La Caille!

On Monday night, My Teen Living class had the opportunity to visit La Caille. The week before going to La Caille, we did an etiquette unit so we would know everything about eating at a high-end resturant. I never knew that there were so many rules and mannerisms for eating food! We watched movies of how to eat in pretty much any senario possible. So while on the bus ride to La Caille, we were not nervous because we knew exactly what to do!

When we arrived at La Caille, the luxurious yellow school bus had a hard time squeezing through the tight gates at the entry. Once we made it through, we drove up to the entry and started to walk around. The outside of the restaurant had beautiful landscaping, and also had wildlife as well! There were ducks everywhere, and it was obvious that they were accustomed to people because they were not afraid to come after you. We had a good time exploring the grounds and taking pictures, but the best part was eating the delicious gourmet food.

After we were seated, they quickly brought us our first of five courses. The first thing they brought out was the Es Cargo. We were all anxious, excited, and nervous to see what a snail would taste like. We took the snails out of their shells, and looked at them in wonder. We would either love them, or hate them. I tried my first bite, and absolutely loved it! I was surprised by how good it tasted because I was expecting it to have a gross texture and taste. It tasted like a buttery, garlic, ball of deliciousness! Once our table was cleared, they brought us a sorbet to "cleanse the palette", which also left us wanting more. We then received a green salad, and rolls with carefully shaped round butter balls. I'm sure you are wondering what came next, so I will tell you! The main course! We had the choice of either chicken or salmon, and since I love fish, I chose the salmon dish. The salmon dish was unlike anything I had ever had before. It had a very unique sauce on it, which made the flavor very different than salmon I am used to. It tasted great, but it took my taste buds a while to get used to the strong flavor. The dessert was the last part of the meal, and also the funnest part as well. They served us Banana Fosters, and gave us the option of having it "Flambe." Because of the strong taste burned rum leaves in the sauce, I decided not to have my dessert "On Fire", but it was still fun to watch others have theirs "Flambe!" The creamy, hot, carmel sauce was mouth-watering, and I practically licked the bowl clean.

It was fun to feel like Royalty, all dressed up at a 5-course meal. I'm glad I got to experience going to La Caille so early on in life!

The bunny is on it's way!

Easter has always been an interesting holiday for me. The whole idea of a bunny going from house to house leaving presents in children's baskets, and eggs in their yards, just seems strange. I guess santa fitting through a chimney and delivering presents to the world in one night isn't far off though. Why did we believe these silly things as kids growing up? When I think about it, I find it sad that parents are brainwashing their children into believing in things that don't even exist. I do admit that holidays are never as fun once you find out that none of what you believed in was ever real. So I guess the lies are a good thing. If you have little brothers and sisters, you almost feel like an secret agent because you know things they don't know. I love feeling all smart and sophisticated as you watch them frantically wait for santa, or the easter bunny, knowing that the second they went to bed, mom and dad would be pulling out the hidden presents. Sometimes I wish that these fantasies could be reality. Wouldn't it be the coolest thing to have an easter bunny, santa, north pole, reindeer, elves, sleighs, leprechauns etc.? Well, I think it would. I think that if these things really did exist, our world would be a much happier place! Our parents wouldn't have to lie to us, or pay for our gifts, and we would never have to find out that we had been lied to for the first 10 years of our lives. Everyone would want to be on Santa's "Nice List", so people would try harder to be happy instead of grouchy and mad. I know you are probably thinking that I am the weirdest person alive right now, but just think about the possibilities! Think about how different our lives would be!..It is very weird to think of what our lives would be like if fantasies were reality.

My Poor Piano Teachers..

I've been taking piano since I was about 8 years old but have never had a love for it. My parents forced me through lessons year after year, and really, it was just a big joke. I never practiced, and I had no desire whatsoever to learn songs on the piano. Things stayed that way for a while, and my teacher, week after week had to listen to me attempt to play the songs I hadn't practiced. One thing I got really good at while taking piano lessons was making up excuses. I have to admit that some of them were really clever! I think one of my best ones was "Sorry, I didn't have that much time to practice this week." Yes, I know, I was a very clever 5th grader. Looking back, I feel really bad for my poor teachers. Obviously they new that I just didn't want to practice, because seriously, how busy can a 5th grader be?

When I entered Jr. High I became even more busy which meant even less time for me to practice. We moved, which meant my mom had to find someone else who would soon want to kill herself. After about 6 months of searching, my mom finally found someone to teach me the piano. I went to my lessons week after week, unprepared, and not wanting to be there. You are probably wondering, "Why is she telling me this?" but just wait, I have some exciting news to tell you. In 8th grade I took Choir with Mrs. Minor which required us to do Term Projects each term. There were about 100 girls in our class, and everyone had different instruments and songs that they performed for the class. As I watched everyone perform their music, I started to think about myself and how I was progressing. I then realized that I was not progressing, and not getting any better. I wanted to be like the other girls that could play these hard, complicated songs, so I made a goal to try harder at the piano from that point on. I actually did pretty well throughout my 8th grade year, practicing, and trying hard to become a better piano player. I would go to the store and pick out popular songs to learn, which made it more fun for me. I still had to do the other lesson books, but knowing that I had the popular song as well motivated me to practice. That year I made a connection to the piano and actually really enjoyed practicing. It was kind of like a therapy for me after a long hard day. I would go sit down on the piano bench, play my song, and suddenly I wouldn't feel as stressed or uptight.

As 9th grade started, I did a pretty good job of practicing a couple times a week, but I was slowly becoming busier and busier with school, dance, and homework. I honestly didn't have any time to practice the piano, and this time I wasn't lying. I probably had 1 week of 5th grade homework in 1 night, if not more. My parents kept pushing me, and telling me not to quit, but I wanted to because I "knew" I had no time. After a couple of crazy months, my parents had a talk with me and told me it was my decision, and that I could quit if I wanted to. Suddenly, all of the fights I had with my parents about quitting piano seemed silly because I didn't really want to quit deep down inside. Yes, I didn't have time to practice, but I didn't want to give up all those years of lessons and practicing. Something that also came back to me was a line my parents told me almost every day. They always said, "If you quit, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." I always knew that they were right, but I never wanted to accept the fact that they were. I didn't want to look back and wonder "what if?", so I decided to continue on with piano.

I have been trying to make time to practice, but it still seems almost impossible. I know that if I tried harder, I could do it, but by the time I'm finished with my extra-curricular activities and homework, the night is over. I honestly did not want to quit, but I couldn't continue the pattern of not practicing, and then showing up at my lessons unprepared. All I was doing was wasting my parents money, which obviously does not make sense. A couple days ago my mom pretty much decided for me that I couldn't do it, so she called and told my piano teacher that I was going to take a break for the rest of the (school) year, and maybe I would start up again in a couple of months.

I don't know if I will start up again, or if life will just get busier, and I'll keep pushing it off. I really don't want to let it go, and that is what makes this so hard. I have also really wanted to learn the guitar, so for my 15th birthday my parents got me one. I was doing pretty well at spending weekends here and there teaching myself, but after a couple of months, the same thing happened with my guitar. I'm planning on taking a few lessons during the summer, and who knows, maybe guitar will be my passion, and in the end is really the instrument I'm meant to play. I'm still sad about piano for some reason, but maybe it's time. I will be putting a lot of thought into what I should do, but for now, I'm just trying to make it through the rest of the school year. I hope that I'll make the right decision, and not one I will regret later on in life.

The Big Day!

I know that you are probably about to drop dead from my stories of running and training, but the most exciting part of it all was the race, so I must tell you how it went! I hadn't thought much about the race at all during the week, but the race was always lingering in the back of my mind. Friday night I went to bed excited, but also very nervous, because I didn't want anything to go wrong. Friday, my mom picked up our packets that had our bibs and shirts in them. The morning of, I happily put on my new shirt, and pinned on my number. I went upstairs to have some last minute carbs with my mom, and then we left at around 5:00. Luckily, since I was so anxious and excited, I didn't feel tired at all! The second the garage door came up revealing the rain, our stomachs sunk. A million thoughts ran through my head in that instant. "Are my clothes warm enough?" "Am I going to get soaking wet?" "Is it going to be raining the whole time?" But at that point there was nothing we could do, so we hopped in the car and headed off to Salt Lake. As we got closer and closer to Salt Lake, the rain became lighter, and eventually stopped. We were so glad that the rain had stopped so we could run the race without being pelted in the face with rain drops the whole time.

