Kaleidoscopic

all across the ocean

2010-02-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

I am going to get a penpal.

I joined a penpal site, and requested penpals, and soon, hopefully, my inbox will be flooded with people wanting to be my penpal, and then I will write them long letters with drawings and mail them away with really pretty stamps.

I am so excited.

I already have a friend from Australia. He's obsessed with Scandanavia. Just like me!

People I have sent messages to are from the following countries:

Russia.
Denmark.
Australia.
Michigan. (is not a country)
UK
Germany

Soon, I will have friends. Like friends over the internet, but how antisocial people did it back in the day - snail mail!

Why Write?

2010-02-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

I titled this "Why Write?" and CNB changed the title to "Why I Write," which completely changes the meaning, but whatever. Here it is.

Why I Write

Back in the day, newspapers were the chronicle of the times. Books were the only kind of story entertainment. Thoughts and ideas circulated around the world because of the written word, especially when the printing press came onto the scene. Writing, it would seem, has shaped our world’s cultures’ histories, and provided the manner through which the human race excelled. However, it could be that one day writing and publishing is a thing of the past, something to remember fondly like the invention of Model T, only to later be outshined by sports cars and hybrids.

Writing has always come very natural to me. Just as nearly every person has one, special strength, mine is writing, as this art of “word painting” is what I do best. I knew I wanted to be a writer as soon I realized I wasn’t good at anything else. More truthfully, it was comforting to find something that I could do that didn’t stress me out, like so much of life does, and something that other people could possibly enjoy. I’ve sat many a year in math classes working very hard to understand a concept so easily objective, while in English class I could let creativity take over. But with math and science becoming so important in this technological age, when the next iWhatever storms into the stores nearly every month, is there really any point to write anymore?

Perhaps, one may say, I shouldn’t make my hobby my profession. Countless times, however, my grade school teachers would say if one loves his work, then it isn’t work at all. Small advice like this, from regular people, is the advice that often means the most. So, I have kept writing. I write to inform others. I write for others’ enjoyment. I write for people. I write for myself. I write to find more and more about who I am. I write to keep myself sane. I write because I literally have no choice. In “So You Want to Be a Writer,” Charles Bukowski tells any aspiring writer that unless the words just come, there is no reason to write. Writing is like a conversation with either yourself or the rest of the world. If you have nothing to say, keep quiet.

I have something to say. I’ll keep saying it until all my words are gone.

With journalism dying, and the internet taking over, is my love of words a blessing, something that makes me unique? Or, in this age of technology, a curse? Sometimes the odd person out is the winner, but most always, he is still the odd person out.

-Kalena

I write and people read it.

2010-02-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

So far, I've had three articles published in the Crestview News Bulletin! Why Cresttucky? Because The Daily News said they were too boring for an intern. CNB said, "Oh, we're pretty boring too. But you can write a column for us if you want."

My mind said, "YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I said, "Oh, that sounds very nice."

CNB said, "We don't really have any extra macs, so you might have to just write it at home. We're sorry, is that okay?"

My mind said, "YES I DON'T HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE AND I GET TO BE IN THE NEWPAPER THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE." I said, "Oh that's fine, I live pretty far away anyway."

So pretty much, I always wrote, but now I write and people read it. It's supposed to be on the internet, but the CNB website is not cooperating at the moment. Therefore, I will post them all here. All of them. Starting in the next post.

Take the deal.

2010-02-12T16:44:00.001-08:00

If I was on Deal or No Deal, I don't think I'd let greed get the best of me, and I would basically take the first offer, because anything over $10,000 would. be. amazing. I always, always yell at the TV for the contestant to take the deal.

In good news, I got into UF. I have no idea where I am actually going, though. Hmm.

So Connor and I might not spend Valentine's Day together. I can't say why, but let's just say it's very upsetting and strange and not at all good.

However, we are going to FSU tomorrow, because I get to accompany him when he auditions on the tympani, marimba, snare, and set. I'm so proud of him. :)

This is what he gets for Valentime's Day! Good thing he doesn't know about this...http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product____1000741_?parent_category_rn=&N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=FossilSearchEn&Ntt=chicago&rec=3&pn=sr&imagePath=ML4180001

To keep up with the theme of jumping around topics, my article was published on Wednesday, in the Opinion section of the Crestview News Bulletin. It's called "Why I Write" and it is...uh, off the chain.

