Dear Santa,

I love Christmas. I love it because it is not just one day a year. It is a season. It is an atmosphere. You see the houses covered in lights. You see the trees sparkling in the window (don't worry, my tree will most likely be sparkling in the window till February). It makes the slushy driveways and icy winds worth it. Christmas is the break I need. I can feel it all around me- tension you can cut with a knife. Everyone feels that itch to leave. Maybe it is a good thing. We are all so desperate for a break that when it happens it will be that much sweeter. That being said, I've thought about my Christmas wish-list a lot. The Christmas spirit is all about being selfless, so I wrote a list I think will be good for us all. Sorry Santa, it's kind of a whopper.

Dear Santa, for Christmas this year, I would like:

1. That whole Harry Styles/Taylor Swift relationship to be no more. Please Santa, I think it's best for everyone.

2. Tape. I seriously need tape and keep forgetting to pick some up.

3. As you drive through the sky mounted onto your sleigh - every member of Congresses small hearts will grow three sizes that day.

4.  Less of those annoying Internet commercials that follow you around until you finally close them ( I would ask for none but let's not be ridiculous.).

5. World Peace.

6. Less gifts that are given as much thought as you give the lint in your pocket.
    *Did you just reach your hand in your pocket and check for lint?*

7. That for one simple day, we can all be surrounded by warmth and love. That we could put the petty things and the big things aside and all appreciate the fact that we are human. That we can understand we live in an amazing world that should not be taken for granted. That we could be selfless and extend an arm to enemies and friends alike.

I would also like a pair of Coach boots, a new bag, to never have roots, and candy. Hey a girl can dream can't she?

Thank-you Santa,
Sincerely,

Shayna Nyome.

Happy Holidays!!!

My Sense of Dork

I promise to always change the channel
When the Triple A commercial comes on.

I promise I'll still sing in the shower
And never get the exact words to a song.

I promise to always love breakfast
Even when I sleep in and skip it again.

I promise to break New Year's Resolutions
And never have a good-looking fake tan.

But mostly,
I promise,
To never lose
My Sense of Dork.

I promise to never be afraid
To eat food in front of the guys.

I promise my room will get dirty again
And I'll stick to my guns on what's right.

I promise to never date a guy
Who looks in the mirror more than myself.

I promise if you ask how many cookies I had,
I'll say three when I really had twelve.

But mostly,
I promise,
To never lose
My Sense of Dork.

I promise I don't lose my chapsticks
They get up and spitefully walk away.

I promise to always laugh loudly
And it's in my most thankful times that I pray.

I promise to always love makeup
And that childhood clubhouse will have a spot in my heart.

I promise my firstborn to Rumplestiltskin
And if you go to that one club, they will card.

But mostly,
I promise,
To never lose
My Sense of Dork.

See those Girls over there making Idiots of Themselves?- That's Us.

Cheyenna is one of my two best friends.

People have been forced to put up with our crazy antics since back in elementary. Somehow we manage to make even the most boring things fun. You know those inside jokes that annoy the heck out of you if your not in on them? We have lots of those.

We mark time less by the months and days of the week and more the wild adventures we create for ourselves.

We're in high-school. We need something to liven the party.

If you, Cheyenna, and myself, ever happened to be in the middle of a conversation and we began holding our breath, BE INSULTED. When people annoy us, we hold our breath with the hopes of passing out. ( The funniest part is seeing people who have no idea what we are doing join in.)

 

If your standing next to us in line at the grocery store and you watch us put our hands over our mouths and say, "CCccrrr- Do you read me? Over." Don't be alarmed. We're playing walkie-talkies. ( Duh..)

 

If you ever play any board game with us, conceal your suprise when we explain to you how when we play Scrabble, we allow one chance to search for specific tiles and look at eachother's letters. ( The fear that rushes through you when for that split-second you think you've been playing it wrong all these years is normal.)

 

If you happen to be listening to us mull over the concept of life, and hopes and dreams, you will have a few tear-jerking moments. ( Yeah dude, we're deep.)

 

If we begin speaking in Italian accents, you are lucky you are there to witness because, like a blue moon, those times are rare and totally awesome.

 

Chey and I always say, "If we had a show we'd..." some crazy skit. Our idols are the cast of Saturday Night Live and if we could be anything in this world, we'd be sketch-comics on the show. Whether we're teasing about politics, current news, the perils of running over deer, or helping that one kid who never stops asking questions, we've made a great skit.  We always say, "We really need to write these down!" and we should. I hope our high jinx could make others laugh as hard as it does us. But even if it didn't it would be okay. Our craziness puts rose-colored glasses on life. We know things will always be okay. We laugh hard and smile often even when things grow a little dark. No matter how crazy and loud this world gets. No matter the distance between us. We will always hear eachother out.

We have walkie-talkies.

