine.

Easter Sunday

We all love egg hunts, whether we like to admit it or not. Even in my grown teenage years, I love the annual egg hunt our family does every Easter Sunday. Because it gives me a chance to feel like a kid again and I'll take any of those opportunities as they come knocking. Anyways, this Easter Sunday is a bit more complicated than most, mainly because I'm split between two family gatherings. It's not always easy trying to fit in a couple Christmases and holidays and what not, being in a family with my mother and step father and being in a family with my real father and his side of the family, but I've always learned to manage. This time, however, things aren't so simple. With my step-dad's Easter today, I knew I wasn't going to make it and that's because I have to work at two. So unfortunately, I'm missing one. Then, tomorrow, I can either go to my real dad's side of the family's Easter or my mother's side of the family's Easter. I know that each of my families love me unconditionally and they will be happy with whatever decision I make, but it's so hard to choose! I don't want any of the members of either family feel as though I don't love them and I mean of course it's not a matter of who I love more, it's just what I feel is best for me. That's why I've made my decision to stay with my family and go to my mother's side of the family's Easter. This is because 1) I'm alot closer with this side of the family, 2) I haven't seen alot of them in a while 3) I have alot of fun when I'm at my Grandma's. It's not like any of these reasons aren't true for my dad's side, but I do see them because they all live relatively close. Well, closer than my Grandma's and I see my cousin almost twice a week because we work at the same place and also because my dad, my real one, is a complete dickhole as I may have previously mentioned and I just don't feel like spending a day being around him. I know that's harsh and rude but it's just the truth and sometimes the truth hurts. I'd rather be away from him for as long as possible until I've come to terms with the fact that he'll never be the father I always wanted and needed. He was supposed to get me shoes for my birthday and we still haven't even gotten them. Plus, he owes me $50 from Christmas that he NEVER gave me. So basically, I just don't wanna deal with him. And he'd be all lovey-dovey and that's just not me, especially not with him. Anyways, I'm excited either way for tomorrow and wearing my easter best. Haha okay kidding because I treat Easter like Christmas and wear sweats and what not. But I'm also most excited for the Easter Egg Hunt! Now if you'll excuse me, I hear some coloring eggs time calling my name!

PROM

So last year, I had a somewhat-wonderful somewhat-awful experience at Prom. First off, I was only a sophomore and at our school it's a senior-only prom unless you get asked by a senior. I wasn't super good friends with any of the seniors, I mean I knew a couple and I was close friends with a boy named Tyler Auman (which I have referred to in the past blogs), whom surprisingly asked me to Prom. I was super pumped and knew that I would have a good time with him. However, I broke my ankle like a week before so I ended up on crutches for the night, which is why it was somewhat awful. I tried my best to not let it get to me and I perservered and ended up having a decent night despite what had happened. Anyways, this year I also didn't think I would get asked to Prom. I mean, sure I'm friends with more of the seniors then I was last year, but still not any close friendships like the one I had with Tyler, but just general friends with alot of them. Of course I've got some haters out there, aka some senior girls who just don't like the fact that alot of the senior guys may be somewhat attracted to me. Who cares? I've never really let it get to me much, because after all it just looks better for me to be the mature one, especially when they're the older ones. Anyways, my point is: I got asked to Prom again this year. It was by Kevin Moore and while it didn't match up to quite the level Ty had got on by asking me it was still pretty cute. Kevin and I have been good friends since freshman year. We talked somewhat then, but we decided being friends was better for the both of us. While me and Kev have grown apart the past couple years, I still consider him a good friend and apparently he feels the same about me too, since he asked but he asked by putting a sign in my locker that says: Kiona, PROM? -Kevin. I was super surprised and very excited and immediately said yes but then I started thinking and I've got ALOT of work to do in just one short month. I have to get a dress, go tanning, get my hair done (which by the way I cut short so Idk how that's gonna work), and get shoes! It's alot on my plate if you ask me, especially because the next month or so I need to be working hard to pass my 3 AP exams, but I think I'll be okay. I'm pumped anyway though for Prom, but I have to go because dress shopping is calling my name!

