School and September

To my readers,

Before you read this, I just want to say I'm sorry for neglecting this blog. Lately a lot of people have been starting blogs. Very few blogs were around when I started this one, and I guess it just started to feel really unoriginal. There are a lot of blogs out there now, and I hope the few readers that enjoyed my blog haven't moved on. I'll do my best to keep writing, and if for some reason I'm not on the ball with that, let me know! I can't tell you how amazing it is was when random people I had no idea read my blog came up to me and asked me why I had stopped writing. They missed my blog and wanted more! It's just an amazing feeling as a writer to know that people actually enjoy your ramblings, it felt like I had achieved something. So yeah, encouragement makes a HUGE difference. There are times when my writing morale gets very low. So if you read and enjoy my crap, by all means PLEASE let me know if you'd like to see more. You wouldn't believe the difference it makes

-Chris

School

 

This, my dear readers, is Manalapan High School. Where the grades are low, the freshmen are lower, and a surprisingly low amount of damns are distributed per capita, if any at all. (No one cares)

Manalapan High School is a magical place, where students discover who they really are, and grow into the social butterflies that they are destined to become. lol about that. These are some pics I took today for yearbook. 

On a more serious note, Manalapan isn't such a bad high school. A lot of people complain, but I kinda like it. The lunches aren't always (completely) revolting, and other than the obnoxious lack of air conditioning in some of the rooms, its bearable. Sneaking out of class and roaming around is fun too. 

However, there is a much more dark and sinister side. The academic side. Behind the many doors of the many hallways, you'll find classes that make you want to slowly gouge your eyes out, like my 2nd period Intermediate Algebra 2 class. If James Tancredi ever reads this, disrupt the class more. It makes the torture of Algebra and Mrs. Rose's robot voice that much less painful. 

Mrs. Rose is boring, but shes not mean like (dun dun dun) Mr. Sprague. I'm pretty much willing to bet my cat Jibbles that anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes in a room with him, has instantly developed an intense burning hatred for this man. He loudly informed one girl in our 11th period wood working class that she looked like a cow. She was chewing gum, and he went off on a fit of rage at her 'act of defiance'. 

I wanted to stand up and give him a limb tearing "Mr. Sprague, saying that was both disrespectful and unprofessional, if this is the example you wish to provide us with, then how can you expect us to treat you any different?" speech. Followed by a nonchalant, brisk walk out the door, accompanied by a loud applause. But of course I kept my mouth shut. He also says the word cockroach really weird. "You can't chew gum in here or else all the cock-a-roaches are gonna come." I transfered out.

Seeing all the your friends makes up for the brutality of academics, though. And it's a welcome change to actually see people before 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I guess that's what makes it all worthwhile to me, the people I call my friends. Because I probably wouldn't show up without them.

Still wish it was summer, despite all that.

I wrote all that ^ A few days ago. About some stuff that happened today...

Today the seniors took their class picture at the bleachers. Now, I'm lucky enough to be friends with Gwen Kirsten, who, since last year, has been able to get me out of more classes than I can remember to take pictures for the yearbook staff. That being said, the amount of typical boring school days greatly exceeds the amount of exciting, 'yay! lets miss class!' days. But when they come around, whether it be by Class Council, Yearbook, or International Day, they always make for a memorable time. Especially when you get to miss the majority of class for the day. 

I use my camera to get out of class a lot. A simple look of false boredom, mixed in with a little concern, aggravation, and the sight of a big DSLR camera and a respectful tone of voice, is usually more than enough to get out of pretty much any class. It helps to be asian too, we're a trustworthy race for the most part. Excluding Pearl Harbor and the whole Triad thing of course.

So today I spent 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, period riding in a golf cart with Gwen, Mrs. Albanese, and some other yearbook kids. Oh, and taking pictures of course. It was fun, especially flying past the classroom windows and laughing at the kids trapped in class. That was probably my favorite part =] I'm actually grinning right now. 

After school I went to the home opener for boys varsity soccer. We lost but it was fun. I finally got to use my megaphone for an extended period of time. I felt very cool.

September

September is a bittersweet time for me. My year is a constant countdown for the last bell of that last day, when we finally get turned loose for those 2 amazing months. But even as we mourn the passing of another summer, and even though we speak of the days ahead - the school days - with bitter tones, no matter how much some of us deny it, there will always be that sinking feeling way in the back of our heads that secretly longs to be back in those hallways. Walking with our friends, and see those familiar sights we haven't seen since June. I have to admit, I enjoy being back in school. There are times I'm more miserable than a beached whale and I can't stand to be conscious in that building, but 73% of the time I'm enjoying myself or something close to that.

But September 1st didn't mark the end of our summer adventures. In an episode of surprising awesomeness, Danny Tal, the indecisive - and at times a little awkward - boy we all know and love, decided it was time to break out of his shell and so something crazy. 

The first subtle signs of fall chillyness began to creep through my tshirt as I waited for Danny to bring the truck around that day. It was September 5th, and we had already been to school for 1 day. I ran inside to grab a hoodie. Danny pulled up in his truck shortly after. Danny is 16, and only has his permit. I've never know him to be much of a risk-taker, so seeing him driving alone and defying the law, was certainly a strange sight. We put a few fishing rods and some fire starting materials in the bed, and took off for Tyler Alhf's. Danny drove at a steady pace, you could hardly tell that he had only been driving since February. His motions were fluid, and he came out of his turns smoothly.

When we got to Tyler's we loaded a few stacks of firewood among some other things, and from there on Danny Matthew Tal shattered all existing perceptions I had of him. He brazenly steered us down Millhurst, and we drove to Wendy's to grab something to eat before going on to the bonfire lake. It was maybe 8:30 by the time we left Wendys. And by the time we got to the lake it was completely dark out. The air was crisp and cool. We hopped out and built a big roaring fire. The sound of crackling wood was a comfort to me. My mind drifted back to so many nights past, where I sat around the same fire pit, and gazed over the brilliance of the night sky, the solemn trees, and the stillness of the lake as the flames kept me warm and illuminated the surroundling landscape. It was all very nostalgic. We talked for awhile, but I left a little while in to go fishing. 

I tied on a top water popper, and began casting out along the lilly pads and standing reeds. After maybe 20 minutes of slipping on the slick bank, fumbling with backlashes, and cleaning my lure of weeds, I got a strike. A big one. The water surged violently, and my lure was engulfed by a nice sized bass. I brought it up on land, and we cleaned it and cooked it over the fire. It was TASTY. I know it sounds disgusting, but it was totally Bear Grylls-esque, and we felt like pretty manly men.

It was time to leave before we knew it. I felt good as I watched the white lines flash by one after another as we drove back. Danny skillfully guided us homeward, and after a brief scuffle at Quik Check, where we came a little too close to a police car then we probably should have, we were back at Dannys. And with that, we ended our summer, for real.

Thats it for now. Gotta do homework

- Chris

Music that I'm listening to right now: