The Worst Fortune Ever

A terrible fate has befallen me. On Friday, during lunch, our school served egg-rolls, fortune cookies, and fried rice. As always, I did not eat, but my friend, Mary, offered my a fortune cookie. When I opened it, the following horrible fortune awaited:

You constantly struggle for self improvement

~ And it shows.

Although it's not the worst cookie ever recorded, (No, that one said: "Physic's will lead dogs to your body".) it's still a terrible fortune. It's more of a misfortune.

To make matters worse, one of my very good friends, Jessica Nelson, *chorkled when I showed her it. Way to by supportive Jess.

For those of you who don't know what the word "chorkled" means, it's a type of laugh that occurs when you mix chortled and chuckled. So, as you can see, it was even more unsupportive.

*Special thanks to Mary The Sperry for coming up with the most random word of the day: "Chorkled".

The Best Show YOU'LL Ever See

I'm a web surfer. I love the internet. I love watching things on the internet. It's one of my past times. In fact, that's basically all I do when I can. Basically, I'm . . . addicted to the internet.

Well, one day, while I was in the act, I stumbled across a HILARIOUS show. "Dr. Horrible's sing along blog. It is seriously the funniest thing I've seen in awhile. So, my advice is to buy it on iTunes. It takes about 45 minutes for the whole thing, but it's pretty much worth it. :) And below is a picture of the cast. Notice that the guy from the new murder mystery show "Castle" is in it. I believe his name is Nathan Fillon or something like that. He plays "Captain Hammer" The all American arrogant hero.

Here's the great thing though, Joss Whedon, (the director/ writer/ lots of other things) has decided to make a sequel that is currently in the works! I'm so excited! It's going to be absolutely fantastic!

Choose YOUR adventure

Right now in English, my teacher, Mrs. Robertson, has decided to let flow our creative juices.  To do this, she's decided to have us write a "Create Your Own Adventure" book.  It's not going to be very long of course, but I decided to give this blog a little pizazz.  And what better way to do that than to add my story to this blog?  So, this is how it's going to work.  Every now and again I will add a new situation giving it a designated number.  You will read it and then wait for the following number to come up.  Until that number comes up, you are not allowed to make any other new choices.  Once your designated number comes up you will then proceed to read that particular entry and choose. . . (are you ready for this?). . . your own adventure.  :)  I know your just all so excited so. . . this is just the rough draft, but here's the beginning:

It's Halloween night.  You were just dared to go into your neighborhoods haunted house.  You know for a fact that someone. . . or something lives in the house, but you're not sure exactly what.  Although you've had an irrational fear of haunted houses for as long as you can remember, you have no choice enter the terrifying house.  As you near the door, it slowly swings open by itself, emitting a horrible creaking sound as it does so.  You take one last look at your friend, standing in the safety of the street, and then you step inside, allowing the blackness to swallow you up.

(Please turn to the Blog Entry titled "Number One")

Now, you would turn to blog entry titled number one and read from there.  I hope you enjoy your experience and please feel free to critic my word choice or sentence structure.  I really need input on this because it is going to be an actual assignment worth actual points and as Mary very well knows, I can use all the criticism I can get.

Number Twelve

You begin to ride your bikes home when suddenly, a bus comes out of the middle of nowhere.  It strikes you and your friend, killing you instantly.  When you come to your senses, you realize that your a little transparent and attending your own funeral.  Considering yourself a freak, you return to the haunted house, bent on haunting your dying place and scaring away all those that dared enter the house before it was too late.

For reasons you don't understand, your friend somehow managed to pass on to the afterlife, you suppose it has something to do with the strange air you breathed while inside the house when you were alive.

Number Eleven

You ride your bikes home.  You and your friend spend the night at your house, bingeing on all that trick or treating candy and then go to sleep watching "Count Dracula".  You can't help but feel that after all you've been through, the movie's just a little cheesy.  You manage to laugh yourself to sleep while your friend nearly wets the bed.  The next morning, your friend goes home and your horrible experience in the towns haunted house becomes a distant thing of the past.

Number Ten

You and your friend ride your bikes home.  You are all too happy to be out of that creepy house, and your friend is just happy not to have been dared to do something worse.  You get home safely and fall asleep.  The next morning, you grab the morning paper, trying to find the Sunday Comics.  You notice the first page of the paper and freeze.  "Haunted House Lets Loose Horror On Unsuspecting Town"  read the title.  You gulp as you realize that you never locked the door behind you as you left the haunted house last night.

