He's Gone.

I really don't know what to say.

It's a Simple Request...

... but sometimes it's the simple things that are hardest to do. Which is why it has taken me until now to ask, even though I've wanted to do so for hours.

Would you be too terribly offended, Internet Reader, if I asked you for your prayers? These days, everybody is so touchy about political correctness and where religion belongs and not offending anyone and not doing ANYTHING for fear of stepping on someone's toes. But, in a case like this, I feel that not doing anything is worse than offending the random reader. I'm sorry, but it's true; I don't mean to be rude, but in a case like this, I feel like I should be able to ask you what I please. I mean, it's not like I'm forcing you to do anything; it's just a simple request.

I simply ask you to pray.

Earlier today (well, technically, yesterday, because it's now past midnight, but it still feels like today because I haven't been able to sleep) a kid at my high school caught on fire.

Not one of those little, oops-I-caught-my-sleeve-on-fire-in-a-bunsen-burner-and-singed-all-the-hairs-off-my-arm-and-ruined-my-favorite-shirt-but-I'm-fine fires. That wouldn't cause our entire school to go on lockdown. Teachers wouldn't be freaking out, crying-in-the-hallways freaking out, because of that.

I'm talking human-torch-style caught on fire. Burnt-beyond-recognition type of fire. The kind of fire that leaves 70% of your body covered in critical burns, so that you have to be airlifted to a burn center hours away in an entirely different state because you've been hurt so bad.

And that's why I ask you to pray. Pray for him, because he is hurt that bad. Because he did catch on fire that way. And pray for us, my campus, my school, my teachers, my peers. Because some of us saw that; we saw him walking, burning; we heard him and then had to wait hours to find out what had happened, what his condition was, who he was. A junior. Someone we all know. Someone who now is lucky that he was able to walk and talk as they put him in the ambulance. One who know is hopefully safe in a hospital bed, with the best of doctors caring for him, working his way to recovery.

We still don't know how it happened. Why it happened. How he's doing now.

We do know that he came from the parking lot of our school, that his car was on fire; there was too much smoke for just him. That all our thoughts and prayers and support go out to him and his family, by blood and by friendship; that we who saw him as others tried to help will support each other, because there are just some things that you never learn to unsee, and a classmate lit up like a movie stunt-man staggering outside your classroom window is definitely one of them.

We know that my school will and is supporting everyone who needs it. We're raising money to help his family with the medical bills. We're wearing white tomorrow. We're wearing red the day after. We prayed today; we prayed so much today.

So please, join us. Just keep him in your thoughts, and wish him on to full recovery. Include him in your prayers. Wear white tomorrow (today, technically) and red the day after.

One boombox can change the world, kid. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Fa-la-la-la-la la la-la-la

So, I know I promised that I would tell you that funny/awkward story about the MIT interview um.. yesterday. And I had planned on it, honest. But then, I remembered:
Today is a college app deadline.

Ergo, yesterday was spent on college app. essays.

And, I would tell you all about it now, except for the fact that today is something else; something even more exciting.

Today, I get to go see the Vienna Boys' Choir perform... for free.

How?

Because I'm a member of my school's Junior Intermezzo club. Which is part of an educational program run by the local Concert series people. All very cool stuff. Already this year, I've gotten to see the 5 Browns perform (if you don't know about them, go read this, then watch this and check out their website.) and then talk with them after the performance! :D The youngest brother, Ryan, actually chatted with me about musician-y type stuff! Even though I'm not really a serious musician (I've had lessons off and on in various things, but nothing really ever stuck with me... well, except the guitar. Her name's Jessica.) it was still really cool!

There was another performance I couldn't attend, unfortunately, because I didn't have a ride to/from (well, actually, it ended up that I could have gone, but at that point it was too late to get the ticket for me :( sadness). That was the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and I'm sooooo unbelievably jealous of all those who got to go.

But now I got to go. It's almost 6:00, and I've got to get ready to be at the concert at 7! YAY Christmas special! Don't worry, I'll update you on it as soon as I can (and tell you about MIT!), and will probably go through this whole mad ramble again the next time Junior Intermezzo is going to a concert.

Oh, and by the way: Happy Hanukkah, everybody! Let the holiday season begin!

[Insert Clever Title About Busy Days Here]

Aaaaahhh! Honest-to-goodness, I've sat here for the past 15 minutes and still don't know what to write. Today has been so busy; I want to tell you all about it but I just don't know what to say! All I want to do is go straight to sleep!

(By the way, I think this will be a post full of !, mainly because I am trying to stay awake! And ! make me feel excited! And therefore, not sleepy!)

I do have a really funny story to tell you guys about today, but I think I will save that for tomorrow; at least then, I'll be awake enough (hopefully!) that I can tell the story and make sense. I'll just say this: it was rather awkward!

But, I got my thesis turned in! YAY YAY YAY :D :D :D
(I cannot emphasize how happy I am about this!)

