He who laughs hardest...

...has probably had the largest quantity of grandmom fantozzi's "death punch" Wassail
(and other things I'll need to remember this holiday season)

I regret to inform you that the title of this post has little to do with what I actually plan on writing about, but that is in fact something I will need to remember this holiday season--scheduling is hard, navigating the highways around Christmas isn't exactly a barrel of monkeys, but death punch is hilarious, and completely worth the trip...as is seeing all of my family, of course.

This post serves as an update on life...well, an update on the things that--I believe--actually matter to other people. We'll go in order from most recent--resume style, in honor of...well, you'll see.

1. I got into the North Penn Reporter and the Independent for the speech I gave to the school board! The speech, in short, was all about how the effects of the work stoppage are lowering student morale, and how the board is limiting the teachers' ability to help relieve the stress and frustration that we're feeling. I urged them to try seeing how the consequences of their actions affect us by actually...I don't know...visiting our school, and seeing for themselves why I'm scared when I walk into SHS every morning. It went over really well, mostly because students and teachers BOTH appreciated what I said (generally since I favor the teachers, students and I aren't on the same side--though what business a student has supporting the board is beyond me). I'm always so happy to see teachers' positive and supportive reactions to my words...it's part of what motivates me to continue speaking!

2. Joe is a GENIUS for connecting local and international current events with his suggestion to throw a shoe at B. Currie while walking out of the board meeting Thursday night. I wonder if his reflexes are as good as W's...AW I meant to tell that story today and I forgot. Well, you heard it here first. Joe. Hilarious. He gets points for this.

3. SAVE THE DATE!! My Ghana documentary is premiering on March 14th, 2009 at the Montgomery Theater, seats are limited--official invites to come after the holidays!

4. AP Lit is...the best class ever. And I'm very sad to see that we're finished the poetry unit, because that was MAJOR brain candy for me...delicious, nutritious interpretation of the likes of Whitman, Eliot, and Cummings. Extracting the meanings of these poems is like solving a mystery. It makes me feel like Robert Langdon (Da Vinci Code? Anyone? Sorry, I am SUCH a nerd). There's a comic by XKCD (#208) that begins, "Whenever I learn a new skill, I concoct elborate fantasy scenarios where it lets me save the day." And THAT is exactly how I feel about the things I learn in AP Lit--these days, Mr. Kreft totally has me wanting to switch to a Literature major and spend the rest of my life holed up in an ivory tower, becoming an expert on Woolf or Whitman or someone equally fabulous (and...bisexual? That's an odd constant). And of course, using my expertise to save the day from an antimatter explosion or something crazy like that, so Dan Brown can write a semi-biography on me. MMmmm.

5. I am the Indian Valley Women's Club senior girl of the month. I've yet to figure out exactly what that means, despite Mrs. Jackson's help. All I've been able to discover is that light desserts will be served.

6. I. Got. Into. American. Ohmygod, I got INTO AMERICAN! Top choice, number one school! Apparently it was the essay that drew them in...which didn't come as a huge surprise to me, since my grades are satisfactory but not earth-shattering. I bawled like a beauty pageant winner when I got the call, no lie!

7. I am quite behind the times, but there's an amazing pay-what-you-want CD by Girl Talk up online. I'm just posting the news because his mashups are the BEST. WORKOUT. MUSIC. EVER...especially 'No Pause.' So check out http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/ to download the album...again, for whatever price you want!

8. As Mr. Luck says: "For all you witches and wizards out there, happy Winter Solstice." The solstice is coming up, and I'm getting EXCITED, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of these short days. Solstice means we reach the halfway point of winter, and I'm ready to be over the hump.

and THAT is news.