laundry

Ever since I can remember, I have greatly enjoyed folding laundry. I love taking the freshly dried clothes out of the dryer and feeling that warmth. So snugly. To most this is a chore, but I race the bucket upstairs and empty it out on my parent's bed. First, I begin to sort: mom's, dad's, Molly's and my clothes into different piles. And then sort through the items of clothing. It is safe to say that I am obsessed with organization. Folding our families big fluffy towels is my favorite. There is something so relaxing about it all, so when ever I am feeling stressed I go and do the laundry. (:

the office. lost. mad men.

The DVR on my television is always stocked with the week's newest episodes of my favorite television shows. I don't have time to watch during the week, weekends at my house are always for playing catch up. 

My family started watching The Office when I was in fifth grade; we were all instantly hooked. I love the wit and jokes embedded in every second of the half hour long sitcom. My favorite character by far is Michael Scott played by Steve Carell. I was so upset when he left the show last season and I remember nearly tearing up on his last episode. Jim Halpert, however, I remember being one of my first crushes. 

I took both psychology I and II last year and at the beginning of psych II, Mrs. Weise had us watch the pilot episode of Lost. I remember over the years hearing Emma, my best friend, talk about how amazing it was, but I never took the time to watch it. After seeing it in class, it became my newest obsession. That same week was my seventeenth birthday and my mom bought me the first season because I was stuck at home sick. Snuggled up, watching a new show that I loved almost made being sick on my birthday worth it.  

My  family got Netflix over the summer and I had always heard great things about the show Mad Men; it was always winning prestigious awards... After starting the first episode about the drama set in a decade well before I was born, I was entranced. Seeing how things were in the past come to life on the screen made me want to keep watching. Also, Don Draper is one of my favorite television characters of all time. I can't wait until new episodes start again!

writing groups

The first time we talked about having writing groups in this class I was nervous to share my writing with others. Now that we are working on the trend paper, while writing my first 'crappy' draft all I could think was I couldn't wait to share my paper because I knew the other girls in my group would be able to help me in all of the areas that I am struggling in. I love hearing all of their views and new ideas, and am thankful for them catching all of my stupid mistakes! I am always more motivated to revise and edit after meeting with them and it's becoming my favorite part of the class.

the first house on the right

I have lived in the same house my entire life. Our house is different than any other on the block because the three car garage is perpendicular to the house, which makes a L-shape. The long concrete driveway extends far, curling around. I learned how to ride my bike on this driveway, and even though it's a pain to back out of, I much prefer ours over the standard small driveways that I see everywhere.

Walking in the wooden front door, a feeling of relief always washes over me. I am so comfortable here, no other place comes even close. The kitchen is open to the family room, making it easy to entertain and spend more time together as a family. I love the nights my younger sister and I would have sleepovers in the living room, even though both of our rooms were right upstairs. Speaking of my room, it has been lime green since I was eight years old. It is blinding. All of the furniture in my room is white, and when the light shines through from the big window... everything feels so light and clean. My basement, however, is my favorite room in the house. For years it has been the home for me and my best friends main hang out area. I couldn't count the number of secrets that have been shared there.

When I think back to who built this house, I don't have to go very far. My mom and dad purchased the lot in 1991 and built it to their liking. I love knowing that we were the only ones that have lived here. This truly is the Olson's. This truly is home.

last swim meet

Last night was the swim and dive team's last dual meet; it was also my last dual meet ever, since I am a senior. There were lots of girls gone due to injury and sicknesses, so our normally sixty girl team seemed much smaller. The team we were competing against was the Blaine Bengals. We had competed against them during our first meet back in September and lost badly. But we were a faster team then back then so everyone knew it was going to be a close meet.

During warm-up, I was practicing my turns. Flipping myself in the water, I pushed off the wall and a sharp pain coursed through my ankle. I instinctively reached for my ankle, clutching it as if it would make it feel better. I somehow got out of the pool and hopped my way over to the office to get an ice pack. I sat down, knowing that I would still have to swim tonight. Not swimming wasn't an option because I knew we already had so many people gone.

I cheered my way through the meet, wincing during my first two relays as I had to dive off of the block. My bandaged ankle stung with every step and I desperately wanted to crash on my bed. The last individual event of the night is one that I always swim. The 100 yard breaststroke. I was nervous to say the least. I kept thinking that this would be my last event ever, besides varsity sections which was still weeks away. I dove off the block, once again trying to ignore the pain. I could see the girl next to me, and I was ahead of her so I knew... I was swimming great.