Wait to go genius, you just let loose a horde of monsters on the world.  That's going to look great on a resume.

Number Nine

That all powerful fight or flight instinct kicks in, but you've never been one for violence.  You let yourself fall limp in the monsters arms which is all it needed.  It drags you down to its basement lair and prepares for its evening meal. . . of which, you are the main dish.

I'm sorry, you managed to get yourself killed.  Just wait till your mother hears about this.

Number Eight

The fight or flight instinct kicks in big time and you decide to put a little of that tie kwan doe training into practice.  You elbow the monster's hairy chest and they drop you like a sack of potatoes, you roll under its massive legs and then plant your feet on its backside.  You push with all your might, and topple it to the ground.  You grab a broomstick that you see lying nearby and bring it down on the cretins head.  You hear a ghastly cracking noise and once again everything is still.  You cheek to make sure the thing is still breathing and then you keep going.  You see the moonlight streaming in from a window just ahead and you follow it.  You reach what looks like a kitchen and try the back door.  It won't open.  You notice it's been padlocked and begin looking around  for a key.  You look under the mat and find it there.  You think it's a little weird that someone would hide a key one the inside of a house, but you slip it into the lock and turn it.  A loud click sounds throughout the house and you let out a sigh of relief when nothing seems to have stirred.  You open the door and let yourself out, closing the door behind you.  You race to the front of the house and high five your friend.  

To pick ending #1 turn to the blog entry titled "Number 10"

To pick ending #2 turn to the blog entry titled "Number 11"

To pick ending #3 turn to the blog entry titled "Number 12"

Number Seven

You are about to open the door that has a light on behind it, but you think you see a shadow moving from under the door.  Afraid of what may be lurking behind door number one, you pick door number two.  You open the door and step inside.  The moonlight is streaming through the broken window directly in front of you.  You notice all the guano on the floor and look up to see bats lining the ceiling.  You move quietly, praying that you won't wake them up when you slip on some more recent guano.  You fall to the floor, covering yourself in even more guano.  The bats begin shrieking like a wounded cat, as they begin waking up.  You cover your face with your hands as they fly right at you.  You receive a few pecks, and then they fly away into the night.  Your heart is thudding violently at this most recent encounter, but you have no choice but to get up and try to get away.  You walk to the window and look outside.  You are surprised to see that your friend is still out there.  You wave at him and he looks surprised to see you.  Then, violent spasms roll through your body.  You fall to the ground and watch as your hands grow pale in the moon light and fangs grow inside your mouth.  Once the pain stops you stand up and try to give the thumbs up signal to your friend.  He goes ghostly pale and backs away, running down the road.  Your new sense of smell sniffs the warm scent of flesh blood and you turn into a bat and fly out the window after your friend.  

I'm sorry, you have become a vampire.  But really, when has going up the stairs ever been a good way to get out of a house?  Maybe if you'd been a little brighter you'd still be human.

         

Number Six

Figuring that you have nothing to lose at this point, you decide to see if you can find someone.  You figure that someone is bound to be willing to help you get out of their spooky house so you make your way towards the door with the light.  Always the one with manners, you knock before slowly turning the doorknob and entering the illuminated bedroom.  You gasp in shock at the sight before you.  An actual witch was stirring a boiling cauldron over an open fire.  Her ugly green and warty face looks up at your gasp and smiles pleasantly.  "Hello dearie."  She cackles, dropping her giant spoon and moving towards you.  You are too scared to move as she gets nearer and nearer.  One thought keeps flashing through your head: "I have a bad feeling about this."  The witch smiles, reveling rows of horrible dental hygiene.  "My, you are a big one.  I haven't had anyone come here since that horrible accident with that Hansel and Gretal.  My sister never had a talent with kids.  Lucky for you, I do."  She said, breathing liver flavored breath in your face.  She leads you over to her cauldron and pushes your head over it.  You are forced to breath in her potent potion and the various smells cause you to black out.  Then, she turns you into a toad and locks you up in her cupboard.  Sorry.  You can't go home like that, (what would your mother say???), and you are most likely going to be cooked for supper tomorrow.

Number Five

Although you've always loved chocolate chip cookies, you decide it would go against everything your new diet stood for if you ate one.  And who knew exactly where they had been anyway?  This was a rotting house you are in after all.  You decide to pass on the cookies and decide to try finding a way out of the house.  Since there was no way the possessed door was 
going to let you back outside, and unless you want to fall ten or so feet to your doom, the upstairs wasn't an option.  You decide to play it safe and stick to the main level.  You leave the lab, deciding that there was nothing of value in there anyway, and make your way towards the back of the house.  Before you get there though, something big and hairy blocks your path.  You try to run back to the lab, but the thing wraps it's hairy arms around you.  You have two choices.  You can try to fight back, or, you can play dead and hope it leaves you alone.