Getting to the start line was very challenging. We first had to park under the gateway so our car would be there when we finished the race. After parking, we walked to the closest trax so we could hitch a ride to the University of Utah. There was a group of runners there to wait with us, and we later came to find out that there were also a ton of runners already on the trax. The "bus" was completely full of runners, and we hardly even had room to move. We were not just close because of our love for running, but because we literally were back to back. We rode for about a half hour due to all the mandatory stops along the way. At one stop, they kicked us off and had us wait for another trax which delayed us even more.

By the time we arrived at University of Utah, we were ready for some air, but also to use a restroom. There were about 20 port-a-potties lined up, but all 20 had lines with at least 30 people in them. We didn't really have another choice, so we waited, went to the bathroom, and then finally walked up to the start line. You never really know how a run is going to go until after it is over. So many things could happen, or go wrong, that really you never know. I ran past that start line with a smile, excited, and knew that it would go well.

There was a total of 8,000 people there, running in either the marathon, half marathon, or 5k. The streets were filled, and no matter what pace you ran, you were amongst a crowd. The first few miles flew by, and I was enjoying the people who had lined up along the streets to cheer everyone on. It was cool to see the people who lived on those streets that were blocked off participating as well. One guy was sitting on his porch, strummin his guitar and singing, "I love the way you run! I love watchin you run!" The song went on as he continued to make up it's lyrics for all the runners. It was also neat to see everyone who volunteered and helped with the race. At every mile marker there were people pouring drinks, passing them out, and cheering us on. The support system of the race is great, and really helps you to feel motivated and enjoy it even more.

What surprised me about this race the most was how well I felt. We ran to about mile 8 where we encountered a problem, a need for a bathroom break. We stopped at one of the many port-a-potties and started to wait in line when we realized it was going to be a while. I then looked over at a Fresh Market down the street and told my mom that we should go to a bathroom there. We ran down the street and into the store where we asked where the bathroom was. She then told us, "Down to the end, up the stairs, down the hall, and to your left." My mom and I looked at each other with a look of "Are you kidding me?" and ran to the bathrooms. Sadly this whole bathroom extravaganza took a good 10 minutes out of our time, but you can't stop nature when it's calling!

After leaving Fresh Market, we kept running until we entered gateway. The best feeling was running through the streets of gateway (which were filled with people cheering) and knowing what I had accomplished. I saw the finish line, and sprinted past it with all the excitement in the world going through me. They gave me my medal, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was so happy, and wanted that moment to last forever. After absorbing the moment for a while longer, we walked to a photographer who took our picture and then continued on to the best part. Table after table were covered in oranges, bananas, apples, paradise bakery, protein drinks, and dried fruit. We took some food to nourish our tired bodies, walked through gateway a little while longer, and then went to our car which was waiting for us under the gateway in the parking garage. I am so glad that I made a goal and stuck to it, because the end reward was amazing. Now I truly know that I can do anything if I set my mind to it!

It's over..

The Sunday resulting in the end of Spring Break is very depressing. You find yourself reflecting on your week and wondering "Did I spend my l week off wisely?" I asked myself that multiple times today, but in the end it doesn't matter because the point of Spring Break is to have a break! I probably could've accomplished a lot more than I did this week, but as I pondered I realized that I needed a break from routines, schedules, homework and stress. It was nice to sleep in and wake up every morning with no idea of what the day had in store for you. What I loved most about this Spring Break was the chance it gave me to spend time with my family. Since I am so busy, my family usually gets put in second place. With homework and dance, I don't really make an effort to play with my sisters or talk to my parents and brothers. This week was kind of an eye-opener for me in realizing how much I do love being home with my family and spending time with them. I spent most of the week with my mom and it gave us a chance to bond and make our relationship stronger. We went grocery shopping, took my siblings to see Hop, rented old movies to watch together, and made multiple trips to Jamba Juice after our runs. It wasn't a exotic beach vacation, but I enjoyed spending time with my family and just relaxing with no worries. Even though Spring Break isn't technically over yet, I can already feel some of the stress coming back to me as I remember all the assignments I was supposed to work on over the break. I am realizing that this is going to be a homework-packed week since I slacked off during the break. This week has given me a glimpse of summer, and now I cannot wait for the sun to shine, and for 4th term to come to an end!(:

