11. GIVE ME PROBLEMS, GIVE ME WORK

My mind rebels at stagnation. So you most likely already know that I still haven't finished those books. Well, I've got three weeks.. I am also yet to do my AP Bio, but I've discovered that I work much more efficiently after spending a large portion of my summer doing not much productive, otherwise known as... Anywho, if you haven't already noticed the title, and the first sentence of this post, I would like to announce that although I haven't been reading the assigned books, I HAVE been reading. Quite a few Sherlock Holmes stories, actually. A Scandal in Bohemia and A Case of Identity, to name two. I love Sherlock Holmes, I don't remember when I started, or even why, but my first memories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous character was a some years ago, when my sister and I were creating code names for ourselves. She took James Bond, and I claimed Sherlock Holmes. And today, I continue to use the name as mine in the credits of many of my projects. Also, the last numbers of my email are the first of the detective's address, 221B Baker Street. Anyhow, about the actual reading.. If I was to be a detective in the future, I would certainly follow in Holmes's footsteps. Inductive reasoning (no, not DEDUCTIVE reasoning) is truly an amazing investigative approach, and reading about how his mind works makes me want to try to solve a case myself, just to see if I could do it. Of course I'm not going to become a drug addict just to be exactly like him, but cocaine really seems to help him.. I'M NOT IMPLYING ANYTHING. Anyway, in my opinion, Dr. Watson is the best sidekick ever. And Irene Adler will forever be one of my favorite characters. I loved the movie two years ago. I went to see it opening day, Christmas 2009. And you will surely see me there on December 16 to watch the sequel. I apologize again for the length of this post, but I feel like I had some catching up to do. Anywhy, the game is afoot! I want to finish The Hound of the Baskervilles already. 
P.S. This post was supposed to go in an entirely different direction, based on the title, but I seem to have gotten lost in my own words again.

10. I SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I AM UP TO NO GOOD

I REFUSE TO GIVE UP HARRY POTTER EVEN THOUGH IT'S OVER FOREVER. Sorry I haven't posted anything recently, but I've been quite busy.. again. A few nights ago I went to see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II AND IT WAS BLOODY AMAZING.  I was shaking the whole time because I already knew what was going to happen so I was anticipating all the horrible things that were yet to occur. BUT OH GOODNESS, I cried so much. And I never cry! (except at the dentist.) Oh and SPOLIERS! Sorry.. anywho, I think I cried the most when Snape died. And Fred! Ahhh why did he have to die?! And Lupin!?!? He was my favorite teacher! AND HE JUST GOT MARRIED AND HAD A KID AND HIS WIFE HAS TO DIE TOO?! Oh lordy. Okay, what else have I been doing the past few weeks.. I went to Napa to ride in a hot air balloon! It was pretty darn exciting! And I repainted my room (and lots of other rooms in the house), and moving furniture is some stressful stuff, especially when your allergies are as bad as mine. I HATE THEM. So yes, quite busy indeed! But regarding the schoolwork.. I finished all my APUSH outlines! Why yes, I have! AND some of the vocabulary as well! I still need to get started on AP Bio, and I only have exactly one month left. How unfortunate. Anyway, about the reading.. I tried to finish Into the Wild while I was in line waiting for HP, but the moment was too darn exciting that I got distracted and only read a few pages. So I don't have much to say about it. Anywhat, I'M GETTING MY BRACES REMOVED IN TWO WEEKS! Finally, after four years, and having my orthodontist say, "You're almost done!" for two of them, I SHALL HAVE STRAIGHT TEETH. On that day, I wish to go to a candy store and buy many jawbreakers and lots of taffy. And I will eat a gigantic burger and won't get stuff in my teeth. How very exciting! Alrighty then, I suppose I am done for today. This post isn't really about my reading, I guess. More like an update, if you will. In case you were wondering what happened to me. YOU ARE CARING, YOU ARE.
P.S. I apologize for the length of this post. But I hope it kept you entertained nonetheless.

9. BUT DON'T CALL ME A LIAR

SO TECHNICALLY breaking promises is not the same as lying either. Yes, I still haven't continued reading. I TRIED to finish On Writing yesterday, but I was actually quite busy doing my APUSH outlines, which I am also behind on. So my history book is what I've been reading for the past few days, and I've learned a lot. I also finally memorized the original thirteen colonies. (I swear I really did memorize them but actually listing them here would take too much space and you probably wouldn't believe me anyway cause I still could've looked in the book or something.) Anywho, another reason I was quite busy is because I was in Napa yesterday. I was SUPPOSED to go hot-air ballooning this morning but the darn unusual weather "did not permit!" So that sucked. What a waste of waking up at 4am! And yet another reason to call me a liar because I already told everyone I would be on a hot-air balloon today and that is not true at all. At least it wasn't my fault, but yeah.. darn these few days of weird summer rain! 