To fight back, turn to the blog entry titled "Number Eight"

To play dead turn to the blog entry titled "Number Nine"

Number Four

You stare at the cookies on the plate, practically drooling over them.  You can taste one in your mouth now, the delicious chocolate bits just screaming at you to eat them.  You look left and right making sure no one is in the room and reach out a hand.  You pick up one of the soft cookies and bite a chunk out of it.  You swallow it with a blissful smile on your face.  Then, suddenly, an angry feeling ripped through your stomach.  You clutch at it, the blissful look on your face disappearing as one of intense pain crossed it.  You look around wildly trying to find something that will relieve the pain. . . like a Tylenol.  All too late, you see the glass vial with something that looks mysteriously like acid inside.  You groan inwardly and fall to the floor.  Your vision blurs before you and you can't be sure, but you think you see a mad scientist standing over you.  Then everything goes black.  I'm sorry, you're dead.

Number Three

The moaning reminds you of when your three sisters, Juli, Jenni, and Jodi, had the flu.  You decide that you can't face a sick monster and so you decide to go upstairs thinking that you can climb out a window and down to safety from one of the trees that are scratching on the windows.  You begin climbing the ancient stairs.  They creak as you climb them, making you wince as your imagination takes flight, imagining just what is up there waiting for you.  As you near the top, you see two doors.  One has light underneath it, and the other doesn't.  Which will you go in?

If you go into the door with the light turn to the blog entry titled "Number Six"

If you go into the dark door, turn to the blog entry titled "Number Seven"

Number Two

Afraid to risk whatever might be lurking upstairs, you turn your attention to the door.  You edge towards it nervously.  Just as you reach it, the moaning cuts of and everything grows eerily silent.  You reach out a hand and with a furiously beating heart, you throw the door open.  You step inside and glance around nervously.  You can't see anyone but it appears that you're in an old lab of some sort.  Everything is dusty, and looks like it hadn't been touched in ages.  You are about to go try the doors again when something catches your eye.  On the table in the middle of the room is a stemming plate of chocolate chip cookies, your favorite.  Do you eat the cookie, or do you get back to finding a way to escape the haunted house? 

If you eat the cookie then turn to the blog entry title "Number Four"

If you keep trying to find a way to escape then turn to the blog entry titled "Number Five"

Number One

You jump as the giant door creaks shut, closing with a loud thud that seems to echo through the entire house.  You feel your knees shaking and wrap your arms around yourself.  Suddenly, you think you see a shadow move to your left.  You spin around, bet or no bet, you have to get out of there.  You try to open the doors but they refuse to budge.  Suddenly, you hear something.  You freeze, goosebumps appearing along your arms as the sound grows louder.  Someone is moaning to your right.  You look and see a door standing slightly ajar, a eerie glow coming from below it.  You edge away from it subconsciously, but then see a shadow moving upstairs.  This time, you know you haven't imagined it.  Do you hide in the room with the eerie light and moaning sounds?  Or do you go upstairs to face whatever is up there?

If you go into the creepy room please turn to the blog entry titled "Number Two"

If you go upstairs please turn to the blog entry titled "Number Three"

     

Happy Halloween (Eve)

Hello cyberspace!  Today is none other than Halloween eve and I've got so much to do.  My ward has our halloween party today, and the young men and young women have to help get it to run smoothly.  (WAY easier said than done.)  Basically it's going to be chaos.  Complete and total mayhem.  Who knew that all the kids in my ward get crazy when full of candy and cake.  It's ridiculous!  Anyway, I have to get to the church just 2 1/2 hours after I get home today to help set up.  I also have to do my PE homework which I've majorly been procrastinating.  So basically today is going to be crazy.  Luckily, it's my all time favorite day.  It's an A day!  So, I hope you have a good Halloween eve. . . and an even better Halloween.  Happy holidays!  :)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Tomorrow.  Tomorrow's supposedly the big day that I've been waiting for since forever!  But, let me start at the beginning.

I look at the weather forecast for the day everyday.  The Junior High's weather forecast is usually pretty accurate, so I decided to take a look at that one everyday, and for those of you now wanting to cheek the weather before school, here's the link:

click me

So, I cheeked it today, and guess what I discovered???  It turns out that there's a 90% chance of snow tomorrow!!!  I am so excited!  I absolutely LOVE winter, and it's all because of the snow!!!