I ended up swimming that event with the worst time in five years. I was embarrassed and upset with myself. The Rebels ended up winning, thank goodness my loss hadn't cost the team.

accepted

A few weeks ago I completed my applications for my top four schools: Madison, the U of M, St. Thomas and Eau Claire. I love each school for different reasons and I am going to have a real difficult job deciding which one to call home next fall. Two days in a row last week I received two acceptance letters! Both St. Thomas and Eau Claire are eager for me to join their schools. I was ecstatic! There was a huge weight of relief lifted off my shoulders. For the first time since senior year had started it felt like I could exhale.

migraines

For the past few years I have been the recipient of frequent migraines. Joy, joy. It's by far the most distracting thing in the world, and one of the most painful. I can feel the pain begin to creep up my neck and surround my skull. I have to thank my mother for two reasons on this subject. First, a sarcastic thanks because I inherited these migraines from her, but she makes up for it. Being a physical therapist, she knows the exact points to apply pressure in the back of my neck, bringing me the sweetest relief. The worst thing about these is they often come out of nowhere just as I am studying, the least convenient time. Like right now.

the beauty of sleep

The alarm on my phone erupted, and read 1:55 AM. I had fallen asleep merely twenty minutes ago and it was painful to open my eyes. The seniors of the Champlin Park Swim and Dive Team had gathered at Laura, my fellow co-captain's house Thursday after practice. As tradition, we would be waking up the juniors on the team and bringing them out to breakfast. I had assumed that I would get around 3 hours of sleep that night, but I hadn't planned on one of the seniors insisting on keeping us up the entire night. I was glad we had set the alarm early, because just like I thought, getting ready took us a long time before we actually left and began our 'road trip'.

By the time we were eating breakfast, Friday morning, I was crabby. And sassy. Everything I didn't like to be. I kept thinking about the vacancy of my bed back at home, and I could practically feel my black and white printed comforter hug and warm my body. The idea of a pillow supporting my head and neck seemed like a luxury, not something I used every night. I felt like a drug addict; my drug was sleep.

Somehow I managed to make my way up the stairs at school and stumble into first hour. Marketing. I collapsed into my seat in the third row and hugged my purse while thinking about that bed once again. Alysa, my friend who sat next to me laughed and shook her head. She could tell by my t-shirt that advertised wake up call of what I was up to last night.

I don't remember anything about second hour.

Third period was Economics. I, unlike most of my classmates was very interested in the subject matter. The packet for our next unit was passed out by the strict sub and we were instructed to work on it. I was thrilled not to have to listen to a lecture with new information, because I knew I wouldn't have retained anything. I sped my way through the packet. The girl to my left was painting her nails, she wasn't even trying to pretend like she was working. The girl to my right had her cell phone taken away and received a referral. I laughed at their immaturity.  Even I, the girl who had gotten twenty minutes of sleep the night before was being more productive. At least until I fell asleep... I was finally comfortable. And then I felt someone tap me on the shoulder; my eyes awakened to the sub who mentioned something about sleeping in class was not allowed, I nodded my head and showed her my completed packet, as if it somehow justified my sleeping. My pulse was pounding in my head; I was never one to get in trouble. It was a huge wake up call.

The rest of the day was... better. There were no repeats of what happened in third period. I was finally awake.  But as soon as I got home after a three hour swim practice, I ran upstairs. Feeling sick, I somehow managed to leap to the bed I had been daydreaming about all day. Finally, I closed my eyes, beginning real dreams.

fishies

My parents have never been people to let my sister and I to have pets. To them animals are expensive, messy. For senior night, during our last swim meet the juniors gave us gifts like I mentioned. Part of that gift was eight goldfish. I was excited! Then I quickly realized that the eight fish look claustrophobic in their minuscule tank. I raced home in search of something larger; scrambling though my kitchen cupboards and searching the basement as well I looked for anything that the fish could call home for a little bit before I could find them a proper tank. I settled on a lime green bowl that was ginormous compared to the cage they had been swimming around in since Saturday. I fed them, probably over-fed them... thinking that extra food would make up for the fact that I hadn't been able to find a proper fish tank. I went to bed praying that the eight little fishes would still be there when I woke up the next morning. By the next evening my fishes had been transported into two identical bowls, four in one and I am sad to report that the smallest orange fish had to be flushed down the toilet. (Me being the one that gets attached to things too quickly, I cried). I do love that I have some little fishes to take care of. My next project is to think of names!

senior night

Last night we had one of our last swim meets versus Elk River. As a senior I would be honored before the meet with a presentation by the juniors and also receive my senior gifts. The previous year, I had been a junior. I remembered all of the time I put into senior night for the girls that graduated last year, how fun it had turned out to be. My normal pre-meet nerves had been replaced with excitement. For the past four seasons I had watched the seniors in admiration. Tonight was my night. I gracefully accepted my gift as they spoke about my favorite memories from the team and plans for the future. It hit me just then how much I was going to miss this. Champlin Park Girl's Swim and Dive Team. Sure I complained about hard practices and how exhausted I was... and let's not forget the constant smell of chlorine that I had in my hair for four months out of every year, but these girls were who I would I miss. This was such a huge part of my life. The rest of the swim meet I cheered extra loud, reminding myself I wouldn't be here next year. I swam extra hard in my races as well, earning a personal record for the season in my favorite event, the 100 yard breastroke. It ended up being my favorite swim meet of the season by far.

mondays

Most people consider Mondays the worst day of the week, and today I have to agree with those people. Whenever I wake up and feel like I need a nap is when I know it's going to be a bad day. I woke up, the sky was dark. Never a good sign. The glowing blue numbers that read 5:59 AM were the only light in the room, and it was still harsh on my sleepy eyes. I pulled the blanket off of me, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The cool air hit my bare feet and I quivered, wanting to snuggle under the warm covers. I shuffled my way over to the light switch on the wall. The final step I took before flipping the switch, I tripped over my Under Armor backpack landing painfully on the carpeted floor. I glanced again at the clock, 6:00 AM. One minute into the first day of the week and already managed to fall on my face. Not a great way to start off the day.

fall weather?

