Trying to Be an Open Book

If you knew me, you'd know that I lived in Virginia
 until the summer before junior year.
You'd know that I miss Virginia all the time.
But if you really knew me, you'd also know that when I left VA,
part of me stayed there. So now I feel split.
And I'm hoping college is the solution.

If you knew me, you'd know that I constantly bicker with my older sister.
That she knows exactly how to push my buttons.
If you really knew me, you'd know that I love her anyways.
And that family is everything to me.

If you knew me, you'd know that I am a Psych fan.
That I love Harry Potter and mystery books.
But if you really knew me, you'd also know that
Disney shows, no matter how recent, can still make me laugh.

If you knew me, you'd know that I dream of becoming an author.
That I love writing fiction stories.
But if you really knew me, you'd also know that I can't let people
I know well read my work.
You'd know that I'm a total English nerd. That I love puns.
That I am a grammar nazi.

If you knew me, you'd know that I can be really quiet.
That I can go through an entire class period without saying more than 2 words.
But if you really knew me, you'd know that there's an alternate version of me
within me. She's way more outgoing and talkative.
And she tries to break out sometimes, but not as often as she should.

Bored? Try this.

Step one: Go to Google
Step two: Type in "zerg rush"
Step three: Game on.

Crashing FairytaleLand

Crashing FairytaleLand

Brent checked his phone again. Still no answer. Shay was probably still trying to figure out how to tell him no...again. Even though she'd rejected his marriage proposal yet again, he felt drawn her. Though he realized she wasn't ready for commitment, he couldn't stay away. All his friends thought he was crazy to stay with Shay for so long after her painful rejections, but Brent was addicted. It was bad. Though this time, he may have ruined any chance of a future with Shay. On a whim, Brent proposed to Shay. Through a text. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. Dreading Shay's response, Brent opened his phone slowly. The illuminated screen displayed a three letter word. Y-E-...
       Suddenly, Brent's foot landed in a deep pot hole. But instead of tripping him, the hole dragged Brent downward. Before he knew it, Brent found himself in an alternate universe. One in which trees grow into the ground and snow falls in 80 degree weather. Every girl is a princess. Fairy tales come true. In this new world, Brent discovers his own potential happily ever after. But first, he must figure out how to reach it. And if he wants to.

How will Brent find his happily ever after? Does he want it?
Will he try to return to the real world, or will he stay in fantasy land?
Who will he prefer: the hesitant Shay, or the mystery fairy tale princess?
How will Shay react to Brent's disappearance?

Criminal Conversation

A man (character 1) and a woman (character 2) are in a hotel room. The woman is packing frantically while the man stares out the window.

1: Do you have the diamond?
2: Of course. I'm not as careless as I look.
1:  (muttering under his breath) You'd be surprised...
2: What's that supposed to mean?
1: You know exactly what I meant, so why did you even ask? THAT is why I worry about you.
2. Well just stop it. Everything will work out and then we'll meet up and then...(looks whistful)...nevermind. Wallace is waiting downstairs to arrest you.
1: Yep.
2. Soooo what're you gonna do about it?
1. Ever seen Wallace's ankle?
2: (gives him a strange look) uh...no?
1. Then you wouldn't know.
2. Then tell me.
1. And that is why you're as inexperienced as I've always expected. I can't just tell you. That'd make life too easy and it'll lead you to the wrong answer. Never forget that.
2. I don't understand...
*As Wallace bursts in, the woman quickly sneaks out onto the fire escape*
3: Hands up, Pierre. I've got you this time.
1: Took you long enough.
3. Just tell me what I want to know.
1. Ahhh you're taking the easy route. Fine.

Creative Writing...where imagination saves the day

Newpaper clipping

Dlakqshjhjhi

Musings on 1984

The internet is a pretty creepy place, if you think about it. 

The stalking possibilities are ENDLESS! 

A few months ago, I reread George Orwell's 1984. It made me think about how dependent we are on the internet and  computers. In the book, no one physically writes things down. Instead, they use telescreens or speakwrites. Honestly, I love the process of writing things down on paper. It stimulates my creative juices, setting them into overdrive. Maybe that's why I struggle writing interesting things on the blog. Maybe the fact that I'm sending my words out to whoever wants to access them subconsciously freaks me out. 