And that's what's coming.  And lots of it.

Get ready world!  Snow is on the way.  

It's winter now!

Some Aquatic Life Forms for Consideration

Hey y'all.  It's been awhile since I've posted anything. . . but I'm sorry to report that for all you devoted followee's to this blog who have just been dying to read some more of my amazing and priceless humor, this entry is going to be a bit anticlimactic.  :( 

So currently, I'm sitting here in my bedroom, trying to come up with a semi-interesting topic.  So far, nothing has occurred to me. . . but wait!  A spark of true brilliance!  (Depending on how you look at it of course.)  This blog entry is hereby proclaimed to be about jellyfish.  Random, right?  I know, but really, wait till you hear more about them. :)

Mary the Sperry and I are having to do a project in Environmental Science right now about the Carbon Cycle.  (Which is when the Earth naturally recycles it's carbon. . . pretty self explanatory I would think.)  Well, as we were looking up information about all the places it comes from, we discovered that jellyfish are like 10% carbon.  Is that cool or what???  Yup.  I told you it was anticlimactic.  But the following pictures aren't.  They're pretty cool.  Cheek them out:

All righty.  That's enough with the jellyfish.  Now 

lets talk about giant squids.  Just 
kidding.  I'm really just going to show some 

pictures of the squids now, because they
are after all the coolest marine life I can think 

of right now.

I don't think that last one is real. . . 

but don't quote me on that. . . and 

now, since this
entry seems to have turned into a 

sea life entry, here are some fish pic's:

Okay, that last one is without

 a doubt, my favorite.  And now, 

without further ado,
I give you. . . Penguins!!!!  

(My all time FAVORITE animal!)

And this concludes this weeks

 "Madison. . . a random look in a random life."

See you next time!

A Babysitter's worst nightmare

Monday.  Usually that word feels me with dread.  I absolutely despise Monday's. . . at least during the school year.  They represent such a horrible thing. . . the beginning of yet another week of school.  Unless of course, I start out the week with an english class.  :)

Anyways, this Monday, I was looking forward to sleeping away the whole day.  We had no school, I have no life. . . it was perfect.  Until I get a phone call last night from my favorite family, the Lemke's.  I babysit them all the time, and they are the cutest little family, I absolutely adore them.  So, as you can imagine, I was pretty happy to get a call from them last night.  I mean, hanging out with some really sweet, and really crazy kids, and getting paid for doing it?  I'm there!  Unfortunately, it turned out to be a Trojan Horse.  She wasn't calling because her husband and her were going on a date, no, she was calling to ask me to babysit at 8:45 in the AM.  8:45 is like my version of a five in the morning.  So, I wasn't to psyched about heading over there, but I really do love them, and I can't afford to lose their business.  That's really my only source of income right now.

Well, I got up this morning, I got dressed and I headed out the door.  And let me tell you, it was FREEZING!!!  I mean, I was wearing a scarf and a jacket and I was soooo cold!  Yet, I walked to their house, walked in the door and listened to my instructions.  Then, Sister Lemke was out the door and I was left alone.

Everything went great for almost the whole time.  Then, disaster struck.  Jase is their youngest boy.  He can get really physical and he's tried on multiple occasions to best me at wrestling, but, I'm still better :)  However, this time, he wasn't aiming for me, he was aiming at his younger sister, Lizzie.  He hit her too.  He had tossed a hard, plastic ball at her and it had clipped her shoulder with one intense sound.  (Which I can't really spell so. . . you're out of luck.)

Well, Lizzie began screaming her lungs out and writhing around on the floor, which is of course exactly when her mother came in through the door.  I was bent over the top of her, trying to get a look at her shoulder to make sure nothing was too wrong with it, and I'm sure it looked bad.  Thankfully, she calmed Lizzie down and made Jase apologize before telling me that Lizzie had been really acting up lately.  They'd been in an airport not too long ago and Lizzie had thrown the biggest temper tantrum right in the middle of it.

I have to admit, that confession made me feel a little better, but it was still one of the worst babysitting experiences I've ever had.  :)

Imaturebee's. . . noun. . .

