Well, where have I been? Let me recap for those of you who read this (and could care less):

Saturday

I awoke dark and early at 5:41 am. My plan was to remove some unwanted hair before the swim meet using my new Vanilla Smoothie Nair stuff, then eat a quick breakfast, then pack up and go. As it turned out, my plan went all askew. My mom was in the shower first, so I went ahead and ate breakfast (half a bagel, sausage, and some cherries). Then, I went into the bathroom and I didn't work the Nair stuff right so I ended up having to shave, and this made me quite frantic as I was running short of time. We were supposed to leave by about 6:30 to get there for 7:05 warmup. However, I made us late by throwing a tantrum as I was trying to brush my teeth, pack everything and forget nothing, and running sadly out of time. I threw a small fit and then I got into the van, unhappily. I do so hate being late.

However, by the time we arrived at the swim meet I was in a better mood. We were listening to some nice CDs on the way, which helped me mellow out. I also braided my hair into a nice thingie thing (forgive me) so it made me feel happy and smart. Then we warmed up. The pool was so long! I had forgotten what it felt like to swim in a 50 meter pool--the last long course meet had been two years ago, because I didn't swim last summer. I was feeling good, though, relaxed and focused. I thought to myself, "I can do this." Then the meet started.

I listened to some songs that I had burned onto a mix CD for myself (I actually made 2 swim meet mixes, both very nice) before my event came up. As is usual for me, I warmed up and got ready way too early, so I was waiting behind the starting blocks with plenty of time to spare. 200 individual medley was my first race. I dove in, had a good start, and swam a fast, smooth 50 of butterfly...but it was downhill from there. My backstroke 50 was about 60 seconds I think (this is NOT a good thing--even my breaststroke was faster); my breaststroke would have been good if I had had the legs for it, but I haven't been able to regain my kick and by this time in the race I was bonking and I just dragged myself back to the wall on freestyle for a pretty miserable 3:11.something. Yes, I "hit the wall," as Coach Patrick explained. I shouldn't have been surprised, because I hadn't been training up until 2 weeks before the meet. Still, it was very disheartening and it made me seriously consider dropping the other 200 I was swimming, the 200 freestyle. Next was the 50 freestyle, though.

I had my head everywhere but in the race before me. I wasn't even sure of what end we were going to start from, but I saw that everyone was at the regular end, so there went I also. Then they had to switch out a couple of defective lane ropes before the 50s started, which seemed to take forever. However, when the 50s started, I focused myself. I did some psyching-up arm swings and shrugs and I set my swim cap and goggles up nice and tight. I got up on the block, started fast, and I was in! However, I was in--underwater--too long, and I lost momentum. Nevertheless, I kicked and pulled with as much energy as I could muster and boy was I going fast! I felt the speed, and I had it all the way, even speeding up toward the finish. I made a best time in that race, a 31.59, and ironically I ended up winning first place in that event. I'm very proud of this, as you can tell, but I think it a good accomplishment for three reasons: first, as I've mentioned, I hadn't been back swimming for more than a couple of weeks; second, I've never been a great freestyler, and my old time was over a second higher than what I got; and third, it was a very slow, outdoor pool, with bad blocks and everything. So I was happy. Oh yeah, and as the winner of my heat, I got a pass for a free sundae at Dairy Queen.

I really didn't want to swim the 200 free. I felt that I had done well enough for the whole day, I guess, but Coach Patrick really wanted me to do it, and I'm not the kind of person who likes to disappoint other people. Besides, Elaina, a tiny 8-year-old swimmer on our team, was also staying to do the 200s, so I had to do it as a matter of honor. Therefore, I swam it...but not very well, of course. I went 2:46, 3 seconds above my best time. The race actually felt all right up to the third 50. Then I started to tire and by the end I was just trying to finish it, which I did, luckily. I went to change into my clothes: my new meet t-shirt, a tie-died, patriotic looking affair which was (and is), undeniably, very cool; and my embroidered jeans ($5.99 from Wal-Mart) which always manage to get compliments, even from complete strangers (this one girl at the meet just said, "Hey, I like your jeans" as I walked by). Then, we got our gear together and headed home for the day. I was a little sunburned about the face and shoulders, but I got a nice tan in general, which has lasted up until today. Strangely (or not, if you consider the weather), it was my first tan of the summer.

