Year 2K9

Yearly goals/resolutions don't work, or at least not for me. This past year, I have been waking up every morning and coming home everyday from school with certain daily goals for myself. And for me, those seem to work the best. I can get things done that way because I prefer life taken one day at a time. Resolutions I forget within a week. But if I mess up on my daily goal, I go to sleep with an unclear conscience. Another reason I don't do resolutions, I hate hate hate failing at anything and I (maybe you too) tend to be overly optimistic at the start of a new year.

Sweet 16 birthday party thing was pretty bomb, even though it was Plan B. Plan B > Plan A anyways. Pictures up later from party w/ family & party w/ friends. I have a bunch of Chinese homework to do by tomorrow. 20 hours to do it might not even be enough (Sorry, I procrastinated... again. So today I am paying for it.)

Looking back, I had an enjoyable break. I got things done that I have been wanting to get done, things that have nothing to do with school. Unfortunately, I barely got any school stuff done, which includes big projects I wanted to get a head start on because they are due soon and I don't want to be stressing on my first week back. Too bad I WILL be stressing on the first week back. My grades are all pretty much borderline A-, so during finals, I will be in supersonic ultra stress mode to try to maintain them. Maybe I should have set a goal/resolution for winter break, ughhh.

First minute of the last day of the year

People say eyes can't change colors, but I wish they could. Naturally, like a chameleon and not fake-looking, like contacts. I like to think that when I am happy, my eyes are hazel like that picture. And when I am mad, they turn dark. Instead, the color remains constant.

Reflection on this past year made me realize how much I miss 9th grade, especially that period of time in the picture above. What a good life it was then. School, friends, everything was picture perfect. Being 15 was wonderful. The time of my life where I have the least regrets, the least worries. It is where I experienced the most amount of change. As a result, I have realized change can bring good things. Change has brought me plenty of good things but it has taken some good things away. In this way, life is a risk, a continuous gamble. My theory is that things change to make things better and it is our job to see it that way, in an optimistic light.

2009, give me a run for my money. I am almost 16, fuck me. In no way am I ready to find out what that means to be 16.

External lifesaver

Heeeeella pictures from Grandma's 74th birthday (Dec. 20), Christmas (Dec. 25), and San Francisco (Dec. 28). I finally uploaded them from 2 cameras, woohoo! My computer gave me a huge scare when I realized I only have 1 GB of space left (My hard drive can hold about 56 GB). If my computer crashed and I lost all my pictures, I would go insane. No kidding. I took out my trusty 120 GB external hard drive and added all the 20 GB of pictures onto there. I am also backing them up on about 15 CDs because they really are THAT important to me. So now I am exhaling a huge sigh of relief. PHEW!

My dad promised me he would get me a new bed for my upcoming 16th birthday. I have a Twin bed but since I have removed one of my 2 desks (it was basically for storage and I finally cleaned it out), I can have a Queen-sized bed. Yaay, space permits! I am considering a Circle bed though, that would be totally awesome!! Only the one thing holding me back is that it wouldn't be practical and I might roll off one night. I just think it looks so incredibly cool, and modern I guess. I will probably try it out when I go to Ikea sometime this week, testing each bed to find out which one I fall asleep first in :D

Birthday plans are kinda finalized? It's tomorrow! Can you believe it!? Not a single part of me feels like I am 16. It is not a huge leap but it certainly feels like it. An American milestone... Sweet 16! Maybe that means I need to start thinking more about the dark, scary, looming future. School in 6 days, boooooo.