The Maze Runner

While Thomas is in the slammer, he is bored out of his mind. The only company he gets all day is when Chuck comes with his lunch. They start talking, and Chuck starts talking about what their life might be like back home. Then something burns within Thomas. He is angry, sad. Angry at all the people who did this to him and Chuck. Chuck was crying. Thomas was burning within. He clenched his fists. He loved Chuck, loved him like a brother. He promised that he would get him back to his mother no matter what it took. The short boy just nodded, and walked off, shoulders heaving. After the one day in the slammer was over, Thomas is sent with Minho, too begin his training to be a runner. Minho leads him to a secret storage room, where there are running shoes, boxes of knives, water bottles, and a lot of other stuff. they head out into the maze after equipping Thomas with a new backpack, a new pare of running shoes, some water bottles, pencil and paper to take notes to record wall movements, a knife to cut ivy, and some food for the day. They begin to run, taking Minho's section, section 1. After awhile, they stop to eat, and then they start investigating. They decide to see if there is a hole where the grievers are entering, like a secret passageway. They start throwing rocks, taking notes on where they throw the rock each time. One time Minho throws the rock, and it disappears out of nowhere. They get super excited, and start mapping out the dimensions of their newly discovered Griever hole. Then they go back to tell Newt and Alby, but they are not in the mood to talk at the moment. The weekly supplies haven't come. What’s to happen next? Everything that goes wrong seems to be making a pathway to the ending, and they’re frightened, because they do not know what the future will bring.

That's a wrap,
DINGBAT!!!!!!

What do I Want For Christmas?

What do I want for Christmas? Let's see, I want Something the Lord Made (especially), MONK, all the seasons, a new cell phone (because someone evil at school decided it would be funny to steal my cell phone because she was blazing mad at me for hugging her, stupid person), and a new MP3, which the same person stole at around the same time, Harry Potter 5 and 7 the video games, and all the Harry Potter special edition DVDs. I also want that stray dog that walks around our yard. He’s gorgeous. I want to go caving in Carlsbad with The Quack sometime next year on the next trip, and I want new sketching materials and supplies, I want lots of video games, I want to learn a new instrument, namely the bassoon or saxophone, because they are like the coolest instruments ever. I want to learn to speak German and Danish, and I want my whole family and my grandparents, and maybe even go up to Denmark to visit my family up there. They’re so awesome. I want to go ice skating in Utah, and tubing with my church, and take skiing lessons. I want to go to the IMAX up in Utah (it has the good theaters baby, 80 ft. by 80 ft. nice man!!!!! Utah rocks!!!!! Unlike this place), and I want to go to a session at each temple in the Salt Lake City Temple, or any of them that are open. I want Damian, George, Ryan, Paul, Emmett, and that's it, forget Neil and cute little Danny, because they can't really sing. I<3 Ireland!!!!

That's a wrap,

DINGBAT OUT!!!!!!!!

Mr. Nance - An exercise in Antonyms and Comma Splicing

The Quack

The Quack is the easiest teacher here;yet by far the most challenging.
He is extremely sarcastic; however, he is deadly serious.
He is quiet, while he is talkative.
He is mature, but he is childish.
He is all knowing; similarly, he is ignorant.
He is ancient, even though he is youthful.
He is black, and he is white.
Although he is a hard worker, he is slothful.

In short, the challenges are easy, the attitudes are tides of change, and the silent mouth longs to utter. 
He is an infant, even so, he is arriving at the midpoint of life.
His brain longs to consume information.
He is wise; however, he is young in appearance.
He is mixed in race, with black hair and dark eyes with white skin.

That is all for now!
DINGBAT OUT!!

OH MY GOSH I'M SO IN LOVE WITH ALAN RICKMAN NOW!!!!