At home, I recuperated and ate stuff. Then, after a refreshing shower, I went with my dad to Home Depot, before which we went and got ice cream (my free sundae). That was fun. I enjoyed my Saturday.


Sunday

All I remember is that we went to Mass and I didn't look very good. Mass was kind of a folk rock spectacle, music-wise, and our new priest disappointed me by his ungenial demeanor and lack of attention to certain (ahem!) liturgical abuses which have been a regular thing at our parish for some time now. Grr. I think I loafed around for pretty much the rest of the day.

Monday

Typical day: school in the morning (very little), and swimming in the afternoon. I painted my fingernails pink.

Yesterday

I should be able to remember a little more about yesterday. Hmm, I did more work than usual, and made some new resolutions, like taking things away from myself (including dancing, reading the newspaper, and listening to the radio) until I finish my school subjects. It really is pathetic that I haven't finished and it's late July already. I finally finished that pesky third quarter literature test (ok, stop smirking at me) and put some math I had lying around in an envelope.

Today

I had a dentist's appointment today, and funny how those things work---it took up the whole day. Well, I brought my literature along to the city, but I didn't have much attention for it, as my eyes have been droopy the whole day. After the dentist (which was just a quick exam for me; I have 2 small cavities), we went to the health food store for a nice little lunch of deli and bakery items. In an attempt to remove the aforementioned droopiness from my eyelids, I bought and consumed most of a Red Bull-clone drink, "Blue Energy". Well, it tasted awful, just like Red Bull, and it didn't help much anyway. I'll never drink those nasty, overpriced, caffeine-laden rubbish cans again! We shopped for about an hour there, and then went to Mervyn's. We didn't buy anything there, though, so we had to head home then. Before we did, though, there was a small incident between me and my sister. She had been riding in the front seat all day up to when we were going to leave Mervyn's, so I thought to myself, I want to ride in front on the way back. However, she and the little kids walked ahead and she was at the door of the front seat before me. I ran up, however, and dropped my purse! But I picked it up and stood next to my sister, waiting for my mom to unlock the car. She asked me what I was doing, and I replied that I was going to try to get in the front. She said, "I was here first!" Mom unlocked the car, and a scuffle ensued but she had the better position on me, so she could have carried the point and gotten in first. Somehow, though, I ended up in the seat. Then she, in anger, pulled my braid so that I almost fell out, but I held my ground and she was fuming all the way home. At first she wouldn't even give me my literature book from the middle seat, where she was sitting on it. She's a very resentful girl, my sister is, and she stayed mad even up until swim practice, evidently.

Practice had gone well, with drylands at the beginning, a couple good sets, and then playtime. Our last game was one of Sharks and Minnows. I was one of the first people to be a shark, somewhat by design, and I was extremely keen upon getting my sister out. Once she pushed off, I gave her space, but she was pulling herself along under the lane rope! I pulled her up and tapped her on the head without much struggle on her part. I soon learned that she had cried foul to Coach Patrick--unbeknownst to me, pulling people up was not allowed. So I resolved to get her on the next one. I stood a good distance back from where she pushed off the wall, straight at me, and I backed up slowly--too slowly, though, for she couldn't get around me and had to come up, upon which I tapped her on the head. Before this, though, she scratched my legs maliciously. Anyway, I later learned that it wasn't allowed to "block" people either, just to "shadow" them. How was I supposed to have known that! Roni's a big tattletale, though. I was ticked with her.

Childishly, by design, yet not wrongly or unjustly, I maneuvered to walk ahead and get to the car first to sit in front (Roni had sat in front on the way to practice). Unfortunately for me, as I was opening the door and getting in, Roni decided to morph into Revenging Roni the Enforcer, and body slammed me (ok, she shoved me, but she's bigger than me!) into the door. Ow! I actually punched her immediately in the shoulder, got in the car, turned around to hit her again (I was hurt, angry, tumultuous...and certainly not thinking) but instead called her a bad name and then burst into tears. At this point my mom came in the car and asked what had happened and I told her. Roni apologized several times; I know she didn't really mean to hurt me that much. Mom was mad at Roni, though--it turned out that she had specifically told her not to pull anything. Ha. Well, I didn't speak to her all the way home, but once we got there I was in a better frame of mind, having meditated on the ridiculous quality of our feud, and so we made up again and made dinner. Then ensued the usual washing up routine and here I am now, wasting time instead of washing up and getting to a much needed bed. I hope this entertained you at least a little bit. :&)