Unfortunately (and, somewhat amusingly), my advisor had forgotten that it was due today, so he looked rather confused as I handed him my 100+ pg document, all in it's nice little manila envelope (with my mom's name on it... it was an old envelope! I just used it to keep my thesis nice!). And then I was like *is asleep* all during the rest of my classes.

I did:
- get a nice powernap in first period. :)
- start learning a case study in AP CS
- get to finish watching that AMAZING movie we watched in French. LOVE.
- create an absolutely FUN idea for the yearbook spread I'm working on for the next deadline. It's gonna be EPIC :D
- leave school early

I did not:
- miss any notes/important stuff (I think)
- have a very good lunch. :/ It was rather ick.
- get a call from the UVa guy
- have an absolute melt-down panic attack

And I had an amazingly good interview w/ the guy for MIT! So all in all, very good day. But I think that now, with such a light hw load as I have, I might go to sleep. (yes, I understand it's 7:30. I'm THAT TIRED guys. :D)

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...

Is coming way too fast! And could it be any more hectic? Methinks not.

First of all, tomorrow is my final thesis deadline! Wooo! I mean, after tomorrow, I'm going to be done, right?

- not really. I'll still have to edit stuff (probably), and then I have to schedule my oral defense. X(

- plus, I have to make sure I finish up everything in time for tomorrow's deadline. I'M STILL NOT DONE! Yikes!

Then, sometime tomorrow morning, I /might/ be having a phone-call-interview-thingy with one of the CS prof. at UVa (my dream school, as of now... I wanna become a programmer, which they're good at, plus they have so much other stuff available if I change my mind! Also, Charlottesville is SOOO pretty :D). Which would be find, except for the fact that it's a MAYBE. Which means it might not be happening after all. And I've forgotten exactly what I was going to ask the guy. Yay.... more stress....

Finally, as if that weren't enough, I have another college interview thing! (At least this has been confirmed: it will be happening, people! Which means that, one way or the other, you will be hearing about it sometime soon.) But here's the thing:

1) It's required for my application to this college. The deadline for this was Dec. 10th (just arranging the interview, which is nice; real app. due Jan 1st), so it's good that I'm getting this done. But man, am I nervous!

2) It's right after school. I mean RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL. As in, 4:00. My school gets out at 3:15! And then I have to fight traffic to get downtown to the guy's office in the middle of downtown (wherever I live :D) in time for the interview. Which means that I will probably be getting out of school early. Again, nice, but still, it makes this a Very Big Deal

3) This interview? The one I've been spazzing about? The one that I'm freaking out about because I have no idea what to say/wear/do for? That I have in NO WAY WHATSOEVER prepared for because my entire Thanksgiving break I've been focusing on my thesis and getting it ready for tomorrow?

You know, that interview?

It's for MIT.

That's right. MIT. As in, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Oh.
Em.
Gee.

I am so freaked out right now. I guess that means I should get back to rewriting my epistolary story, so at least that will be done. Farewell all.

*panic attack*

Tomorrow will be fun...

Red Roses (65 of Them, To Be Exact...)

I know what you must be thinking: OMG, 2 posts in as many days, what is the world coming to?

NO, it is not apacolypse now. However, I have started working on finishing up my thesis, so hopefully (fingers crossed here!) I'll have everything done in time for Monday's deadline.

But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about.

Earlier this evening, while taking a break from homework (and therefore, spending my time on Facebook - that website eats your SOUL, but it does keep you updated) I was told to go look up the story of Eva Markvoort.

Oh. My. Gosh.

If you haven't heard about her, please read this and then go to her blog and read this.

I'm starting you off at the beginning. I still haven't reached the end (OH, but I want to read it straight through! Stuipd thesis, getting in the way!) but I will. But I can't wait until I've finished reading her story to spread it.

My friend who told me about her blog stumbled upon this by accident, but as he told me, it had him in tears by the end. I've only read about 6 months of the blog, and I've already cried. Twice.

I want to give all my love to Eva's family. Know that you are in my prayers. And Eva, may you rest in peace.

Oh, Hi Guys.... (A Discussion on Inertia)

So, I realize that I've been really lame by not posting before now. I mean, my whole mission with this blog was to DOCUMENT THE SENIOR THESIS PROCESS, and now that it's (almost) done, I'm finally finding the time to post again.

Well, that would be because I'M ALMOST DONE WITH MY SENIOR THESIS, and now no longer have a huge black hole draining all my free-time.

So, all I have to do to finish this huge-collosal-massive project of mine is to compare a few analyses and make a few changes to the story that I wrote (more on this later), however, I have a question to ask you all:

Do you remember that law of physics? The one that says "an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force?"

Do you remember the other part of that law? Because just in case you don't, here's a refresher: "an object at rest will stay at rest unlessed acted upon by another force."

My final deadline for thesis is MONDAY people. AS IN, 3 DAYS FROM NOW. And yet, what am I doing?

I'm posting on a blog that I haven't posted on since January.

Anybody care to diagnose me?

Inertia is a horrible thing.