OH MY GOSH I"M SO IN LOVE WITH ALAN RICKMAN NOW!! I decided to do a little more research and I have found out that he is half IRISH!!!!!!! OOOOOOH MYYYYYY GOOOSH!!!!! That is so amazing, and it's super funny because he was born in England, has a British accent, and he is so British in his manner; it's so funny.  I think it's amazing, and if you know me, you know I have a thang for Irish guys; and it helps that to me he is a hotty, and he is a very talented musician.  He plays cello, piano, and he sings like an angel!  I don't care if he's 65, to me he's adorable and amazing, and half the girls my age think the same.  It’s something with teenage girls and romance, or actors that they respect.  I discovered one of his movies called The Song of Lunch, and it's pretty darn good (I watched a little bit of it).  My favorite movie with him that I have already mentioned is Something The Lord Made.  I found another one too, called Bottle Shock, which is based on a true story about wine, and how it was made in France and started being made in California, and I watched the trailer, and it looks so good.  I really want to watch it now!  I really like films based on true stories.  I didn’t realize how many films he’s narrated, or done the voice to a character, or done a TV series.  I think that’s awesome.  He’s also a world class director in my opinion.  Many world renowned directors say the same thing.  My friends tease me all the time.  They say, “He has a porn-mustache” or “he’s hideous.” I just laugh because I know that I think he’s amazing, so who cares what they think?
I LOVE ALAN RICKMAN SO MUCH!

That’s a wrap,
DINGBAT OUT!

The Snow Day

          Finally, for the first time this year, we get a snow day and I don't have to go to school.  The sad thing is, we only got 3 inches or less and they closed the schools down because nobody in New Mexico knows how to drive.  Flower was on the internet on Facebook and found that the Quack had posted on his Facebook saying, "You know you are in New Mexico when the maintenance men in your apartment complex go outside and start clearing the snow on the sidewalks with leaf blowers.  LOL, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.  

          In Utah people are smart.  They put salt water on their roads before the storm, which is super, super smart because the roads will not freeze.  The salt decreases the freezing point of the ice.  My sister, Flower, told me that apparently all the teachers, Sewards Rat, Shimmy Dude, the Barbour, and the Quack, were on Facebook on the snow day.  (And, by the way, I am changing Flower's nickname to Midget.  Blame the Quack, he refers to her as the Midget.)

          Ben, my brother, went out and shoveled snow.  Not for very long, because he came in exhausted.  He is more a brainiac than an athletic kid.  He is a nerd too.  He takes after me!  The Quack likes my brother Ben.  There was one funny time, when I was talking to Shimmy Dude on Skype, and my brother came up to the camera and I told him to get out of the way.  Shimmy Dude said, "Hi, Sarah's brother.  My name is Nerd."  It was funny.  The only bad part of the snow day is that I could not take my teachers Klejnar (klinah).  That is a Danish cookie that is made in Danish homes during the Holiday season to offer to visitors and neighbors as they drop in on each other’s homes.  If you do not know what Klejnar is, you were born in a cave (hahaha the Quack).

That’s a Wrap!

DINGBAT OUT!!

The Maze Runner

The morning has come and they have returned to Alby. Minho looks as if he's in a daze. the doors open shortly after, and Minho and Thomas walk in, exhausted. The Gladers are standing there, in awe, watching. They go in the homestead and get washed up and rested. After a couple of days, Newt approaches Thomas, and tells him they need to have a gathering to decide a punishment. Thomas seems confused that a punishment is even necessary considering he saved their leader's life. Newt reminds him of the concept of order, and despite the heroic act, he still broke the rules, and needs a punishment. They go and have a gathering with all of the keepers except for Alby where they discuss Thomas's fate in front of him and tell him not to speak unless spoken to. All the keepers stand up and share their opinions on the situation, and discus what treatment if any should be used. When Gally stands up and goes crazy, yelling and screaming that Thomas is crazy and should be banished or kept in the slammer at all times. Newt starts to freak out on him and tells him to stop if that's all he has to say about it. Some time goes by and Minho stands up. He says something very exciting and even frightening. He nominates Thomas as Keeper of the Runners; that's how impressed Minho was with Thomas's performance. Newt tells him he can't just do that, that Thomas has to train with him first. Minho nods and they decide on one day in the slammer, and then training will begin. Gally freaks out again, calling Minho crazy and idiotic, saying that it's nuts to trust Thomas, because he thinks he's some kind of spy, that he was trained before he came. Thomas was getting really mad now. He didn't want to be here either. He wanted to go home just as much as anybody. Minho and Newt both shoot at Gally and Minho catches him in a chokehold, threatening to kill him if he continues. Newt pulls him away from Gally and tells him to leave. After that shock, Gally walks out, hate and lunacy in his eyes. The day ends and Thomas is sent to his day in the slammer early in the morning.

