It's A Party in your Bedroom All Night Long

My disposables finally came in. Note to self, do not let someone shake the camera to try and take more photos, it messes up the film. By the way, these will be posted on my photoblog. Happy Birthday Julia!

Just saying I think food makes everyone happy, especially homemade red velvet cupcakes. YUM!

There's me in the middle, and I was holding water.

My friends  love balloons.

This was the birthday girl, she was so happy and excited and she still talks about it. This will always bring a smile to my face.

This is her "ducky" face.

Obsessed with TED

I have a sick obsession, with TED.

No, TED is not a person, or a movie about a talking teddy bear.
TED or TED talks, are what help me wake up in the morning, what gives me ideas and inspiration, what feeds my vast hunger for knowledge beyond the set in stone high school curriculum. It's like your sitting down low, the lights are on, even if you neck hurts from looking up, or your seat is squeaky, or you have a horrid coughing attack it's alright. You in a room with a bunch of strangers, people you don't know, people who have great ideas, and people who want to open up. I think TED talks should be called "Get Smart in 15 or so minutes!" Because, literally all of them, no matter how monotone the speakers voice was, how distracting it was that they were moving around, or how I might not have heard a word they said because of some thick accent from a country I can't pronounce, they all teach me something. All I want to do is see people breaking the bonds of normality with open minds and open hearts. I want to see people stepping away from troubles, and maybe that means stepping into failure, but the way they rise up from it, is simply magical.
I want to know what freedom tastes like, and I want to live with little possessions to my name.
Why you ask?
Because, in all honesty, who isn't yearning for the next product that the great minds at Apple will think up and create?
Who isn't waiting for the next big thing, I mean how flatter can T.V.'s really get?
Who isn't watching the fashion shows, and worrying about how much they eat, or what they look like to others.
I think you should be worrying about 3 simple things.
1) If you are happy.
2) If you are doing what you love.
3) If you've changed the world, whether massively, or you made the smallest peak in the mountain.

Also, you have to understand nobody is perfect.

Yesterday I was talking to my dad about these popular kids at my school, and how my neighbor (who I used to have lots of fun with) forgets she knows me because they are all her friends. But, no-one is perfect, and I can't blame her for the actions of her friends. Everyone in high school no matter kid or adult is gonna be a coward. Like seriously, everyone. So that kid who bullies your friend, well they were bullied their whole life by their parents. Don't worry about the people who don't care,  but don't hate them either, you've got to let them live their life because you don't know their story. However, thinking about it, I am still upset. But more-so upset with myself, because I could have spoken up, I could've talked to my neighbor, but I avoided it. I could've made friends with people, but I was afraid I wasn't good enough for them.

I can get over this, it will just take time, change doesn't happen in a day.
But three things I'm gonna try in addition to my previous three things are,

1) stop gossiping, or letting gossip happen, either say "I don't wanna talk about this" or bring something else up. But don't ever start it, it will come back around, because it's in the 10 commandments.

2) Tell myself I love myself, in the mirror, every a.m. and night, then for 30 seconds visualize who I want to become, and where I wanna go in 2 years.

3) Watch my top 3 ted talks every night to work toward my goals.

You have (waste)d a lot of time!

I'm listening to waste by foster the people
 this particular line from the chorus struck me as I was procrastinating,

"And every day that you wanna waste, 
That you wanna waste, you can
And every day that you wanna wake up
You wanna wake, you can
And every day that you wanna change, 
That you wanna change, yeah
I'll help you see it through
'Cause I just really wanna be with you"

(Foster the People // Waste)

1) not finishing my overload of papers I never did for history
2) not studying for chemistry or doing any chem hw which I don't think we had, but who knows
3) not studying for english, not reading the 8 chapters I'm behind on, and not filling out the sheets and not looking up my 40 something vocab words.

And I have Chemisty Block, and History Block.
and I might just cry, and no study hall.....
BTW, my english project is due due due on Thursday.


TOMORROW WILL BE BAD
 but on the bright side.....

i. I'm ordering my cameras and lenses so I can start my documentary.
ii. I'm finally getting a penny board.
iii. I think I'm going to paint this with my friend.
iv. I'm going to wake up at 5am to run.
v. I'm supposed to go ice skating but I don't feel like going anymore and would rather
plan a surprise birthday for my best friend Elijah.
vi. We have this awesome school tournament on thursday.
vii. I'm getting my disposables, possibly by thursday!

sorry for this rant,
it was needed for me to calm the heck down.

Casey

Some Songs

I've been listening to some great tunes lately, so I thought I'd share.

California Sunrise // Dirty Gold
Lanterns // Birds of Tokyo 
One Day // Sharon Van Etten
I Found You // Alabama Shakes
A Beautiful Morning // The Rascals
Miles Away // Years Around the Sun
John Brown // Heron
Someday // The Strokes
Flowers in Your Hair // The Lumineers
Heart it Races // Dr. Dog
It's Nice to Be Alive // Ball Park Music
We Only Go Backwards // Tame Impala
Busman's Holiday // Allah-Las
Four Provinces // The Walkmen

I have a strange taste in music, and I don't put labels on it.
Enjoy the songs, even if you don't know them or don't think you'll like them, they're all pretty decent.

It's been too long

Hi, everyone!




Wow, I started this blog around Thanksgiving with hopes that it would be successful documentation for me about my life. But, I've been slacking. Not only with this, but lately with homework as well. You see, I wasn't sure of having a future where I currently go to school right now, and I was going to switch schools, meaning junior year and senior year would be crazy. I found this awesome program, and out of high expectations thought I could convince my parents to let me go for a semester in junior year and one in senior year as well, and then even to graduate early and work as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. Yeah, I guess I didn't realize those expectations were a bit too high.

Now I still might be able to convince my parents to let me go during the Junior or Senior year however hard it may be with the workload I'll be getting I want to give it a shot.

This summer will be great and I can already feel it, but to stay in the present.
I'd like to post my goals.

i. Take more pictures.
ii. Get outdoors.
iii. Sing in the Spring Showcase.
iv. Visit a coffee shop with my friends.
v. Read more books.
vi. Make Heads List.
vii. Get up earlier, and go to bed earlier.
ix. Try something new. (surfing!!!)
x. Limit time spent on the computer, but make time for my blog at the same time.
xi. Embrace failure!
xii. Respond positively to things you don't like, don't wanna do, or things that are hard.
xiii. Send a letter to Wes Anderson.
xiv. Spend more time doing things I love, even if that means, "me" time.
xv. Run more!

So that is a pretty long list of goals and I don't expect to have all of them "completed" because change is a lengthly process, that no one wants to go through, especially not me, but I know it's needed. I hope you all are having a great Monday, but tonight brings me to the end of my great 4-day weekend and back into the long haul of homework for a high school sophomore, ha-ha.

I'll end with another quote

The benefits of the accomplished journey cannot be weighed in terms of perfect moments, but in terms of how this journey affects and changes our character. -Ella Maillart