Argh!  I'm so sick of all the immaturebee's that run around our school!  (And for those of you who weren't with Mary and I at lunch today, (namely everyone) all these irritating and very immature people were running by us the whole time and I called them immaturebee's for some unknown reason, and the name stuck.)  My bus is absolutely full of them, and I'm getting so sick of the bus driver slamming on the brakes every time one of the immaturebee's stands up!  It is so irritating!  I can't even believe it!  I mean, I don't usually get car sick, but man, it's becoming more frequent.  There are like six people that think that it's just so funny to stand up as we speed down this long, bumpy road.  (See that Mrs. R?  I just used one of the comma rules that we learned in class today. :)

This year seems like there are more immaturebee's than ever before.  So many of the sophmore's and even the juniors are so irritating to be around.  But that's just my side of the story.  Now tell me yours.  Do you notice the mass immaturebee's running wild around the school?  Or do you not?  Cast your vote now!

Its a funny story actually. . .

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking that you were late for school?  I have done this on multiple occasions, the most memorable of which didn't happen in the middle of the night.  It happened around six or seven in the morning.  I woke up to my alarm clock and got ready for BYC (or Bishops Youth Council) Which I had to go to one Sunday every month at that time.  I then proceeded up the stairs to call one of my leaders for a ride.  My mom looked at me and asked this simple question: "What are you doing?"

I replied in a somewhat irritated tone: "I have to go to BYC."  She laughed at me.  Yup.  She LAUGHED.  That's when I knew I was in trouble.

"I appreciate your willingness to go and do your calling, but, it's Saturday."  She said.

I was so ticked but I went back downstairs changed out of my church clothes and went back to bed.

Well, a similar experience happened to me last night.  I was really tired yesterday, probably due to the fact that I was running on just a few real hours of sleep.  Anyways, I was really tired, and I fell asleep around 7:10 for about five minutes.  When I woke up, I jumped out of bed and immediately thought: "Crap!  I missed dinner!"  Then I recalled that I had actually had dinner about two hours previously with an annoying neighbor kid that I really wanted to slap.  I laid back down just to jump back up seconds later with my heart fluttering.  "Crap!  School starts in like a half an hour!"  I screamed.  "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

Well, I realized that it was in the PM before I went downstairs so it wasn't too embarrassing.  However, I still felt like one of the biggest idiots in the history of stupidity.  :)

Chihuahua's . . . What's the deal?

Okay, so, today I'm going to speak about a very serious problem facing our well being.  They're called chihuahuas and they're just not normal.  With their big. . . creepy eyes and pointy ears and all the body shakes.  And their annoying yap.  I mean seriously!  What's with them?  (I'm sorry if you like Chihuahua's or even that new movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" But I'm just not a fan (and if you didn't guess that already. . . go back to school.))  Anyways, I was talking to my friend Mary today, (hi Mary) and we were looking at the chinchilla at the school and for some reason, (I think it was the name) for some reason, it reminded me of a chihuahua and we just went off about how weird they are.

So, the funniest little mental picture popped up into my head.  Basically, it's someone with wide eyes staring at something way below them, and creepy music is playing in the background, and then the image flashes to a small little shaking chihuahua on the floor who is looking at the person, and the image just goes back and forth until the chihuahua cocks it's head and the person slowly backs out of the room and hightails it out of there.

Sorry, I'm not very good at explaining things, (or rather, describing things) but still, it was a very funny mental image. :)

And here is a very good picture of why I don't associate with the beasts, it's titled "Killer Chihuahua"  Viewer Discretion is advised. (Please don't show it to any kids.  I don't want them to have nightmares.)

Here's the link to see it on the internet, more importantly on Wikipedia.  I put it here so that it's not like plagiarism or anything, and also, it's bigger.  More ferocious looking. Click here if you please. :)

Book Review 1 of 4 for non-fiction

Recently, I was encouraged (and by encouraged I mean cornered and parent pressured into) doing my personal progress.  I'd originally gotten started on it when I first became a Beehive in my old Grovecreek ward, but then I slowly trailed off it, and finally stopped doing it altogether.

Sadly, upon moving here and doing a personal progress interview to find out where I stood in it, I discovered that I was further along in it than most people in my class.  That's when my parents cornered me and forced me into it.

I took off with vigor; doing my best to get the dumb thing over with.  But pretty soon, I was flying.  In fact, by the end of two months, I had only 2 1/4 projects left.  I had two hours of painting to do, and then my reading.  The only project that you can do for Virtue is to read the Book of Mormon which I proceeded to complete just recently.

I asked Robertson if I could use that for my nonfiction (cuz' lets face it, it's not a fast reader), and she agreed, so, here is my nonfiction book review for this term.

The Book of Mormon isn't exactly the best book I've ever read, although towards the end, I did look forward to opening it up every day.  The thing that I struggled with the most was the language.