That’s a wrap, more to come,
DINGBAT OUT!!!!!!

Standards Night

Every year in December, the Young Women have a Standards Night in my church. The young women come together where the Laurels, Mia Maids, and Beehives come together and share a project that they did over the year that helped them come closer to their Heavenly Father and helped them achieve a goal in their Young Women Personal Progress.  The Beehives are the first group and are ages 12 to 14.  Mia Maids are the group I am in ages 14 to 15.  The Laurels are 16 to 18 years old. 

Standards Night was fun, emotional, and spiritual for me.  It was emotional for my mom because she cried when I talked about the project I did, which made me want to bawl (which I think I did bawl).  It was also spiritual for my friend Brianna McKenney.  It was really cool because it was centered on the girls.  The young women were called up one by one and were given a banner and a tiara for the following values:  Faith, Good Works, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Integrity, Virtue.  My mom picked Faith for me.  I don’t know why, but she did.  I thought she would pick Good Works but she didn’t.  We got our banner and a tiara and we each had a table where we displayed our project.  It was kind of like the State Fair where we had our display.  Everybody could go around and view the displays.  Then we were each asked to talk about our project and what we did and how it brought us closer to Heavenly Father.  (The Sewards Rat will really love my project.)  My project was for Good Works. 

There is this little down syndrome girl in my choir named Belen Heindrich and she is the sweetest little girl you would ever want to meet.  She wants to give me hugs all the time.  Whenever she does something right she comes to me and tells me about it even before she tells her mom.  My Choir Director, Ms. Sue, didn’t know how to communicate with her, just like she really didn’t know how to communicate with me, I am Aspergers and Belen is Down Syndrome.  Belen is like my sister, I love being around her. 

I am in a group called River Voice in my Choir, and it is the higher level singing girls in the choir from Sophomore to Senior year (we have all been singing for about 10 years or longer).  Ms. Sue expressed the desire to want us to have a group of kids that we would take and work with on parts and on the different songs.  I specifically asked for Belen.  It frustrated me a little bit that Ms. Sue didn’t quite know how to communicate with Belen, but because of me, by the time of the concert, Ms. Sue was listening to Belen and she was taking time to dedicate time for Belen.  I think this was because of the example I set and it meant a lot to me.  Because people like Belen hold a special place in my heart because of my disabilities and what I have gone through, I can feel them, sense them, and read them. 

On the day of the concert, Belen’s mom said she asked for me all day long.  It got to the point, when we were at rehearsal she asked Ms. Sue asked if Sarah could take her in the room and work with her to get better.  I found myself being extremely protective of Belen when someone neglects her or treats her different.  (Just ask the Quack, he will tell you it is true.)   That was what my project was about.  It was one of the most amazing times of my life.  I fell in love with this little girl.  I adore her and she has taught me about being humble.  She reminds me of myself when I started in Ralph Woodward’s choir in SLC, in the Salt Lake Children’s Choir.  My mom was always worried about the things I would do.  I see a lot of myself in Belen.  She is a sweetheart and I love her and love being around her.  I feel a special bond with people with disabilities.  It is special.  I hope that never goes away because that is one of the sweetest things in my life. 

That’s a wrap!

DINGBAT OUT!!!!!

Me and Belen November 2011