Alexandra's story

It all started in the summer of 1986. It was a fun filled vacation to Lake Powel with many cousins and friends.  The days where filled with tubing behind boats, water skiing, jet skiing and nights spent by the fire pit roasting marshmallows, or charring them to fried crisp for all of us who where too impatient for slow roasting and we plunged them deep into the flames. 
        Seven days seemed to fly by in my child like mind, never did I think that after so many adventures we would all vote on going home. To my horror, I woke up the next morning to every one packing up. What? No one asked me my opinion on leaving; we must stay a few more days, or better yet the whole summer. I stomped over to my mother to exclaim my utmost disapproval. “ Mom, we have had so much fun here and there is much more to be had, we need to stay a few more days.”
       She laughed in the normal motherly sure dear tone and said, “We cannot stay another day, Dad needs to get home for work.” 
       My chin hit the floor; did my mother actually forget it was summer? Dad didn’t have to return to work for another month and a half at least. I was so excited that I had the cure for our lack of vacation. All most jumping out of my skin I exclaimed, “Mom you are hilarious, did you forget it's summer?” My mom, not knowing if I was kidding since I was known to be the court jester of the family, said “Of course I know it's summer, but Dad doesn’t have the summer off, he works year round.” 
       I was in total shock.How could my sweet loving mother, have allowed my father to choose such a dismal, bleak, heart breaking job. Year round? What the heck did that mean? He never got time off? When did he regroup? When did he get tan? When did he read books in a hammock? Come to think of it, I had never seen my dad in any of those scenarios. And his legs translucent with kind of a blueish tint which confirmed his lack of tanning time.  The aloe vera taped to his head since day one now made so much sense. 
       My world was swirling, my childhood innocence crushed. I was having a mini panic attack and needed a respite. Something calm, something stable. In the distance, I saw my oasis, the snow cone shack. I couldn’t run fast enough to drown my sorrows in my high coloric sugar rush. I got up to the shack and Sonny who I had crushed on the whole week, looked at me and said, "What can I get you hot cakes? My mind was a mush; I couldn’t choose--so many good flavors, so little time. I will take one of everything. He called that the Kamakazi Krush. He must have sensed my need for reprieve and he handed me a snow cone the size my abdomen. Wow, I got it bad. “Sonny, does your dad work year round?”  He grinned and said, “No, my dad's a crab fishermen, peak season is only 3 months a year.” My eyes welled up with tears--to think Sonny the snow cone shack guy has it better then me. His mother had helped his father find a reasonable job, with time off. My mom was always so sweet; how could she have sent my dad there all these years? I had take matters into my own hands. “Hey Sonny do you know if your dad's ship has an opening?” Well, I'm not sure I could ask him for you? Could… you today?  We are running out of time, we are expected to go back to the city today. There is only one draw back. My Dad has zero skills for this position. Well what does he do for work now? He’s an attorney and he works year round. He needs a way and doesn’t even know it.  I will try to pull some strings but it might be difficult with such an unskilled person applying. Do you know if he owns galoshes? Or a pair of rubber overalls? I don’t think so but he is very adaptable. Thanks for all your help." I knew I had the answer, a glimmer of hope to a great summer beamed in the distance.

The day something out of the ordinary happened

The day something happened that was out of the ordinary was the day I found out Kendra, my old nanny, has cancer. They told her she will only live, at most, another year. She has four kids and a loving husband. We were very close and I feel heartbroken, I had spent lots of my summers reading in her arms...

Em's blog

Emily has a very interesting blog. She is able to capture a picture and weave that image into her stories and descriptions using very meaningful adjectives and action packed verbs. I also loves the subtle way she draws you into the blog. Once you start reading, you just can't get away.

Self Reflection Poem

Alexandra
Outgoing, Loyal, Friendly, Smart
Konrad, Erik
Outdoors, Friends, Cooking
Passionate, Caring, Excited
Family, Food, Sports
Love, Service, Smiles
Rats, Drowning, Mice
Beijing, India, Poland
Mountains, Scrub Oak, Deer
Heras

10 things I should have learned by now

#1. How to spell
#2. How to do double dutch
#3. How to surf
#4. How to ski
#5. How to snowboard
#6. How to longboard
#7. How to run a 6 minute mile
#8. How to fill up a gasoline can without spilling
#9. How to flip pancakes without having them stick
#10. How to make ice cream cake

10 places I will visit before I die

#1. Poland
#2. Belgium
#3. Bangkok
#4. Kenya
#5. Beijing
#6. Africa
#7. Egypt
#8. Iceland
#9. Ireland
#10. India

10 things that make me the most happy

#1. My mom
#2. My dad
#3. Erik
#4. Konrad
#5. Andrew
#6. My grandma
#7. Emily (always and forever)
#8. Hollis
#9. Gabby
#10. Aubree