The language of the olden days has definatley changed over the years.  It was often hard to understand what they were speaking of, ESPECIALLY when they began quoting Isaiah.  Not to point any fingers, (*ahem* Nephi).  I wouldn't suggest this to anyone that struggle with reading or understanding hidden meanings.  Although I found it very spiritual and very good, it was a hard book to get into at first.  I did eventually get into it, as I previously mentioned, but I suggest taking longer than 11 days to read the whole thing, you will probably get more out of it, and that is the sole purpose of the book.

The Internet Addict

Okay, so everyone should know by now that I am one of the biggest internet fans in the world.  I spend so much of my time on it and not just because I'm currently reading my scriptures on it (which is a different post entirely) but, I email like constantly.  I'm beginning to sense that it irritates some people who get WAY to many emails from me in one day (*ahem* 67).

Anyways, this post is all about one of the funniest songs I've ever heard.  It's called: "Do you want to date my avatar"  and yes, it's about exactly what it sounds like.

Basically it's a song from the people that are making a mini-series called "The Guild"  which is about a group of people that are crazy because they sit around their house all day and play world of warcraft online.  They are all socially awkward and this song proves it.  The music video is really funny as well, but it might be inappropriate to some viewers.  Viewer desecration is advised. (By me :)

Anyways, if you haven't already, you have to cheek out not only the mini-series, but also the song.  Very catchy  in fact here's the lyrics:

Do you wanna date my avatar?

Do you wanna date my avatar?

Hang with me in my MMO

So many places we can go

You'll never see my actual face

Our love, our love will be in virtual space

I'm craving to emote with you

So many animations I can do

Be anything you want me to be

C'mon, c'mon, and share a potion with me

(Chorus)

Do you want to date my avatar?

She's a star and she's 

hotter than reality by far.

Wanna date my avatar?

You can type commands

I've got slots for what I hold in my hands

Don't care what's in your character bank

How 'bout, how 'bout a little tank and spank

Grab your mouse and stroke the keys

Here in cyberspace there's no disease

Pick a time, send a tell to me

Just pay, just pay a small subscription fee

(Chorus)

Single, White Human

Looking for group

My stats so high

You'll be out of the loop

Got an uber leet staff

That you can equip

Close your mouth up

Ladies this is pure nerdnip

I'm a pixel-based fantasy

A man so stoic

I hack and slash

Who the heck's more heroic?

Check me out, cloth armor

Fits me like a glove

Just twitter a time

I'm ready for love

Hang with me in my MMO

So many places we can go

I'm better than a real world quest

You'll touch my plus five to dexterity vest

What role do you wanna play?

I'm just a click away night or day

And if you think I'm not the one

Log off, log off and we'll be done

(Chorus)

(Repeat Chorus)

Do you wanna date my avatar? (do you wanna date my avatar?)

Do you wanna date my avatar? (do you wanna date my avatar?)

Do you wanna date my avatar? (do you wanna date my avatar?)

Do you wanna date my avatar? (do you wanna date my avatar?) 

Book Review 1 of 4 for fiction

Recently I read the semi-historical fiction book called "The Alchemyst" by Michael Scott.  It is basically about the infamous immortal Nicholas Flamel.

In it, twins, Sophie and Josh are chosen to save the world and through many exciting, if somewhat dangerous events, experience the world as it truly is.  A place full of magic and myths.

It is the first book in a series, and I'll be finishing up the series later on.  For now, I would definitely advise this book to anyone looking for a good read.  It has some interesting historical facts in it, and it was a world of fun.

The End of the Hermit

Okay, so, most of you should know that given the choice between staying inside, and going outside amongst people, I will firmly decide to stay inside.  However, today, I wasn't given the choice.  In fact, I wasn't even given any notice.

You see, my traitorous friend, Jorie, (yeah, she goes to AF, have I mentioned this yet?)  Anyway, she came to my house around 3:45 walked into my room and said:  "You're coming to the football game.  It starts at four and we're not going to be late."  Then, she turned around and walked out the door and to her house (which is almost right behind mine) to get some things.

When she returned, she dragged me out the door and to the fifth game that I've ever been to in my entire life time.  (Only two of these were football games by the way. :)

So, today, for a whole four and a half hours, I was outside "socializing" with people and not being a hermit.