Here's a link to a place that I plan on getting my prom dress at:

www.debs.com

Who wears short shorts?

I am all for the 80 degree weather currently sun-bathing my pasty-white skin. I am even enjoying the sweat now being perspirated every couple hours, one thing however that I'm not loving about this summery weather, is short shorts. Yes, it's proven true that most girls love to wear these and I'll admit in the past I have loved wearing them. However, with my body growing at a rate larger than life (or at least that's the way I feel), I HATE wearing short shorts because they expose the nasty fat that I've been accumulating the past couple months. My legs are a big problem area on my body. I like to refer them as thunder thighs because they literally shake every time I walk. Gross right? Yeah I think so too. I have generally large thighs, alot of which is muscle, but also a lot of it is fat. When I wear short shorts the end of them end up cutting off half the circulation in my legs and more over exposing more of the fat cells in my legs. I feel sick when I put them on and worse off, it squeezes my hips and exposes what I refer to as love handles. Love handles are what I "lovingly" call the extra fat accumulated on my hips. They are disgusting because when wearing tight pants I look like I have extra hips on top of my hips and I'm thinking that's not the cutest thing. The next thing that really bothers me about my body is my stomach in the middle. I have at least an inch of it. I was taught in elementary school that if you can grab more than a little teeny bit of your stomach, then you needed to work harder in gym: aka our teacher was telling us we were fat. well, not only can I grab a teeny bit but I can grab about ten times of that. It's pretty sick if you ask me!! Next is my arms. The stuff that hangs off of my muscles, which is on the underneath, is super exposed in dresses which isn't technically good because it looks kinda sick with tank tops usually worn in summer. So coool. And finally, the last issue is my double chin. I feel as though when I smile I look like I have a million chins. Okay, not literally but I have some extra chicken gobbler under my chin and I feel like it makes me appear even bigger than I already am. I just altogether HATE my body. Not myself, because I tend to keep myself in a high regard, but my body just is pretty nasty. I will admit I haven't been working super hard on fitness, because I figure I'll just catch up when it's closer to summer. But guess what? Summer weather is here and I'm still fat. So, it's time to kick into high gear. I've been trying to watch what I eat. I usually eat fibery type cereal for breakfast, a can of enviga (a calorie burner sparkling green tea beverage), I allow myself to eat a meal at school because you can't really be healthy here, and a granola bar and maybe some Special K cereal or turkey or something for dinner. I've also been running after school everyday, and try to do circuit training twice a week. Circuit training is where you do a bunch of small stuff with a lot of repetitions. I usually do lunges, squats, crunches, push ups, planks, etc. with weights with 20 reps a piece until I get through about five or six exercises, give myself a 30 second-1 minute break and then back at it. I repeat this about five or six times. My manager at work was actually the one who helped me start this and actually tomorrow, I plan on joining a local gym with a friend and hopefully work out at least 3 times a week and maybe, just maybe, if I work hard enough and push myself, I can have the body I want in about two months, aka when I leave for Florida and aka when summer starts, then I can get me a man. Haha okay honestly I'm not too worried about that but uhhh yeahh I would rather do it for myself. I owe it to myself. It will boost my self-confidence and help my self-esteem. Plus, I'll be forming habits that I can carry on to college and into life itself. Anyways, today I'm wearing short shorts in an effort to make myself feel so humiliated that I force myself to work even harder. It's a real confidence booster though when people tell me my legs look good. Lying? Yeah, I think so too. Oh well. Anyways, sometimes when I feel super fat I remind myself I'm blessed to not be unhealthy or overweight, extremely obese, or having to prepare for bypass gas surgery. Here's a pic of someone, while I feel bad, makes me feel better about myself: