Life Without Popcorn

I had a great shopping trip with my mom, aunt, and uncle’s sister yesterday. I got a whole lot of fantabulous new clothes that I just can’t wait to wear. OHMYGOSH! I just realized something! It’s Independence Day! Haha. Happy Fourth Of July. And happy birthday, all my friends who have birthdays on this day.

I probably should write something about the price paid by so many men women to make our country free or something of the sort. But I’m a little Revolutionary War-ed out. And I have absolutely no idea what to say. So how about this: You guys leave a comment saying something and if it’s really good, I’ll post it in a later post. How does that sound?

Now, on to the details of my fun. After shopping, I joined a game of dimple. I had joined the game later and two members of my team had bet their share of cookies for the entire day. Because I came late, I did not have to share their losses. My dad sat below the dunk tank and immediately my uncle and his brothers began throwing tennis balls at the target. After several throws and one lost ball, someone else got to soak my dad. I really do like that dunk tank. We roasted marshmallows and then, I took a siesta (that’s a fancy term for nap, and I love it!) After my siesta, we played bingo. My aunt brought fabulous prizes and I won a glowstick. All of my brothers and sisters won too, except for F.V. But my grandma won and gave her prize to her, so it’s all good. After bingo, we played Scattergories. It was the first time I’d ever played and I had a blast. I thought of a couple words that no one else thought of , but I didn’t win, because I didn’t always fill out the list.

Then I went to bed in the camper. And now I’m in a living room full of lots of people who are talking. But not distracting me. I just love this time of year. I’m going to go hang with them now.

Oh wait, P.S. Ethan, what is your deal? I’m going to see you very soon. Okay fine ya big whiner. I… missyoutons. There, happy now?

Hi guys! Well I’m back in PA, but this time it’s by choice, and I’m sleeping in a camper instead of a hotel room. We got in at around 8 last night, hung out for about an hour, and then went swimming. After that, we ate a most deliciously scrumptious chocolate that was baked by my wonderfully loving aunt. THANK YOU AUNT T!!!! We also had ice cream, but although it was good, it wasn’t as good as the cake.

I opened a present from my uncle and birthday cake-making aunt and got two of the cutest shirts ever, plus a beautiful necklace. If you happen to see me in the next couple of days, I probably will be wearing one of the shirts. I am serious, the shirts are too cool for school. Only I don’t have to worry about school dress code, so I’m good.

I slept pretty much okay in the camper. I sleep in it every year we are here. Only T.C. took the bigger mattress. So I then claimed it for tonight. We’ll see how that works out. I can’t pull the “it’s my birthday so you have to be nice” card anymore, because my birthday is over. Not that I pull that card very often. I might have to wrestle him out of the mattress, or better yet, wait till he’s asleep and then push him out of the mattress and onto the floor. Then take the mattress for myself. Think it will work?

Okay, well I’m done now. I’ll try to keep you all updated regularly, but I might be busy diving off the diving board, or roasting marshmallows or something or other.

P.S. Hey Ashley, I miss you tons!!

Okay, so maybe that isn’t the best thing to say. But it’s true! Today is my fifteenth birthday! We did trifle and presents last night because we are leaving for Pennsylvania today. I’m so excited because on Tuesday, we go straight from PA to West Virginia. I was really sad when we couldn’t go in February because of headlice, but now it’s okay, because WE’RE GOING ON TUESDAY!!

I’m also excited that it’s my birthday. Unfortunately for me, I can’t get my driver’s permit till next year, thanks to the driving laws here. It’s funny; I have friends in other states who are younger than me, yet will be able to drive before me.

Well anyway, I’m off to probably go back to sleep. It’s my birthday, and I get to sleep in. YAYNESS!!!

I’m supposed to be working on my research paper, and I am, but I just had to share this with you all. And I feel bad because I haven’t posted for a while. Anyway, so I was working on my paper when I decided to google “Traitors in the American Revolutionary War” And guess who’s name showed up the most? Why Benedict Arnold of course! Boy did that guy screw up. He’s now forever known as the traitor to America. I bet that if he had a blog like mine, years after the war, he would have a post talking about how he was “doomed forever to be known as the traitor” Serves him right, the meanie!  Ah well, we won the war anyhow. No need to be all bitter about a great guy who became not so great. He’s been dead for a while and we’re friends with Britain. Okay, well I have to get back to research paper-ing. Thanks for your time. BYE!

Enjoy

This is where we broke down the first time

The lady on the right is the one who pulled over to help us. The one in the middle is my grandmother and the one on the left is the lady's sister

In the truck, for the first time

Our first hotel room

Waiting at the dealership

Some really nice people we met while waiting at the dealership

According to my grandmother, this was a scary tunnel

I felt like taking a picture of this cute lil' barn

Me hanging with my great-grandmother's best friend's great-granddaughter ( I think she liked me because of the cool bracelet I was wearing)

Isn't she a cutie?

My grandmother's cousin's ( I guess that makes him my third cousin?) really cool car

It's not too immature to pretend to drive, is it?

Jus' chillin' with my puppy dog at my great-grandmother's house

Me at the Hopewell Indian Mounds

They're like America's pyramids

That low earth wall you see surrounds the whole burial ground

Um, yeah. Maybe I don't look too good in the hat....

We went to this amazing thrift store and I found these outrageous shoes that made me like 20 feet tall! I about killed myself wearing them

Getting the actors' autographs after seeing the play "Tecumseh!"

This is a friend. And Tecumseh. And me

This is Tenscwatawa. Thanks to his selfish choice, Tecumseh died. But still, he has a pretty cool costume.

"On the road again..." Oh wait, we're not moving. Call the tow truck!

Are you ready for a two hour drive in a tow truck?

Aw, my good friend!

Going into the hotel

Is this not a cool pic?

Dunno why I took a picture of this. Guess I was bored, waiting for a tow truck.

....

Well as you can see, it was quite a trip Lots of adventure and excitement. My grandmother and I have agreed that we shouldn't travel together, since when we did, it turned out to be nothing that we expected. Hope my trip for the fourth of July goes fine. Guess where I'm going? Pennsylvania!

Well yesterday afternoon I finally arrived at home. It had taken three days to complete a one day trip and the car had been towed four different times. If any of you mentions being towed to me in the next couple of weeks, I will explode into a hysterical mess of laughter and fury no mortal has ever seen. Okay, now with that out of the way, I will tell you about Mike. Mike was our chauffeur so to speak. He drove us around the PA countryside for two hours on Thursday and two hours Friday. And then left us at hotels. I think you all know what Mike does for a living. He rescues unfortunate women (and men) on the side of the road when their vehicles are not functioning properly. I met three of these men, Doug, John and Mike. I also met other people who’s pictures I took and will post later.

But first, I have fantastic news to share with you all.

I’M MOVING!!! But not out of state, just to another town, closer to our church and friends. I’m so psyched because the house my parents found is HUGE!! It has a finished basement, an upstairs and a downstairs, two fireplaces, a ginormous kitchen, a deck outside, a fire pit outside and it’s only minutes away from a bunch of my friends. The only catch is that we move in less than a month. And I still have a research paper to write and t-shirts to design and order. Oh boy. Do I have my work cut out for me or what?

Well our car broke down once again and we got fed up. So after the same tow truck driver as yesterday pulled us into another BMW dealership, we went and got a rental car. So finally we will be heading home; and not tow truck by tow truck. And in case you all are wondering, I did get my chocolate. And even wrote a poem about it.

Some like coffee

Some like tea

But there’s only one thing

That works for me

It’s fantastically rich

And smooth and sweet

It’s most definitely

A treat hard to beat

I could eat it all day

And devour it at night

It there’s not much left

I might have to fight

It melts in your mouth

It melts in your hand

It’s easily found

All over the land

It keeps me sane

On the side of the road

Or riding for hours

While our car’s being towed

When panic starts to rise

And things couldn’t seem worse

I just reach a hand

Down deep in my purse

Out comes my lifeline

Which I gratefully unwrap

And break off a piece

With a satisfying snap

I pop it in my mouth

And my crankiness goes away

It leaves me feeling better

For the rest of the day

Unless it’s particularly bad

And then I need more

But it’s not hard to find

It’s in almost any store

What makes me feel better?

Oh come on, don’t you know?

When you’re feeling down

Chocolate’s the way to go!

Well, what do you think. Oh and to answer Ethan’s question, the last poem took about 15 to 20 minutes to write. This one took about 30 to 45.

I’m not sure if that’s how you spell it, but that’s where I am. In PA. I spent two days in Ohio and then headed back home. But, get this, the car broke down almost in the same exact spot`as we did on Sunday. Yep. But we aren’t back in Washington PA, instead we’re in Monroesvile. It’s kinda creepy because we broke down in about the same area at about the same time. Isn’t that just a little strange? So now I’m in another hotel with my grandmother and great-grandmother, typing on my grandmother’s laptop, which she so graciously let me use. The hotel is very nice and I’ve tested the bads already. Meaning I bounced on them. Hey, I’m a stressed-out, growing teenaged girl; I need some stress-relief! Anyhow, we were picked up by a tow truck driver and hauled all across PA’s senic back roads. For a good two hours. After a while, I got worked up inside that I just put on my earphones and played TobyMac and Alvin and the Chipmuncks really loud. But not so loud as to make me deaf folks. The vehicle has been seen by so many different mechanics. We can only hope that we will get home after this repair. So yeah, I’m probably going to get a shower soon, because my hair feels just plain gross after riding with the windows down. I’ll elaborate more on my trip either tomorrow, or whenever I get home. Catch you on the flip!

Oh wait, P.S. I need to say a huge thank you to my mother, who made the awesome new header for me. Isn’t it just fantastic? Thank you Mom! I love you!

Wow. Two posts in the same day. Aren’t you all proud of me? Haha. So right now I’m at the BMW dealership in goodness-knows-where PA.  I knew the name once, but I forgot. This dealership place also does repairs (or do all dealerships do that?) and boy is it’s customer lounge nice. They have a fancy-schmancy Starbucks coffee/tea/cocoa maker and a pretty bowl of apples and bananas and a basket of Lays chip products and a mini-fridge full of coke, sprite, diet coke and water. Plus a flat screen TV, leather couches, a kids playroom and computer. We met a really nice lady, her daughter and her mother while waiting. Her daughter is the sweetest bundle of joy I have ever seen (aside from my own brothers and sisters of course!) I took a picture of them and will post it when I get back. (And yes, I asked permission) Okay well I have to go to the bathroom now because I drank a can of coke about an hour ago. We finally got  the results with what’s wrong with the vehicle and will hopefully be out of here later on today. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us.

Oh before I go and see if the bathrooms are as nice as the waiting area, let me share with you a silly little poem I wrote while waiting.

We had some issues with directions

When we tried to leave early yesterday

Ended up departing an hour late

But didn’t let that get in our way

Had to make a couple stops

For a much needed potty-break

We were pretty sure we were in the right direction

But didn’t know the time it would take

So we were driving along the interstate

When a light started blinking

“There’s nothing wrong”  we said to ourselves

But that was just silly thinking

Sitting on  the side of the road

Baking in the hot sun

We didn’t expect the car to break down

We just wanted to have some fun

So now we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere

But we’ve met some really nice folks

I’m just waiting to wake up from this dream

And find this madness a joke

Well, what do you think?

Well it’s 7:30 in the morning and for the first time in a long time, I am fully dressed and have eaten. When I say “first time in a long time” I mean that I usually sleep and eat later than this. We are still at the hotel, hence the computer access. I still do not have an update on our *cough hostage cough* situation. Okay so mabye we’re not *cough hostages cough* but it seems like the car wants us to stay here. Haha.  I had a rather unhealthy breakfast of free hotel breakfast biscuits and sausage…..

Okay I confess,  I also had one, just one powdered donut. It was delish. But I only had one.

I hope you have a great day. Without any car trouble. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.