There's your miracle story for the entire month.  Because let me tell you, it was pretty impressive so, a big thumbs up to Jorie.  That was an amazing stunt that you managed to pull off today.  :)

Final Judgment

So for the past little while, I've been trying to write a book because I'm secretly hoping that I can become an author one of these days.  I've hit some snags, but am currently working them out.  For now though, I could use all the criticism that I can get.  So, I'd appreciate any advice you can give me on it.  Don't tell me how great it is, just judge it. . . harshly.

It's already too long to post as one blog entry so, here's the prolouge for you.  Does it sound like something you'd like to read?

Prologue

"In other news, another kidnapping has been reported, this time in a small neighborhood in Colorado.  Neighbors notified authorities at about three o'clock on Tuesday, when they heard gunshots coming from the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Brian Richardson.  Police were immediately dispatched to investigate the situation, but upon entering the home, found only the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Richardson.  Their daughter, sixteen year old Kelsi Richardson was missing.  Police believe that she was taken from the home shortly after the deaths of her parents." Said the blonde reporter, flashing her perfect, white set of teeth for the hundredth time.

"Kelsi's whereabouts are currently unknown, but police believe that this will give us some new insights as to what is currently happening all over the nation.  Bob, do you have any more information on this sudden string of kidnappings?"

The camera zoomed out to revel an older man, perhaps in his forties, smiling at the blonde news reporter.

"As a matter of fact Nancy, I do."  He said, turning to face the camera which then zoomed in on his wrinkling face.  "Kelsi's disappearance this week is not unique.  Nine other kidnappings have been reported all around the country.  Among the missing are; Kyle and Sara Martin from Springville, Utah, Lily Trent from Phoenix, Arizona, Julie Douglas from Dayton, Ohio, Matthew Adams from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Eric Jenson from San Antonio, Texas, Jenny Reid from Norfolk, Virginia, Sam Tyson from Miami, Florida and John Himen from Seattle, Washington.

"Experts have been baffled by this seemingly random string of disappearances.  As far as they can tell, the kidnappers don't have any set objective.  No ransom notes have been delivered, no calls have been made, and most puzzling of all, no bodies have been found.  It's as if all these teens have just disappeared."

The camera zoomed out to show both reporters , and Nancy began speaking again.

"If you have any information regarding this case, please call 1-800-LOST.  That number again is 1-800-L-O-S-T..."

Madison Furniss, Rock collector Extraordinaire.

Welcome to Labor Day Weekend Madison style.  This weekend was anything but relaxing.  (Not that I really expected that I would be able to sleep the whole weekend away, but I was kinda hoping.)

Today was Labor Day, and everyone knows that on Labor Day, almost no one works.  Well, I'd like you to tell that to my parents.  They decided that we should spend some "quality time" together and therefore dragged us out to the middle of nowhere, (by the old pony express trail in Lehi, like 3 whole hours away from PG!!!) and had us dig up rocks.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love rocks as much as the next girl, they can make some very good projectile missiles, but, spending 4 hours out in the blazing hot sun collecting rocks which you just end up using as paperweights later, is not my idea of fun.

This rocks are cooler than most, I will admit, and I got some really cool ones, but when your seven hour trip turns into a ten hour trip due to two flat tires (well, it was really one flat tire, but that's another story.) Then, you start to realize that spending six hours in the car with five annoying brothers is not, I repeat: NOT something to ever be attempted again.

The following is a picture of the types of rocks we collected from Utah's own geode beds:

Dumb People, or Dumb Questions?

Often times, we hear the phrase, "There are no dumb questions".  Or, (the better version in my opinion), "There are no dumb questions. . . just dumb people."  But today I bring before you; (for your viewing pleasure of course) one of the strangest question's you will ever encounter in this lifetime:  "How much does the internet weigh?"

Now, this may seem like one of those "no dumb questions. . . just dumb people"  type of a question, but no, there has been a mathematical examination of this puzzling topic and the results were posted on this website:

Click here.

In case you don't want to read all that mumbo-jumbo, (because there really is a lot, and it made MY brain fry so. . . ), the final answer of the most random question asked is:

". . . a staggering 40 petabytes, or 40 x 1015 (to the fifteenth power) bytes: a 4 followed by 16 zero's"!!!!!

Man do some people have WAY to much free time on their hands!

The Best Cuisine in the World

This post is not going to be like any post you've encountered on this blog before. No, this time, I'm going to be writing all about a small cafe in Salt Lake City called Bruges. (Pronounced brew-sh. (Say it fast)).



So, my French teacher, Mr. Burnah, was telling us all about this small cafe the other day in French. And he made me sooooooooo hungry!!! I don't know about all of you but mental images of the absolute best Belgian waffles dipped in dark Belgian waffles was absolutely mouth-watering. In fact, you have to cheek out his site, but, don't do it on an empty stomach!!!