Well, that's all I've got. If this were on paper, I'd probably have a few more witty comments, but I'll save them for my future novel that I'll eventually write...on paper.

Pues, Estoy Hablando Espanol por otra vez.

Hola. Taco. Burrito. Tengo que hablar espanol por 48 horas. No es divertido. Pues, aqui es un video de princesas de disney en espanol. Me gusta :)

We Bought a Zoo

So, I'm a movie junkie. I love way too many movies to count, so I'm just going to talk about my most recent discovery:                                  We Bought a Zoo

We bought a Zoo is about a family who lost their mother/wife. To repair family ties between Benjamin Mee and his children, Benjamin buys and restores an old abandoned zoo. The plot line is cute and has a lot of cool quotes.


Benjamin Mee: You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it. 

1. Rosie Mee: How come you don't tell stories anymore?
2. Benjamin Mee: Well, because we're livin' the story.

Duncan Mee: If you're doing something for the right reasons, nothing can stop you.

Benjamin: Hey Rosie, am I doing anything right?
Rosie: You're handsomer than the other dads. Lots of them don't have hair. So that's good.

The King's Speech

One of my favorite movies is The King's Speech (the edited version).

It's about George VI as he learns to overcome his speech impediment while preparing to be the new king. King George (Bertie) stammers whenever he speaks, especially when speaking in public. Lionel Logue is his speech therapist and uses unconventional, albeit effective approaches. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. The movie has a ton of awesome quotes...(let the quoting commence)

Lionel Logue: You don't need to be afraid of things you were afraid of when you were five.

King George VI: If I'm King, where's my power? Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak.

Queen Elizabeth: My husband’s work involves a great deal of public speaking.
Lionel Logue: Then he should change jobs.
Queen Elizabeth: He can’t.
Lionel Logue: What is he, an indentured servant?
Queen Elizabeth: Something like that

King George VI: By divine right, if you must. I am your king!
Lionel Logue: No, you're not. You just told me you didn't want it.
King George VI: L-listen to me...
Lionel Logue: Why should I waste my time listening to you?
King George VI: Because I have a voice!
Lionel Logue: [pause] Yes, you do.

Lionel Logue: You still stammered on the 'W'.
King George VI: Well I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me.

I really like the last two, because they're about finding your voice. Even when you've learned methods of writing well and effectively, you always have to keep your voice in your writing. Otherwise, you might as well be writing a textbook. And not just any textbook--one without pictures. The history book in the library that has a layer of dust on it.

---

Oh, The Places You'll Go

Dr. Seuss is a genius. I know that technically, this poem is a picture  book, but it still is a poem. I love the fact that Dr. Seuss can make words clash and flow at the same time. He talks about Hakken-Kraks and other made-up words and characters, yet the message is profoundly inspiring and exciting.

Whenever I read/hear this poem, it makes me think of graduation. My 5th grade teacher read this to my class right  before we graduated elementary school. Now, I'm two months away from graduating high school. How crazy is that? So this poem has special meaning for me, as it stirs up major excitement for May 29th at 9:00 am at UVU. 

Anyway, back to the poem. I'm jealous because he found a meaningful topic and turned it into a fun, colorful poem that seems like a story book. My favorite part is the second stanza, when Dr. Seuss says:

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose."

Such a great message! So check out the link, and if you're too lazy to read it, listen to it! It's awesome!

Oh! The Places You'll Go!

Espanol me mata. si.

Hola! Estoy una loca estudiante de espanol AP (lo siento, pero estoy perrizoza y no quiero usar accentos), y tengo que hacer mi registro (tarea) por 30 minutos. Tengo que hablar, escuchar, escribir, y/o leer en espanol por 30 minutos todos los dias. Es muy interesante...Supongo que la mayoria de personas quien leer este blog no sepan como leer espanol, pero si entiendas espanol...