13.1 Already?

These are the lovely 12 miles I ran last Saturday!

As I looked at the 12 week training schedule I thought that it would never end, and that my body would fail me before I ever finished. We started with week one, taking it one step at a time. I wasn't sure if I could get used to running 4 times a week, but as the weeks passed, it slowly started to get easier. Most of you probably know that a training schedule consists of a "plan" which contains how many miles you are supposed to run every day. The miles get higher and higher every week, slowly increasing your stamina and strength. Most of the time it doesn't feel like you are improving because of the increasing miles, but I just changed some of the words to my friend Dory's song and said to myself "Just keep running, just keep running, What do we do?.. We just keep running!" It's hard to get up before school every other day to run 5-6 miles, but I always feel better on the days I get up and exercise. Running before school means less time to get ready, less time to eat, and results in very hectic mornings. I am always running out the door late with a piece of toast in my hand. No matter how hard I try, I always get to school 5 minutes late. Hopefully my 1st and 5th period teachers don't hate me too badly! But through this whole experience, I have actually come to like running. It is amazing to think that 2 months ago I could barely run 2 miles and last Saturday I ran 12. I am proud of myself for sticking to my goal of training for a half marathon, and now I just have to run through the finish line at the Salt Lake City Half Marathon this Saturday!

It's Spring?

Well first of all, I am having a very hard time believing that it is spring. As I look out my windows right now, I see plenty of snow on the mountains and think that the ski resorts might re-open or something. Maybe I should plan on spending my "Spring" Break snowboarding, not jumping on the tramp. I love Utah, but the weather is seriously starting to get to me. Friday was a warm, nice, clear, SPRING day and now two days later we have fog, rain, and snow. If the snow doesn't clear up by easter, I am going to have a little talk with Mother Nature. The little innocent children do not deserve to have crappy weather while they are looking for their cute easter eggs! They would be wet and cold, and I would feel so terribly bad for them! But I would also feel HORRIBLE for the "Easter Bunny" aka ME, because she would have to go and lay all the eggs out in the snow. But seriously, why can't spring just come?

If there is anything good about it being "spring" it would be the fact that there are only two months of school left! I cannot believe that I am going to be in High School already. I knew that this year was going to go by fast, but I don't think I have realized how fast it really was going to go by until now. With the end of 9th grade so close, I am really starting to get an itch for summer. Every year it is the same story, but you really do just have this desire to go outside, talk, and do everything except your homework. Part of this is also because of the Daylight Savings change. Now it doesn't get dark until 8 so the nights just fly by, and the next thing you know its time to go to bed!

This week is obviously spring break, but the only break I'm getting is a break from school. Yes, my family is one of the few families staying home all week. We don't have any exciting plans or places to go, but I'm sure my mom will come up with creative activities for us to do. ;) There are a couple of up sides to staying home though. I do have a bunch of homework and projects I want to finish this week so I can be on top of my homework, and maybe even get ahead. I also want to do something I've been putting off for months, getting my permit. I could've had it in November, but since I have barely been able to breath lately, I haven't studied or taken the test. I am determined to take the test this week until I receive my permit! I hope that I can pass the test and spend this week practicing how to drive without killing anyone. The last thing I have to accomplish over spring break is completing all of my campaign posters since I'm running for Sophomore Office. It is hard to think of original ideas since I have ran for office every year since entering Jr. HIgh. So far I have used Thriller and Spice Girls, so who knows what is coming next from me! Lets just hope I find something somewhat interesting to do!