CLICK HERE!!!




I am absolutely going to have to go there sometime soon. Ever time I look at his food, I get sooooo hungry.


Here's to hoping that Pierre's great food is going to keep him in business! (And there's no doubt that he will be staying in business :D ) Well, that's all for now, please don't drool all over your keyboards. They're very hard to clean up. :)

From textbooks to tan lines

Helloooooo everybody!!!  And welcome to this Friday's post of extreme awesomeness.  Right now, I'm just chillin' at my home but I'm about to head to the car to get driven to school.

So, nothing insanely exciting has happened this week as of yet.  However, a ton of not-so-exciting things have.  Yesterday, for example, I got a third textbook bringing my total number of B-day textbooks to three.  But I'm also planning on getting two more.  (These would be A-day books though)  A US history textbook and also a French textbook.  But hey, who's counting?

What I really wanted to blog about today was the miracle that happened today at lunch.  I hate the summer.  I like not having to go to school, but I dread the blistering heat.  And this summer was no different.  I'm so insanely pale.  If it hadn't been for trek and girls camp I'd probably be looking like an albino right about now.

However, today, Mary and I decided not to eat lunch in the student center because we could barely hear ourselves think, and she was about to walk into the cafeteria when I, (that's right, I) suggested we go outside.  It was a sight to behold!  Mary's chin dropped and she just stared at me before saying; "You're suggesting we go outside?"  In a very incredulous voice.

So there you have it.  I, the great Madison Furniss, suggested that we go outside.  :)

A rare North American Madison, caught on tape!

Hey I'm back again, this time with a special video dedicated to the hating my pictures thing.  (see post below for further details)  Sorry, there's no sound and it's a bit fuzzy, but I still think it's really funny.  I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. :)

Where in the world is Madison Furniss?

Anyone in my ward, especially those who went to girls camp with me, know, without a doubt, that I'm not someone w
ho enjoys getting their picture taken, but the last time my only good AF going friend, Jorie, was over, she managed to snag some shots of me, of course, my hand was in front of my face for the most part, but it's still a pretty good pic, so, enjoy.

And all you people out there that claim that you don't have enough pictures of me, enjoy this fun-fest picture to add your rare and most likely, valuable collection. :)

Me, the blonde

Hello again everyone.  Man, this week has gone by pretty intensely.  Well, okay, it's only been a couple of days since the last time I blogged, but still.

So, today, one of my very close friends came over and we were sitting here, in my tower room,  (all those who have been here, yeah, you know what I mean) and I was re-accounting some of my more blonde moments.  (Most of which involved me walking into a door of some kind.)  And I realized that it was just too funny not to share, so, here you go.

I was walking towards my bathroom door (which was shut) and I thought to myself: "I'll walk into my bathroom and then open the door."

Obviously, that was not very logical thinking.  And, even I can't defy the laws of physics, and so I rebounded of the door and ended up sprawled eagle on my floor.

Not really wanting to repeat that first try at the door (which didn't really hurt much, but I was stunned for a moment)  I stood up, slowly turned the knob, pushed open the door and only then did I walk into my bathroom, to the shocking image of my frankenstein-like self because I'd only just woken up.  And if any of you have seen me before I get ready in the mornings, I look freaky.

Well, that's one of my blondest moments ever, but of course, there are more.  I hope to keep you posted with all my crazy moments so, stay tuned!

P.S.  I'm adding a picture of one of my good wake up days.  Like, this is seriously probably the best I've ever looked right when I woke up, but then again, most of my face is being blocked by my camera. . . so. . .  I'll get a really freaky picture for you as soon as I get some more batteries for my camera.

The Creative Jeans

Okay, so, my mom was one of my young women's leaders until recently and she always claimed that she didn't have "creative genes".  (which for those of you who don't know what they are, they're the ability to make creative things.)

Well, recently, as it states above, my mom got released and so me and my good friend Jorie from AF, decided that we were going to make an amazing pair of creative jeans.  Although, since we couldn't get our hands on a pair of real genes we ended up making a pair using pants.

To the left, you will see a picture of one of the finishing touches on the creative jeans bag that we made.  On the back it said creative jeans in pink and cow spotted fabric.  We also found some goggly eyes that make the cow's eyes bug out, it was my all time favorite craft I've ever done, and I hope you get as much of a kick out of the mad-cow's as Jorie and I did!!!