HOLA! Como estas? 
Me gusta espanol. Lenguas son muy interesantes y importantes en mi vida. Soy una chica caucasica, pero quero aprender como hablar muchas lenguas, como aleman, frances, italiano, y yiddish.
Lenguas estan muy cheveres.
Adios!!!

language

it all starts here. 

wait.

it's dark. hazy.
i don't see anything.
wait. i see something.


but what is it?


a telephone booth. of red coloring.


it sits there. wait.
there is a man inside.
he stands there, staring at me.
wait.


he speaks. i can't tell what he says.
but he has an accent.
wait. he smiles at me.


i go to him.
we talk. we laugh.
the sun shines.
wait.


he takes me to paris.
and beyond.

Courage...

I'm a lacrosse player. In my opinion, it's a very underrated sport. It's so much fun. But because it doesn't get much publicity, the LP girls team always has to recruit girls to play. Therefore, the JV team is full of girls who hadn't picked up a lacrosse stick until last month...and a handful of the girls who weren't advanced enough to make varsity...like me :) Today, we had our first game. My team was terrified, as no one really understood how a game worked. It took courage to walk on that field and attempt to hold their own. To make matters worse, we played Alta. Now let me tell you, the Alta girls lacrosse team is not one to be trifled with. First of all, they're huge. And secondly, their varsity team was ranked #6 in the nation. Yeah. So even their JV team good. Long story short, the game was like David and Goliath, but in this case, Goliath won. Either way, my team fought valiantly. And we definitely learned a lot...like how to pick ourselves back up after they scored yet another goal. Even though we lost, we kept them from reaching the double-digits. I'm proud.

I forgot...

You know that moment when a sudden burst of inspiration hits you?
Suddenly you know what to paint. To say. To dance. To sing. And in my case, to write.
And then, just as quickly as it came, it disappears.
Just.
Like.
That.
As soon as that moment happens, you know your life may never be the same. That idea could have changed everything. Or not. It was probably just some dumb idea, right? That's just what we tell ourselves to make us feel better about losing a portion of our genius. So why don't we write them down? I bet all you smartlings out there actually do. But I like to ponder things before I put them on paper (and I usually don't have paper handy)...which tends to get me in trouble. Which is why I'm writing about how I forgot what I was going to write about. Both for the blog, and the novel I plan to start writing...someday.

Paradise

Some people say that their paradise is a beach.
Yeah, I can see that. Warm, sandy beaches with clear blue water.
Oh, yeah. I could take some beach therapy right now.
                         Others say their paradise is a mountain lodge, engulfed by snow.
                         I can see that, too. Skiing/snowboarding by day,
                         cuddling up in front
                         of a fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate by night.
                          Sounds cozy.
                                          All of that is great.

                                         But my personal paradise is a wooded farm in Chesterfield, Virginia.

                            You may think I'm crazy, since VA is humid and full of bugs,

                                            but nothing beats lying in the grass, soaking in the glorious Southern air.

                                         Ancient trees act as a barricade, blocking the outside world from you.

                   Deer creep across the lawn, savoring the luscious grass.

                                                Birds serenade you as frogs try to ruin the moment. But in reality, the sounds  

                                                of frogs croaking adds depth to the whole effect. At night, the crickets

                             replace the birds. Fireflies dance. It's still humid, but it's worth it.

                                 Virginia woods amaze. They glisten. They inspire.

Circle

Sunrise. Sunset. Darkness.

Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. 

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. 

Brush teeth. Floss. Listerine.

OR

Floss. Brush teeth. Listerine. 

Wake up. Act like a zombie. Mentally wake up. Sleep.

Birthday. Presents. Cake. Birthday ends. 

Eat. Savor. Swallow. 

Up. Down. Up. Down. 

It's the circle of life, ya'll. Everything begins. Everything ends...

except for everlasting gobstoppers...Willy Wonka just defies the laws of the circle of life.

No matter how great a thing is, it usually has to end. Otherwise, you wouldn't appreciate it. 

Life is a gift. Death is when you have to return the gift to the store.

Why you'd want to return life to Walmart, I don't know. It's just some random metaphor.

I guess you could return the Game of Life. 

So why bother? If you're going to die eventually, why even try? 

Because life is good. No matter how hard it may seem, the ability to live, laugh, love, dance, sing, talk, etc, is worth it. So keep your head up. When your life comes full circle, be proud of what you've accomplished.