 

Ode to Cup of Noodles

I got in trouble this weekend. Nothing too serious, just a battered pride. Someone snuck into the kitchen and ate my dad's granola bars. He was furious. Finding no admitted culprit, he sent my two brothers, my sister, and myself to bed at 7:30. If being an innocent bystander roped in with criminals and going to bed when the sun is shining wasn't bad enough, my dad decided that as part of our punishment, for dinner we would only be allowed Cup of Noodles.
Cup of Noodles?
Cup of Noodles?!
I thought to myself. "Do you know how terrible Cup of Noodles is?" I had personally never eaten Cup of Noodles, but I was sure of a few things. The flavor is beef, but there is no meat. The carrots and corn and peas are dehydrated and look like long lost cousins of rocks. Cup of Noodles never goes bad. That's gross.

I sat in my room completely fine with not eating dinner. Then I got hungry.

"Alright." I told myself. "Just take a few bites so your not super-hungry." I took a bite. Then another. Then another. Then I grabbed a pencil and wrote this poem.

Ode to Cup of Noodles

Cup of Noodles I thought
You would not be delish.
You were a bubbling broth
Brewed by a witch.
I was disgusted by your shriveled peas, carrots, and corn.
One glance at you and I filled with scorn.
Hot water for three minutes
Then I take a taste.
No sooner it touch my lips,
No time I did waste.
Mouthful after Mouthful
Of an elixir I previously thought so foul
Carrots, Corn, and Peas once shriveled,
Now fresh and round.
Oh Cup of Noodles,
I now consider you so sweet.
Just one small complaint
As I continue to eat.
I wish that you had
Seasoning Packets like Ramen.
But other than that Cup of Noodles is Bombin'!

...Yes I really wrote that. Moral of the story is don't judge a book by it's cover. I do like Green Eggs and Ham; Cup of Noodles is fantastic.

Thank You High School

 So I've gotten to the point of almost obsession with magic tricks. I mean between Black Magic, SNAPS, and a few games I picked up from Mr. Wilson, I've been decoding mental images and messages all week. I think it's these silly games that brighten up the boring days. We look at the clock and pray for those little things that get us out of class.
Senior Field Trip? Score.
Substitute? Eh, we might have to work with that one.
Teacher just as exhausted as you? We feel ya.
I think High School is less about defining quadratic functions, memorizing Spark Notes of Shakespeare, and learning about the anatomy of a pig as it is figuring out who you are, learning to talk to people, and becoming aware of expectations.
 I am thankful for High School. It has made me wise.
 Of course there are things I regret and wish I could change about it.
Like how your mistakes dating back to elementary are always remembered and held against you.
The akward moments when a relationship ( i.e. best friend, boyfriend ) has ended but your seating arrangement has not.
How you can see that one person who drives you nuts more than you see your own family.
Those gossipers.
But it's a catch 22.
You've known these people so long. You grew up together.Remember back in 5th grade when you did that stupid prank? Your fellow classmates become your stability.You become this big family with connections and memories you all share. Oh and the gossipers? Yeah, they will never leave. There will always be those people who laugh at your expense. High School gives you the tough skin life will weather.
You know what's funny? There are people in my class that I barely speak to and I could tell you so much about. Who there family is. What they want to do when they get out of High School. Their little quirks. You learn alot about life sitting in Algebra.
Sure 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th and 12th teach you alot about atoms, illiteration, and the days of the week in spanish, but they teach you more about the people in this world. How someone who seems so different from you can feel the same way. What it takes to be a leader. Life is hard. 
I have all the people that have come through Anton High School to thank for unintentionally making me the person I am today.
I look forward to the next year and a half.
Sincerely,
Shayna.

Why COPS is Amazing..

As I am cleaning my room I begin flipping through channels. "Ugh." I sigh. "There's nothing on TV." That's when I hear it.

Bad boys, Whatcha gonna, Whatcha gonna do?

Aww, yeah!

Cops is amazing. It is only number two to Cheaters when your looking for mindless entertainment. If you wanna learn what not to do, enjoy watching trashy people ( Ahem, Honey Boo-Boo fans ), and need a good laugh, Cops is your show.

Here's a few of the gems I enjoyed in 30 minutes.

• A man flaunting a D.A.R.E shirt is pulled over. He was charged with possesion of marajuana, speed, and cocaine. Even he laughed. "Yeah I probably shouldn't be wearing this.."
• Another man has broken into a school. He is of course, naked and spraying pepper spray. As he is being arrested he screams, "Rodney King! Rodney King!"
• It is Mardi Gras in Louisiana and women are on a balcony flashing the crowd. The police go to the house, knock on the door, come inside and ask the ladies to come from the balcony and talk to them. When the women come in a police officer asks them to sit down. "Ladies," he says. "Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. In fact I enjoy it. The problem is when you go up there and do your thing, it causes a halt in traffic and that is when the pick-pockets come out. So could you just do us a favor. Just go out for like 15 minutes and then come in for 5. Okay? that way the traffic will keep moving. Alright ladies? Okay thank you so much. Just remember, go out for 15 come in for 5. Alright? Awesome. And can I just say you ladies are well-endowed!"