The leaves have changed colors and started to fall. October. This is one of my favorite months of the year; I love when everything begins to cool off and the holidays begin to creep up on us. After a long hot summer, I love the change from tank tops and shorts to jeans and sweatshirts, so comfy. So today, and the past week or so I've been disappointed. It's been so hot out! The leaves are still orange, and there is a constant breeze in the air, but instead of my favorite cool and chilly air, its been warm. Warmth belongs with summer and I want my Autumn back.

trend paper

The next paper we are writing in English is our trend paper. I think this will be a great opportunity for me to write; that's because I know we will work so much with these types of papers in the future. Personally, I know writing a more 'scientific' or research paper will be a challenge. I'm hoping the paper I write under my domain of Appearance will be a great one! I really enjoyed writing our last paper in this class, so I'm hoping this next one will have the same result.

randomness

10 facts about me:
1. I have a younger sister Molly and when I try to tell people that she is the loud one... they don't believe me.
2. On Easter in eighth grade I went parasailing over the Pacific ocean; my family was in Mexico for spring break.
3. My middle name is Herzog; it's my mom's maiden name.
4. I have a scar above my left eyebrow from when I was in first grade. I was trying to teach my neighbor Tanner how to swing a baseball bat and he accidentally hit me with the wooden baseball bat.
5. My favorite place in the world is the Boundary Waters, but I have only spent a total of two weeks there.
6. I am a big dog lover, but both of my parents are allergic to them so I've never had one. Once I have my own place I want to get a chocolate Labrador.
7. Although we didn't have a dog, my sister and I had two hamsters when we were younger that ended up having seven babies. We were told originally that they were both boys.
8. Every time I clean my room, I end up re-arranging the furniture.
9. My favorite television show is The Office. I own every season and have seen every episode twice. I also am obsessed with Lost and Mad Men.
10. In the future I hope to have a career where I can travel all over the world. I want to see everything.

first ethonography field day

Last night Erin and I drove to Vivid Details Salon in Champlin. We had our small blue and purple notebooks and pens in hand as we walked through the doors. The smell of hair and nail products was drenching the air with the strong scent. Both Erin and I were nervous as we introduced ourselves to the manager, Mandy. We sat in the black leather chairs and observed our surroundings for the next hour and a half. It was a Wednesday night and with only a few employees and customers there it was awkwardly quiet. We wrote and wrote in our tiny sheets of paper, eyeing the clock. It was an experience different from anything else. I'm hoping next time the employees will be more inviting, should be an interesting project.

revision and writing groups

Revising is one of the most important steps in writing. With this personal narrative, the multiple drafts have begun to shape into a piece that I am proud of. The writing groups have helped more than I thought they would. Hearing opinions and ideas from multiple people has shown me different things that I never would have thought of on my own. Also, reading our stories outloud has caught silly mistakes that I know would have been overlooked. My favorite part about revising and writing groups has not involved my own paper. The best part was during the first time our group met together. Hearing other people's stories.

goals

Last week the other swim team captain, Laura, my best friend had her appendix unexpectedly taken out. She's unfortunately out for the season, leaving me to step up my game as captain. It's not like I have been slacking, but this is 'Hell Week' in swimming, so it's extremely important to keep our team of sixty girls together and strong. I've decided to come up with three daily goals of how I could be a better captain. Tomorrows goals consist of teaching the team a new cheer in time for Thursday's meet, encourage the team after hard sets throughout practice and have a mini-meeting with all of the other seniors and remind them that they are in leadership roles too. I hope that with these daily goals I will make people even more proud that voted me captain. Wish me luck.

oh molly

I owe some of the happiest moments of my life to my little sister. On July 12th, 1997 at 7:10 in the evening, my Molly joined our family. I would call her "sissy" and we were joined at the hip growing up. Our simliar 'bob' haircuts and sometimes matching outfits (thanks mom) made us look like twins. We would spend our days playing gymnastics and 'school' with our best friends: Erin and Alex. I remember all of the times Molly would make me smile and crack up at her cute jokes, when no one else could. During the long hot summers, we would stay up late and have sleepovers in one of our rooms watching movies on the old portable DVD player. Molly would let me play with her hair, doing it in crazy looks as I pleased without even a complaint. I loved how close we were. We still are. We still are those same little girls, just a lot older and tiny bit more wise.

character descrption

She stood with a level of cockiness that told the world she was better than it. Her outfit seemed overly planned, everything so matchy-matchy. Her normally shapeless hair had been curled and recurled, you could almost see  the layers of hair spray that coated her fried yellow strands. Her nails were fake, just like her personality. The bubble-gum she was chewing was being snapped obnoxiously in her mouth, she was clearly disinterested with the world layed out in front of her.