That is all. 

Ode to Diet

Oh diet, how I love you.
You make my heart smile,
as you keep my stomach unsatisfied.
I long for the crunch of goldfish crackers
or chips
or cookies.
My mind (and you) tell me NO
but my heart tells me GO!
But then I remember
that I'm only humoring you
to support my dad...
but losing some poundage could be
beneficial...I suppose.
Why, oh why, did I agree to this?
My dear diet, you are killing me.
You and your oh so amorevolous
eating restrictions.
You say I can eat as many veggies as I want?
Oh, lucky me. You're too kind.
And I really enjoy eating a turkey burger
wrapped in a lettuce leaf.
Thanks for suggesting it.
Your food regimen shows tough love.
But you do love me, right?
LIES!

Fear

I fear the unknown

but I look forward to it. What if something happens and my life totally changes? That's a scary thought, but what if it's for the better? I'll still be scared of it...until I realize it is good.

I fear change. 

Change is scary. I was terrified when I moved to Utardia. I was scared on the first day of the semester, when some of my classes changed. I was daunted when I had to speak Spanish for 24 hours this weekend. Every time, I survive change, but sometimes, it just isn't pleasant. And I fear unpleasant things.

I fear rejection. 

There's a reason I don't always put myself out there for everyone to see. I don't want to get hurt or embarrassed or ridiculed. Bad news never makes me happy. But even then, a lot of times, the bad news isn't as bad as I actually imagine it to be. I guess rejection does help you appreciate good news.

I guess most of the serious things that I fear are rational, but unnecessary. Most of the time, the unknown, change, and rejection help me become a better person. But I'm still scared of them. Just like how I'm scared of spiders, snakes, animals with big pointy teeth that chase me, little bunny foo foo, the white residue on an orange after you peel it, soy sauce, falling from high altitudes, swimming in deep water, sharks, getting in a car crash...the list could go on and on in this non-poetic format :)

I'm Thinking About You

I'm thinking about you like Charlie Brown thinks about kicking that football.
And Lucy thinks about making Charlie Brown look stupid.
Poor Charlie Brown.


I'm thinking about you like goldfish think about whatever they think about
for their three seconds of memory. And cheddar.


I'm thinking about you like hypochondriacs think about the common cold.
and mold.
And being bold
in taking medicines for that supposed cold.


I'm thinking about you like germaphobes think about public bathrooms.
And hand sanitizer.
And hand sanitizer in the public bathrooms.


I'm thinking about you like tylenol thinks about headaches.
And headaches think about tylenol.
And you. I get headaches when I think about you.
Because I think about you as much as the sun thinks about shining.
And diners think about dining.


I'm thinking about you like insomniacs think about sleep.
And sleep thinks about dreams.
And dreams think about Sleeping Beauty.
Because she's always talking about her "Once Upon a Dream."


I'm thinking about you like cowboys think about horses.
And country girls who move to the city think about acres
and trees and horses and the goats...
who always think about eating.


I'm thinking about you like accents think about Britain.
And Britain thinks about those obnoxious Americans.
Like American girls think about foreign boys.


I think about you like sinks think about being emptied.
Like old toys think about being played with.
Like skunks think about spraying
and kids think about playing.


I think about you like peanut butter thinks about jelly.
And bananas. And no-bakes. And the endless recipes
that involve it.


I think about you like authors think about inspiration.
Like high school seniors think about graduation.


Long story short, I think about you. A lot.

Save the Words!!

Some people adopt orphans. I adopt words.

Did you know that hundreds of words drop from the English language due to lack of use? 

I didn't think so. 

You're probably thinking, "That's TRAGIC, but there's nothing I can do about it." But guess what? There's a solution to this epidemic of disappearing words.  And it begins with YOU!

There's a magical website called  http://savethewords.org/site.swf . As a concerned citizen of English-speaking society, you can ADOPT a word and pledge to use it as much as possible! Whoa, I know you're excited, but you can stop shouting for joy now. I adopted the word 'amorevolous': (adj) affectionate; doting. So I'm going to try to use it as much as possible.