Thank-you COPS. Your trashy entertainment is a classic.

Turning 16 and getting too Old

Man, it's about to be my birthday, and although I'm only turning 16, I've realized I'm getting too old for some aspects of the Birthday Experience. Here are a few-

1. The Inflatable Bouncy Houses. (This has varing degrees of truth because 1. I don't think I ever got one, and 2. If no one was around and there just happened to be a bouncy house, I would re-enact the moon landing.)

2. The Birthday Cards with Cash. ( I didn't know you could outgrow this, but apparently you can because my 16th Birthday card came early this year and that's exactly what it was- a card. Just a card. Am I the terrible person for speaking this or do other people feel this way?)

3. The Classic Playdate/Slumber Party/Birthday Party. ( You know this one. It's when you invited over like 6 friends via Birthday Invitation. You know your parents were miserable and hated like half of them. You guys watched movies. Girls painted nails. Boys... yea, I don't know what boys did. Birthday cake with everyone singing and your parents ALWAYS ordered pizza for dinner.)

4. The Getting to be Friggin-Super-Christmas-Just-for-Me-Excited. ( Yep. Back when everyone in your family heard the countdown every day for two weeks before hand. When you had the list of what you wanted because everyone asked you. Now please keep your cool and be nonchalant. The day of, when wished a happy birthday, act almost surprised, like you could've forgot. "Oh, it's my birthday today isn't it? Well thank-you!"

Eh, you win some and you lose some. Either way, I'm excited.

Unlocking the Dream Drawer; Thanks Peter Pan,

The original Peter Pan book is magical.

 

 If you have never read it, I suggest you pick it up; I promise you the content isn't kiddie stuff. The author James M. Barrie's twisted backstory gives the whole book a very ghostly tone. Reading it, I think only adults can fully appreciate the wonder of a child's imagination. It's set in a world we all knew once. Where we could fly. Where we could do anything with a little fairy dust. Where we would never grow up. It was quick-witted kids who only cared of freedom versus imbecile grown-ups who only cared of gold. And it was the children, with scuffed up knees, tattered shadows, and dirty faces that always went home victorious.

 

When the book begins, Mrs. Darling comes and tucks her three children into bed, and like any mother would, promptly "tidies up their minds". She puts unsorted thoughts in their places and dusts. And when that is done, Mrs. Darling watches her children's dancing Hopes and Dreams.

 

Adults have Hopes and Dreams too. But as you get older, you have less room in your mind for them. So you put them away in a drawer. Adults don't think about their hopes and dreams very often, but sometimes they can open the drawer and dance with them. But it gets harder and harder to put the dreams away and close the drawer. It is too hard for some grown-ups, so they close the drawer and lock it and they do not open it again.

 

I never want to shut away my hopes and dreams. I never want to give up on them. In Peter Pan, the only difference between children and grown-ups was believing. I will always believe in myself, because once you give up on a dream you can be sure it won't happen. So here are a few of my dreams from my own Hopes and Dreams drawer in no particular order. Oh, and this is if pay and experience didn't matter.

 

1. An Astronaunt

2. A Singer

3. A hard-hitting Journalist

4. A News Anchor

5. A Stay-at-Home...Person

6. A Novelist

7. A Blogger (for a living!)

8. An Artist

9. A Teacher

10. A Psychologist

11. A Cosmotologist

12. An Actor

13. An Interior-Designer

 

Now I'm not saying my plan is to do a few of these for a living, but never put something great past yourself. We have our whole lives ahead of us and if you know where you're going to be twenty years from now, you are a boring person! Just remember turning 18 doesn't have to mean putting childish things aside. Hold onto those crazy dreams your half-chasing, because if being an adult means locking your Dream Drawer, I'll never grow up.

 

Thanks for Reading. What's your craziest aspiration?

 

xoxo- Shayna

 

 

The Act of Reading while not Reading- Post I

I was a fool last May when I picked my schedule. I was out of cheerleading and had extra time. Right? I figured it was time for me to focus on school. I ignored the fact being a Drum Major for the Band took as much time as cheerleading. I also ignored the fact my counselor seemed very on the fence about me taking two dual-credit classes at the same time. I could handle it. I was determined. I was excited. Again, I was a fool. Now, my check for extra time bounced. Instead of spending late nights watching Jimmy Kimmel and sneaking a late-night bowl of cereal, I try not to procrastinate and continue working on my Psychology chapter. I envy my brothers and sister laughing downstairs as I sit half-way reading my textbooks but not really reading. I have unintentionally become the master of reading but not comprehending. I would rather have the skill of learning while not thinking.