8. LIARS PROSPER

That was on the first page of On Writing. So even though I agree, I would like to make one tiny confession: I haven't finished reading ANY of those books yet. Ohh, aren't I hilarious. Well you see, before summer started, I arranged myself a carefully scheduled calendar. And if I consistently follow that schedule, I should be done with all my summer work by the middle of July. BUT I seem to have underestimated my amazing ability to procrastinate. I tried to stay on schedule as best as I possibly could, so even when I didn't finish a book by the assigned date, I started another book anyway. Goodness gravy I should be done with all of them by now and outlining Chapter 3 of APUSH, but I'm procrastinating on that too. SO I think I'll start.. finishing How to Read Literature Like a Professor now. P.S. I was never even lying in the first place. Withholding information is not the same as being dishonest. 

7. TAKE ME TO THE MOVIES

I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE HARRY POTTER OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS. Anywho, I'm still reading On Writing. It's pretty entertaining reading about Stephen King's childhood. I found another thing we have in common: I love movies too! If I could go back in time, I would probably go to the 50s. I would have loved to go to the movies and see a "Poepicture!" I know I've seen remakes, but I don't think I've watched many of those originals from the 60s. I love the genre: scifi and horror and stuff like that, and anything related to Edgar Allan Poe I'll probably like. Anyway, I was a little surprised when he said he didn't like Disney movies. Well I suppose I wasn't THAT surprised, knowing the kind of stuff that he writes, but.. everyone loves Disney! "Snow White and the Seven Goddam Dwarves"... well I don't really like Snow White too much either. I guess it wasn't his fault that the first Disney movies he was exposed to weren't the best. Okay I don't know if I'm defending Disney or attacking it, so I'll stop now. Oh, you know what my favorite line from a movie based on a Stephen King story is? "Oh Billy! I think i just turned my Fruit-of-the-Looms into a fudge factory! Oh Billy!!" -Stand By Me

6. DON'T REMIND ME

So now I'm reading On Writing by Stephen King. I love Stephen King, so I was excited to read one of his books this summer, even though it's not one of his horror stories or anything. Anywho, I just got through the part where he talks about his childhood illnesses. That part really entertained me. I'm not a sadist and enjoy other people's misery or anything, but I loved how I could relate. Every six months for the past eleven years of my life, I feel like torture always awaits me at the dentist. The dentist for me is like Stephen King's "ontiologist." My whole life so far has been cavity fillings and tooth extractions and braces ripping up my gums. Also, I had to get my wisdom tooth removed last summer (they kept calling the procedure a "surgery," which made me so much more scared than I already was), and that was the worst two weeks of my life. The "surgery" only took a few hours and they put me to sleep, but the time spent before and after was just horrible. I won't go into detail, but I did write a story chronicling my experience for an English assignment last year, just letting you know. So anyway, while I thoroughly enjoyed that chapter of this book, it did bring back some pretty horrible memories. Which I did not enjoy. 

5. DON'T BE A HERO

That's MY job. Don't worry, dear citizens; I'll save the day! Not really. But I wish. My life is so boring, I just wish I was a superhero or something. I still like to pretend. But I think I'm pretty close! When I was a kid, I always wanted to be the brave one, because all the other kids were too scared. I would be the one to turn on the lights in a dark room, while my friends were too afraid to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. If I was in a movie, I would be the one who would try to be a hero right after someone yells, "Don't be a hero!" I would be that stupid girl in horror films that audiences get frustrated at because she opened the closet. The only thing I'm truly scared of is the dentist. But I think that's such a ridiculous thing to be scared of, so I refuse to be afraid of anything else. I try my best to keep this up, but "Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." I hope no one sees right through me. Anywho, I was trying to blend my little life story with what I've read so far in Into the Wild. This Chris McCandless guy must be pretty darn brave to give up everything to go live in the wilderness. Or maybe he's just crazy. I'm yet to find out his motive. Hmm, what else did I want to comment on? Oh yeah, I think his assumed name is pretty hilarious. 'Alexander Supertramp'... I laugh whenever I read it. Now THAT is a proper superhero name. In other news, the Giants won today! And.. congratulations Dallas.