EDIT (11/28): Inertia is indeed very horrible. But it can be overcome by promises of shoe-shopping, food-court dinners, and an Imax-viewing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 (aka, HP7. The next one is HP7.5.)

RE: "This Is Such a Writer Conversation"

First of all, I'm sorry for not posting sooner than this... I've been sick. Remember all those coughdrops?
Well, it wasn't strep. But it was some icky virus of somesort. Which caused me to miss two days of school. Not fun.
I will probably be posting something again later today, but first, I need you guys to all go and read this.

Read it? Good. Cause otherwise, this will make no sense at all.

Meanwhile, on a different bus, headed in the opposite direction, two other writers, friends of the two mentioned in the above, are having a conversation of their own.

Okay, so, I don't exactly remember what was said, EXACTLY, so that I can give you a nice dialouge like my friend Bex. However, my friend KD and I were having a writing conversation of our own.

In short, we were discussing the appropriate uses of the words 'vestibule,' 'mudroom,' and 'foyer,' all of which mean the same thing, but that invoke different images.

Because a foyer is totally different from a mudroom.

That's all for now, folks.
Tonya

A small note on cough drops

In case I haven't mentioned it before: I think I might be sick. As in, strept throat. Which means every time I try to yawn, cough, swallow, and at some times talk, it hurts. Which means I'm sucking down cough drops like there's no tomorrow.

And for this bag, there might not be.

The problem is, popping them like they're candy is wreaking havoc on my supply. In fact, I've run out.

Well, not of all of them. Just the good kind.

You see, I like the Ricola Honey Lemon ones... they just taste so smooth and natural, and are more for sore throat than coughing. Which is what I need. Unfortunately, they're all gone.

So I'm stuck with the Halls 3-pack from Costco. The flavors? Cherry, and Honey Lemon.

You might be thinking "Well that's okay, you still have your Honey Lemon, and pain relief, why are you complaining?" That would be because I DON'T LIKE HALLS HONEY LEMON. Don't ask me why. I don't know. I'm not a psyciatrist.

Imagine this: you reach into your pocket full of cough drops, fully expecting another burst of cherry flavoring to fill your mouth; not exactly what you want, but you're making the most of what's available to you. You don't pay attention whe you take off the wrapper; you can open these things with one hand in the dark if you have to. You pop it into your mouth, and your cruelly betrayed tongue is burned with the combination of lemon and mynthol.

Yeah, that just happened to me a little while ago. Needless to say, I'm slightly upset.

And I still don't know where the glitter came from, but it's not coming off. I tried.

Over and out.

EDIT: I now have the Ricola Honey Lemon cough drops. All is well, folks.

"I don't like his feet."

That, my dear friends, is a quote. And not just any quote: it's a cute quote from an amazing movie that everyone should definitely see. Even if it is "old."

What movie is this, you may ask Internet reader (Do you mind if I call you Internet reader? No? Good.)? A classic, that's what. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Yep, that's what I watched for the first time earlier tonight. And it was amazing.

I mean, I'd seen parts of it; everyone knows the famous "E.T. phone home" quote, and seen the image of Elliott and E.T. on a bike in midair, silhouetted against a ginormous full moon. And, thanks to WMP, I'd seen a clip from the end of the movie, in which Elliott's in a blanket (that's all I'm going to say; you'll get no spoilers from me Internet reader).

But now I've seen the whole thing. I've been exposed to "culture."

We'll ignore the fact that right before this, I was watching kiddie cartoons with my little sisters. What, it's based off a book!

Whoa... I just noticed that my hands are covered in glitter. I have no idea how this happened. But I'm thinking that it would be a rather interesting story, once I find out.

For those of you only interested in the quote, it was said by Gertie, Elliott's younger sister (played by Drew Barrymore), about E.T. It was adorable.

Agent Tonya, signing off.

P.S.: As much as I love libraries, and the free book/DVD use concept, it is rather annoying when you are stopped MULTIPLE times during the course of a movie to check the disc for scratches. When checking stuff out from a library, try your best to take care of it, for me, please? Because you never know when I might be able to do something for you, once I inherit the world. Not that I will... or will I? :D I'll keep you posted.

Welcome!

To all you new readers, Welcome! And to all you old readers... well I would say welcome back, but I don't have any of you now do I?

I hope this will all make sense. I am currently running on hot green tea and cough drops, but more on that subject later.

These are, or will be, mission reports. In fact, this is all you will get as a debriefing. This information is provided only on a need-to-know basis.

In short, what you read? All you need to know.

This is a record of life as a Magnet student, and will comprehend all aspects thereof, such that pertain to the the mission. Anything and everything that is relevant will be included in here, as well as some that is irrelivant intirely. It is up to you to figure out what is which, and so on.
Ergo, all is fair game for inclusion: inside jokes, sly references, rants, raves, book reviews, homework complaints, procrastination attempts: the works. Plus or minus randoms song lyrics, quotes, or poetry.

This would be the point where I'd make a cute/funny/wise comment, but my music's out and the tea is cold.

Agent Tonya, signing off.