Monday Monday

2010-02-08T19:33:00.001-08:00

My posters are peeling off the wall. I hear the tape crinkle as it releases them. I hate hearing this at night, not only because I love my posters and spent hours taping them all and smooshing the tape into this stupid plaster wall, but also because I love sleeping, and when the tape is peeling off and it is the only sound in the house, a few feet away from my ears...I wake up annoyed as well as disheartened. I know, I know, it's only posters.

But this one...

And it's fallen off no less than 6 times.

Of course no one wants to hear about my posters. But, as I have had to deal with plaster walls for 17 years, and most everyone else tacks up art on precious sheet rock, it can get a little annoying, okay?

The good news is that I finished my first ever column this weekend, and it's slated to be in the newspapers on Wednesday. I'll put a link up to that when it is time. I thought a nice, introductory article could be on journalism and why I want to write, and why it's probably a bad idea, but I can't help it. The editor liked it. He said I will likely "go far." That's good enough for me.

One more thing! Valentine's Dinner preparations are beginning, and even though I basically completely dislike Rachael Ray and all she stands for, how does this look?

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=850&r=850,7

And then I might top it off with some of Martha's delicious looking brownies, here-

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/peanut-butter-swirl-brownies

To complete this post...

So Martha was a little harsh, but it's THE Martha Stewart. As if anyone could argue.

Lazy Sunday

2010-02-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a Sunday afternoon.
- Susan Erz

I don't like Sundays. It doesn't even matter that it's still part of the weekend, because the dread for Monday just kills any goodness that Sunday may have.

Good news and bad news.

The bad news is that my family is poorer than I thought. My dad, already not reeling in as much money as he deserves, had to take a pay cut because of this economy that's dragging everyone down. My family can't afford the cost of living as it is, so what's going to happen when there's 10% less of what we used to get every month? This question my father asked his boss, which went unanswered.

The daughter feels very bad about this. This is because she has a certain taste for fine things. It doesn't matter to her the price of these fine things, but sadly, fine things are generally more expensive than what she should be spending. Goodbye, Forever 21. It's the least I can do. I feel awful that I spend so much all the time, all on food and clothes. It can't be all my fault though, because my mother has still failed to stock the kitchen with anything other than organic shit. Not the good organic stuff you see on TV, but the kind that is so healthy, it has to resemble dog fod.

I went to Food World today, and, while passing all the happy families with their carts full of hamburger and Coke for the super bowl, loaded a basket with ramen and mac & cheese. This was, I can stop spending so much on eating out. In other words, I'll have to grocery shop for myself, cheaply, because my mother prefers bran cereal , noni juice, and other nasties she may call "gourmet." I'm sure that is where a large part of my papa's paycheck is going, to fuel my mother's expensive need to save herself and the planet.

The good news is, my teal oasis is coming along. Although all the posters fell down during the night last night, I pounded the tape in today, and I even have a bulletin board. Hopefully having an escape will make everything a little more okay.

Today.

2010-02-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

I painted my room. It is teal.

Suddenly, I have so much oppurtunity to actually like the place I live. It is no one else's fault but mine anymore if I cannot find someway to make my room happy. Stuff is cleared out. But, of course, not all of it. I like the idea that I may be able to bring people over. I like the thought that going to my room, I might not feel completely hopeless. This is all good.

Unfortunately, yet really fortunately, I won't be living here for much longer. I'm thinking maybe somewhere like this:

Cold.

2010-01-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

I live in Florida, so why is it so cold? At first, earlier today, when I was the coldest I have ever been in my life, I figured I would probably never be able to live up North because it is exceedingly colder there than here in our little freak cold spell. And then I remembered there's snow up north, and that snow automatically cancels out any suck the cold may cause. In conclusion, I have to take my showers at night so I don't get icicles on my hair in the morning...sort of.

If you knew how tired I was, you'd be asleep now.
Which is a good idea.
Goodnight, Blogspot.

2009-11-24T19:45:00.001-08:00

Kalena.
Kalenalena.
Kalenalenalena.
Kalenalenalenalena.