Are you inspired yet? Well you should be. 

So be a hero. Save a life. Adopt a word. 

No words were harmed in the creation of this over-dramatized promotion. My name is Nimbus Zest and I approve this message. The end. Adios. Ciao.

Happily Ever After

What is love? (baby don't hurt me...sorry, it's habit.) 

Well...that's a good question. Love is a lot of things. It can be how you feel about food, animals, family, friends, and/or that certain someone.  But as it is the month of love and pink merchandise (don't believe me? next time you go to Walmart, look around), I figure I'll just talk about the type of love that exists in fairy tales...and real life.

First of all, I think we all overestimate the appearance of love. In the words of a Disney classic... 

"Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what outside, but what is inside that counts." 

Aladdin

I think that a lot of people just assume that love is a dramatic event, but it can be anything from a glance between two twitterpated people to an admiring compliment.

But...that's not very fun to blog about so...

this is what every girl dreams that love is:

And while Disney love stories can be semi-shallow...they emphasize the fact that love is a lovely, happy thing :) Everybody needs a happily ever after at some point.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

I bought you some fries,

and a hamburger, too.

Sadly, I'm not the author of this fine poem, but I was the recipient of it. On a dark and stormy night (well, just dark), I was watching TV (Disney Channel....yeah...) when the dramatic sound of my doorbell rang. And, just like any other lazy teenager, I let someone else answer it. Then, my mom called me to the door. So, I was forced to remove myself from the oh-so-comfy couch and momentarily say goodbye to whatever I had been watching. How tragic. But my sadness disappeared the moment I saw the certain someone standing awkwardly by the front door. As I didn't know this person very well at the time, it was pretty weird seeing him on my doorstep. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking nervous. We chatted for a little bit, until he finally said, "The reason I came was to bring you these fries. They're very good." As he said that, he handed me a Sonic bag and ran out the door. Inside the bag were...fries! Surprise, surprise. And yes, they were very good.

So, I was really confused...even more so when the next night, someone ding-dong-ditched our house with another Sonic bag, which brings us back to the lovely poem above. Someone had written it on the bag...and there was a hamburger in it! 

 So if you're actually reading this totally random story, you're probably wondering why I'm writing about this. To be honest, I don't really know. I guess I could mention that the whole thing turned out to be a joke (from my friends...not random people), but that's kind of anti-climactic to my story. Oh well. I guess the moral of the story is, Sonic hamburgers and fries make for very good doorbell ditching tools. Just FYI :)

Me

Once upon a time...

there was me.

Or I guess I'm still here, so there IS me. 

Wow. Bad grammar, but who cares?

Not I.

               Anyway, as I have already established, I am me. Hi, I am Nimbus Zest. Actually, I'm not, but for the time being, I am. That pretty much sums up the essence of Nimbus Zest. I'm not incredibly unique, ridiculously talented, or dramatic. 

I just am. 

I am a normal person who hopes for the best but prepares for the worst. I jam out to show tunes and late 90's music in the car. I am the one who is always doing something dorky in pictures. I am a student who can't wait to graduate and discover my future. I dream. A lot. I dream about the past. I dream about the present. I dream about the future. I dream about goats.

I am a Southerner. No, not one of those people who live in the South West. I mean the classy South. Obviously, I'm talking about Virginia. Apart from the beautiful trees, my family's 44 acre farm, and my friends, one of my favorite things about Virginia is the accents. Accents make life exciting. I wish I had an accent, but my parents tried to avoid having kids with "strange" Southern accents. Bummer. Now, I live in a land where acres of forests barely exist and mountains replace them. Though I must admit, the traveling aspect of moving was exciting. My "first name," Nimbus, comes from the Nimbus 2000 broom from Harry Potter. I want an enchanted broom that could allow me to experience the world. Obviously, I am a avid traveler.

One day, I will travel the world. I will live in London and soak in the land of fabulous accents, double-decker buses, history, AND Harry Potter sites. I will be one of those dorky tourists who takes a picture of myself trying to get through Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station. But eventually, I want to be more than a tourist. I want to be stroll the streets of London as though I'd lived there all my life. I want to write. I want to be inspired.